@s_afsoc Yikes. You’d definitely want to speak with a Dr. and the local instructor before trying this. BJJ doesn’t involve striking per-se, but there are things like the mount position, side control and knee-on-belly that might cause problems with a bag full of morphine strapped to your body. That said, you can always work on what you can work on without putting that at risk, which could be quite a bit. A good training partner will always work around whatever limitations you have.
@Despade Well, unless you wrestled at a decently high level or have judo skills or something similar, you’re going to suck at BJJ right out of the box. However, being cock-strong definitely helps, and the body awareness you’ve gained on your path to a monster deadlift will certainly carry over to moving your body in new and different ways. You could very well find yourself tapping upper belts occasionally in just a few months training like I have. If they have one and only one big strong guy then I could absolutely see why they’re bugging you to join in.
Being a LOT stronger than your training partners is actually an impediment to BJJ development. That’s why I’m hoping that this new white belt sticks around. He’s big and strong enough to push me around, and rolling with him was a good validation for my training. My new skills worked, and there was no question in my head about whether I had good technique or just brute-forced him because I couldn’t brute force him.
If there’s already some lunk rolling around in your local gym, consider that another reason to join.
Ha, yeah this lunk is a 6’ 6" ex-division one D-lineman haha I may be extremely humbled, but am slowly leaning further and further towards trying it out once I’m up and running fully post-injuries.
Wow. Having someone built like that in a BJJ gym is a true gift, assuming he’s a good training partner and not a sociopath. I’m learning that rolling with different body types brings different lessons, and I have yet to roll with someone larger than me.
In the beginning you’ll get humbled by just about everyone who has BJJ training, both big and small. It is all good medicine if you ask me.
Yeah, he’s a very good athlete, also a very humble, nice guy (local pastor at a small, inclusive church). Yeah I figure that’s going to happen, there are some small, ripped dudes that have been rolling for awhile that are going to eat my lunch, haha. I feel that I need to do it mostly as a gut check, get out of my comfort zone type of thing.
Encouraging.
See, another thing is the striking. That’s ALWAYS been my go to and I’m good at it, especially those strikes that will incapacitate or kill. That’s y i figure grappling would be great to add (to my arsenal) cause there’s always a chance things can go to the ground where i have the least experience.
Fact is, at this point in my life, if I’m attacked it’s a win or die thing by default, and deadly force is legal for me due to the implant & stuff, Had a prosecuting attorney teaching a legal update class for concealed carry explain that I’m legally justified to employ my sidesrm almost as quickly as would be someone in a wheelchair.
So, if I’m put on the ground, and must grapple until I can decisively end an assault, I need to have that link in the chain covered. Of course while on the ground I’d be constantly looking for open strike targets. But it’s impossible to strike when being held, so we gotta be able to break a hold.
An aside, what I bring to a defensive situation is firearms, blade and striking skills. Learning to roll is something I’d consider as another tool that would assist in being able to deploy the weapons I already have and know best,
Oh, and to be clear, the morphine isn’t in a bag. It’s in a hardshell pump implanted in my gut, with a catheter from it to the nerve root in my spinal column where the morphine drips onto my median nerve to help the pain in my hand.
I gotta say that the medtronics pain pump has nearly totally restored my quality of life. The dose side effects are minimal - 1mg morphine solution per 24hrs compared to over 240mg/day of oral medications before the thing was operational.
But I’ve digressed-sorry, just wanted to explain that the thing is internal.
@Despade Just show up and do it dude. Then you’ll become one of us.
One of us
One of us
One of us
@s_afsoc Aha, thanks for the clarification on the morphine pump. So you’re basically bionic and impervious to pain!
Yes every jurisdiction is different, but a physical handicap like what you’re describing would put you in a position where disparity of force is a given in nearly any encounter with an adult male looking to do you harm. If a guy my size initiated a confrontation, you don’t need to wait for me to uchi-mata you to the ground so I can go for the armbar before you draw and advise me to leave you alone.
From a practical self-defense standpoint, one of the most valuable things you’ll learn in BJJ is how to escape bad positions, which puts you in good positions, which also happen to be favorable positions to rain strikes down on your opponent. Getting mounted in a fight is BAD, but even with a few months of training I’m getting good at trapping the limbs and rolling that person right on to their back. From there I can attack or just push away and disengage from a fight, both of which were not options when I was on my back getting mounted.
Practicing grappling against people who know how to stop you is great, because when some untrained schmo tries to tangle with you on the ground the techniques you learn work so incredibly well. I’m not a sociopath, but I have to admit that it felt REALLY GOOD to take an untrained white belt to the ground and have him in an armlock in about 5 seconds.
Options are good, especially when you had no options before.
Yessir, pretty much the case! Lolol
I also have a non-functioning spinal cord stimulator in the other side that has leads going to the same area that used to put off pulse signals for the pain. I’ve got two frickin special ID’s to get thru metal detectors and can legally refuse :). It can be fun to mess with security guys with it too, not that I’d do that
Yessir that covers what I meant pretty well-get distance to draw and fire, or room to strike effectively.
Curious, they ever do multiple opponent training? Scumbags travel in packs is y I ask. For instsnce, if I were attacked, after addressing it I’d be scanning for more attackers,
My school has not, but I’ve only been going for a few months and it may be a future topic. Generally speaking, there are no hand-to-hand martial arts that are effective against multiple attackers. The videos you see of Aikido instructors taking on swarms of attackers is just choreographed make-believe with compliant training partners. There’s a lot of that “bullshido” floating around out there.
This is far outside of my realm of expertise, but what I’ve been told is that situational awareness, making the most out of the situation you’re dealing with and avoiding a fight against multiple attackers is how you win against multiple attackers. That said, BJJ will give you more tools in your toolbox to deploy in a situation like that, for sure.
The only time I had three guys facing me down wanting to scrap I just took two big steps back, pointed to the camera and reminded the assholes that their bad decisions and potential assault crimes were being filmed in high-definition. No fight. I win. One of my finest moments as a bouncer.
I’d dearly love to be a bouncer just one time, preferably in a very busy and rowdy place!
Sadistic maybe, dunno, but I find it appealing for some damn reason. Sadly it wouldn’t be an option because of the medical stuff. I couldn’t get a job bouncing toddlers at ChuckECheese!
HD security cams thing sounds funny as hell bro.
As for addressing multiple attackers:
Simultaneously never a real deal, but consecutively is, especially when firearms are involved. But I so get the bullshido point-you’re absolutely correct.
Frickin Hollywood is also bad about perpetuating the "one shot stop " myth. I was trained to start with 3 shots to center mass and don’t stop firing until the attacker falls out of my front sight. But ohhh, so many Clint Eastwood wannabes always talking about how powerful their magnum is and how one round will put someone down.
Fact is, if I’m in a gunfight and the attacker goes down, I’m gonna be checking myself for shot wounds cause sometimes u just don’t realize you’ve been hit.
Overall though, situational awareness and avoidance are THE best way to get home at night. It’s just that if there’s a gunfight, I’m definitely in need of a gun.
For non-gun related fighting, the multiple attacker stuff is a realistic threat to consider, which is when lethal strikes quickly delivered increase your odds. Here’s my attitude about that:
Open mat Sunday at the four-stripe brown belt’s house. No weights today, just a private lesson from one of the best players around.
We started by breaking down my roll with the white belt from last week’s class. The brown belt rolled with him too, and also got the full-on aggro treatment from this guy who tried to choke him in his guard too (I’ve learned this is called the asshole choke, and doesn’t work at all).
So we started with that scenario, and how to move from that to spider guard. He made an emphasis on how you you are really setting yourself up to kick the shit out of your opponents face if they happen to be wearing a coat.
Next we worked some more sweeps from spider guard.
Then I got a good lesson in armbar mechanics
Then we rolled. A lot. I still can’t score a takedown on this guy. Or a real tap. Not even a technical tap on the little bell today. But I learn a lot rolling with this guy.
He did say that he appreciates having a training partner who is willing to put up with the abuse involved with doing real self-defense BJJ. I’m beginning to understand some of the differences between training to fight vs training to roll. The school this guy is from trains explicitly for fighting.
I really appreciate having access to this level of knowledge and, quite frankly, the savage fighting techniques.
Rolling went well. First up was the senior blue belt. We began from knees and I goon threw him to the ground, passed his guard and took side control. Didn’t get much going, took Russian mount and went for the armbar, which he defended exactly the same way he did last week. Lesson learned. He took side control and I defended his attacks. 5 min draw.
Second roll was with another blue belt, who is both tall and strong. We began from knees and he gained side control. He tried to get various attacks going, all of which I defended. He got mount on me but I rolled him about 3 seconds afterwards. I smash passed his guard but he sorta sprung right out of that and tackled me back into side control. I need to ask him what he did there since that’s the first time anyone’s done that to me. He kept side control but couldn’t land any attacks. 5 min draw.
My abductor was fired up, so I called it for the night. I think next month is side control, which is good because my side control escapes really suck and it is the only position I have trouble getting out of.
I was complimented by my instructor tonight, who seems pleased with my progress and movement. Onward and upward!
I denied entry to one particularly drunk person. He bitched a little, but left without making too much of a scene. I spoke with the people who were at the previous bar with him and apparently he was thrown out for trying to start fights with several people. It seems I had enough of a bouncerly presence for him to keep a lid on that shit.
I also got a $20 tip from a meathead who was there with his meathead buddies celebrating a meathead birthday. Definitely a group of big strong dudes, one of whom lifts at the same club I do. Apparently they get a lot of shit from bouncers and bartenders when they travel in packs, so they were appreciative of the relaxed vibe at the awesome bar we run. I like getting tipped!
Lots of good times, and women who like to flirt.
@biker If I had to sum up the most interesting event tonight, I’d do it in Haiku.
A dander temptress
Pockets over a great ass
Lesbian liplocks
First we did takedowns, and I forget the names. First was a judo takedown where you side-clinch and then squat down. I sucked at this, even though it involved squatting. Second was one where you drive your head into their chest while pulling their hips inward and driving their body forward. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I did better with this one.
Today we began August’s training block focusing on side control. We drilled three attacks.
Americana
Straight Armlock
Kimura
Rolling went well. I rolled with the strong and aggressive white belt first. I went for a guillotine but he escaped and I went in to guard. I coached him into a pass and then into side control. I made him work his ass off but eventually let him sink an Americana on me. Then we began again and I took him down, took side control and moved right to mount. I got my hooks in and then let him carry all of my weight. I was planning on choking him after that, but he tapped to the pressure. My first pressure tap!
I rolled with another new white belt, a college-age guy who has been to four or five classes now. I went easy on him and let him work for a while until I eventually rolled him, passed guard, took side control, gained mount, took Russian mount an landed an armbar for the tap. I got kneed in the jaw during the roll, and bit the hell out of my tongue. I’ll live.
My instructor also saw it fit to award me my first stripe tonight. I appreciate the recognition, but it doesn’t change my skill level. I still feel woefully inadequate on the mats. I’m glad to have a stripe on my belt though, it feels pretty cool.
My instructor is still injured, so the affiliate gym was nice enough to send up a guest instructor for the day. This guy looks like he stepped out of a comic book. Total hard-ass, and he was nice enough to teach us some of his stuff.
We worked our takedowns first, then on to more stuff from side control. I don’t think he even told us the terms. All of these started from the position where you shift your lower leg up so its pointed past their head and then fold their arm over their neck.
First up was a wrist lock where you add a little insult with a tea-bagging position.
Next up was an armbar with knee-on-belly.
After that was an armbar from the bulldog position.
All very nice, all easy to move from one-to-the-other.
Then we rolled. Everyone paired off while I was taking a drink, and I was pleased to see that our guest instructor was the only one left. So I rolled with this hard-ass dude who was also strong as fuck. Three rounds we went. He let me work on him, but also went to work on me. He really gave me an ah-ha moment for my side control escapes using a frame.
This guy was fun to roll with. Tough motherfucker alright.
My instructor just had surgery, so we had another guest instructor from our NH affiliate. These BJJ guys a tight bunch. These upper belts have been training together for years and don’t think twice about driving 90 minutes each way so all of their students can get a good class in. It really is an impressive show of support. I feel fortunate to have a place in this group of people.
We started with a pummel drill and then drilled a simple leg sweep takedown. I’m unsure of the term but I’ve used this instinctively before.
We moved on to a side control attack sequence ending in an armbar. Next we did a side control escape that can also end in an armbar, but for someone like me will more likely end up in a scramble or possibly taking the person’s back.
Then we rolled. I worked with our guest black belt a lot. Fun guy to roll with, will definitely have my number for a long time to come.
Open mat Friday. Rolled with a bunch of kids in between adult rolls, which is always fun. I put them to work!
First roll was with the one stripe white belt/Judoka brown belt who got his stripe the same day I did. He probably got the better of me overall, but I ended the match on top in side control. 5 min draw.
Next few rolls were with the four stripe brown belt from the top school in the state. He tapped me a lot, but I’m making him work a lot harder for it. Made a few escapes and was complimented on my progress.
I also got a roll in with a blue belt from the same school. I had a pretty big size advantage and more or less dominated him the entire match. I should have tapped him, but I was sloppy with my Americana and he was able to endure it. He’s also extremely flexible. Gave me a lot of problems to deal with. 5 min draw.
I bounced the hottest chick in the bar, who was making out with dander girl to the point where dander girl, who loves to make out with other hot chicks, was put off by her drunken advances. Me walking her outside and politely informing her that she needed to leave was a big turn-on for her in that drunken state, but I suppose I’m too much of a gentleman to take advantage of a smoking hot mess.
I tried to talk her into calling a cab, but she was mad that I didn’t want to make out with her and she took off walking. Then I see her get into her car down the street and drive off. I wish there was something I could have done to stop her, but not everything is under my control. I can only do my best to produce good outcomes, which won’t always happen when drugs and alcohol are involved.
Fortunately these types of actions are a rarity among the people who frequent this bar. This is partly because the generally good nature of the people who come there, but also because those people get slapped with long bans and lifetime bans in the case of repeated asshole behavior of any kind.
What a long ass day of working, rolling, and working some more. Luckily one of the lovely ladies was eager to give me a pretty freaking legit back massage while I was carding people. This job is really fun when you’re a single man.
