Day 44

First free day I've had in a long time, no work, no training. I've written a.... guide? Or time-line of learning Jiu-Jitsu. It's heavily based on my experience and what I've seen of other people around me, so it may not apply to you, but hopefully you can recognise some of it. It is very generalised.

Phase 1 (first month) – You literally have no idea what's going on. You are tapping more often than a tap dancer at a talent show. But you think you enjoy it and you want to learn how to do this.

Phase 2 (1 – 3 months) – You're starting to get the basics. You understand what you're supposed to be doing when it comes to the sparring. You've learnt how to do a triangle, its you're favourite move, unfortunately you can only slap it on people still in phase 1.

Phase 3 (3 – 6 months) – You're doing really well. You can tap people out, sure strength to you is like Jack Daniels to an alcoholic, you're a mess without it. But that doesn't matter you are winning occasionally, as long as you don't go near any one with a pretty coloured belt... or someone stronger and heavier than you.

Phase 4 (6 – 12 months) – You've made it this far? You're addicted. Probably got some stripes, thinking about your blue belt, aint ya big guy? Fortunately you've started really considering your game, trying to analyse your technique and you try and roll with blues and purples as often as possible. This is the point where you really start to pick up a lot of techniques. You've also probably done, or are considering doing your first tournament. It's very busy time in you BJJ life. We'll keep this quiet but we all know that you've started noticing, and appreciating the radical changes that BJJ has wrought on your body, but there is no need for you to take you gi jacket off when you put away the mats at the end of EVERY session.

Phase 5 (12 – 18 months) – You've found out how good or bad you are at tournaments. You've started thinking strategy. You make an important decision, TOP PLAYER or GUARD PLAYER. Do you now immediately sit on you butt at the start of every roll, or do you immediately try and take the dominant position? I won't point out at this juncture that those top players have really made no discernible change to their sparring style from previously.... anyway.

You are still using a lot of strength when you roll.

Phase 6 (18 months – 2 years) – You're really concentrating on technique. You want to use technique over strength, but if strength can cover up poor technique, then who will ever know. You're also pretty proud that you match up well against the some blue belts in your club. Its not a question of how many of your fellow whites you can tap out, it's how few can tap you.

*** CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE ADVANCED TO THE NEXT LEVEL: BLUE BELT ***

Phase 7 (1 month after being promoted) – You're nervous, and you should be. You don't feel any better than last week, but you need to be, you're a blue belt now and the YOU of 6 months ago is gunning for you, desperate to prove that he can tap you. When you roll with him you just can not believe how much strength he is willing to use to cover his poor technique. Internally you sigh at him while trying desperately to control him AND make it look like you are not struggling.

Phase 8 (6 months as a blue) – Things are really going well, you're nailing those sweeps, your game feels tighter, you're much more relaxed, you're experimenting like mad with your game, x-guard, turtle, spider, Peruvian leema*, you name it you're trying it. Your using less strength and even though you always said before that you understand that tapping in training is acceptable (when really you would go at 117.2% to avoid any tap if possible) you are now finally accepting the truth in that.

Phase 9 (6 – 18 months) – You're focusing a lot more on the details now. You have a nice repertoire of standard moves that are high percentage, you like picking up new stuff, but you also love it when you see new details in old moves that just improves their efficiency.

Phase 10..... Start writing a blog, you're in too deep there is no way out. 

I hope that passed some time, if you are interested in learning the peruvian fire guard of death I am available for seminars.

One last thing, here is a photo of me this morning after going to the post office.

* I am aware that this leema's don't come from Peru exclusively (or at all?) and the photo is of llamas, but I'm claiming artistic licence or plain ignorance in the pursuit of humour.