Lee - Blue Belt Advice

What motivated you to start training BJJ?

I moved to Wellington for work in 2019, not knowing anyone. Six months in realised I didn't have much to show for my time, as i still didn't know anyone. Joining a club was an attempt to put down roots, socially. I landed on BJJ because I thought what little wrestling experience I had might be transferable, and because BJJ was (and remains) trendy.

What advice would you give to beginners who are just starting their BJJ journey?

Slow down. I don't think I've read a profile from anyone else yet in which that advice hasn't been given, but it's worth repeating, as much for my own benefit as for any reader. My reasoning is this: when you slow down, generally your training partners will do the same. On one hand, that makes for a nicer roll, but on the other, it gives you time to piece together what your partner is doing when they put you into a particular submission.

As an example, if I roll at pace with someone, when he or she catches me in a triangle, it comes on quick, and I don't have time to pick up the warning signs that that was about to happen (like that they had changed an angle, or had an especially gleeful expression on their face). In that scenario I'm no better placed to avoid the next triangle than I was to avoid that one.

If I slow down, my partner is more likely to cut an angle more slowly, or to feed my arm into the right spot more slowly. When they do that it give me more of an opportunity to recognise what they're about to do. That teaches me to react to those angle changes, and those gleeful expressions, and - at least theoretically - makes me slightly less likely to be caught in the next triangle.

What motivated you to continue training BJJ, even when it was challenging or frustrating?

See above - for several months you might not be able to stop the triangle coming, but eventually you might (as I sometimes can now) recognise that you're about to be triangled). I like to think of rolling with Wade, for example, as a game of prediction - I win if I recognise how he's going to submit me ahead of time, and he wins if I wake up with him laughing over me, because I didn't.

That was every roll with near everybody at first. When rolling was like that, I got a lot of satisfaction out of expanding my idea of what winning is - to include tapping out in a way I could recognise ahead of time.

Did you ever experience any significant injuries during your BJJ journey, and if so, how did you deal with them and continue to train?

I've been lucky so far. There hasn't been anything beyond a weird finger or mat-burn. As with everything, slowing down helps

Were there any specific training partners who played a significant role in your development as a BJJ practitioner?

Shane. At a basic level, we're similar shapes, so I've found him particularly useful to poach ideas from - certain techniques won't work for us, but I've seen turtling and wrestling up work for him, and tried to incorporate that into my game as a result.

How has BJJ impacted your life outside of the gym, and what benefits have you seen from your continued practice?

Whereas before I didn't know anybody in Wellington, now I know many - just not by their names, and I can only recognise them if they're wearing pajamas. Also, it's a great outlet for stress, and conditions you to continue thinking in stressful situations, where earlier in my training I might have just tried to grit my way out of danger. Life is stressful, so any tool that helps me think when I'm stressed is valuable.

How did you balance training BJJ with other commitments in your life, such as work or family?

Whereas before I didn't know anybody in Wellington, now I know many - just not by their names, and I can only recognise them if they're wearing pajamas. Also, it's a great outlet for stress, and conditions you to continue thinking in stressful situations, where earlier in my training I might have just tried to grit my way out of danger. Life is stressful, so any tool that helps me think when I'm stressed is valuable.

Were there any particular techniques or concepts that you struggled with as a white belt, and how did you overcome those challenges?

Generally, playing guard has been a struggle for me. I wouldn't say I've overcome that, but to date I've found that making sure some of my rolls each night are with less experienced partners gives me a chance to expose myself to playing guard (in the same way that rolling with those your level forces you to dial in on the moves you can do well, and rolling with higher belts reduces your focus to simply trying to survive).

What role did competition play in your BJJ journey, and how did you approach preparing for and competing in tournaments?

I've only competed once so far, but really loved the process of preparing. I dieted down for it, and most people you train with are happy to up the intensity of rolls as you prepare. As to competing itself, I could see why some wouldn't enjoy it.

The day is long and stressful, but the lead-up really made me focus on what techniques I could do and those I couldn't do - which is what I found valuable. I'd recommend giving it a go at least once, to force yourself to do a stock take of how well your game fits together, if for no other reason.