BJJ newbie

[coffee27]

hi, had my first BJJ lesson. sore & painful! I can't bend my right arm completely nor straighten it. Is this normal?

My friend advised me to try resist submission as much as i can. Not too sure about that advice now. Once you are in an armbar, should u tap out straight away or keep fighting? I think i injured my arm when i was resisting and it gave way suddenly.

[Tom Yum]

Originally Posted by coffee27

hi, had my first BJJ lesson. sore & painful! I can't bend my right arm completely nor straighten it. Is this normal?

My friend advised me to try resist submission as much as i can. Not too sure about that advice now. Once you are in an armbar, should u tap out straight away or keep fighting? I think i injured my arm when i was resisting and it gave way suddenly.

twist your trapped arm like your emptying a cup, but going to 3 o'clock. Bend it a little and try to cup your hands with your free arm (don't lock yer fingers!!!). Imagine your hugging a beach ball with yer arms.

Use this hold to move yourself directly on top of the guy getting you in the arm bar and stuff the beach ball into him. you neutralize his extension against your elbow.

If you're going to try and do a slam, be aware that you have to stand first. If he's fast, he'll just roll onto your leg and get you in a leg bar

[ryanhall]

Your retarded friend should stop giving advice. Just tap--it's not a big deal, and you may as well get used to doing it.

[IPON]

Originally Posted by coffee27

My friend advised me to try resist submission as much as i can.

On your first day??? Are you going to teh UFC tomorrow. Listen to Ryan

[coffee27]

just tap? sorry if i am a bit slow in understanding this... but lets say if u know that u r already caught in a position, u should just tap. Shouldn't u try to struggle, buy 1-2 secs of time, hopefully u can think of a way to get out?

Or should i just tap straight away and restart. the way i see it, there are pros and cons... If u resist, u force urself to react/learn under pressure... if u don't resist, u don't expose urself to more realistic environments. But then u avoid injuries...

Anyways, it was my first lesson.... next time i am gonna try wat tom yum suggested....the beach ball thing

[Tom Yum]

Originally Posted by coffee27

Anyways, it was my first lesson.... next time i am gonna try wat tom yum suggested....the beach ball thing

If you can't get out, by all means tap. Ask your coach to watch you practice your escape so he can correct any mistakes and help you prevent injuries.

[IPON]

Originally Posted by coffee27

just tap?

Yes the point is to learn and not get injured. You should not just give up you should try but not to the point of possible injury and especially on your first day and especially since (it appears) you have had no prior training.

[GpRave]

I train @ the Relson Gracie School in the Bronx NYC, Don't listen to your friend and struggle to free your arm. Just tap - Try and found out why you were put in that position in the first place. If you guys are drilling positions, as in guy on top passes the guard and guy on bottom try and submit - if your the guy on top and you get placed in an arm bar and you want to struggle 2 to 4 seconds fine but after that you have to ask yourself - "what did I do to put myself in this situation" That's what my instructor says all the time,,

took me a few times to get it. but it makes sense - positioning is everything at least in my opinion anyway

[GrayGhost]

If you don't see a way out of it or can't think of one, then just tap. Always leave you ego at the door during training because there will always be someone who'll beat you. Best to tap out then to hurt yourself. Besides in the Dojo, we're all friends.

[JohnnyS]

Especially when you are just starting out, you should tap early. Your friend gave you the dumbest advice I've ever heard.

[Ahoym8e]

Tap!

Especially newer guys will slam the armbar home (because theyr'e desparate to land one) and injure you. Once you've got lots of experience you can begin working on escapes from full arm extension.

If you feel your arm extending, tap. Otherwise you'll get hurt.

The beauty of BJJ is that you're always thinking a few moves ahead. with a little more practice you realize very early that you are giong to get armbarred, and then you can begin countering before your arm is extended. Then you still have a pretty decent chance of escaping. Once your arm is extended it is almost always too late.

A new guy's job in grappling is to tap and not get hurt. Most experienced grapplers know exactly when they are approaching a submission and will execute it slowly to give the opponent a chance to tap. If they have to slam the submission home to defend it then they are shitty grapplers, since they should be in a strong base before submitting where they can take their time. Or they are real jerks and just want to hurt people (or are stupid and rude).

Anyway, take care of your arm. Ice and motrin, baby! Tap especially early next time your sore arm is extended to not exacerbate the injury.

Sorry Tom, but full extension armbar escapes aren't for the first time roller..

[Tant01]

Originally Posted by coffee27

hi, had my first BJJ lesson. sore & painful! I can't bend my right arm completely nor straighten it. Is this normal?

My friend advised me to try resist submission as much as i can. Not too sure about that advice now. Once you are in an armbar, should u tap out straight away or keep fighting? I think i injured my arm when i was resisting and it gave way suddenly.

And when you say "gave way" do you mean it broke your arm, hyperextended your elbow to the point of torn tissue (and scream out in pain) or you turned it out of the lock and the lock gave way?

It is NOT NORMAL to be injured your first day. Injuries like you describe will take a few weeks to heal. Don't repeat the stress again anytime soon! Seek professional medical advise!!! You might be hurt worse than you think.

Don't listen to your "friend" anymore! Serious injuries can require surgery to repair and months or years of painful rehabilitation...

That simple little armbar from the mount (if that's the one) is the most powerful limb destruction technique in Judo!

But you don't have to take my word for it. In Kodokan Judo it's the technique they call "Ude Hishigi Juji Gatame" is commonly called jujigatame, or cross armlock. See; http://www.judoinfo.com/jujigatame.htm