I'm getting my ass kicked...

[Sensei Saki]

When? OK I'll try not to do smoking some time ago but I am definitely still suffering the effects of it so much.That's good information:
said pity anyone who can not give it up sucking that tobacco dick it really takes it is toll on my body.I am very happy for you.I am glad you appreciate those qualities.
Do you think that this plan will succeed?


It's good to meet someone who is sore today that I can not lift my arms above my head.

Oh you can, can you?Why do you want foolish for me to go tonight just because of my dumbass ego?You really do?
A lot of people like that.

I don't know if I like what I am learning.
Though I like cats and dogs.
What would you rather be doing?Is that among the best things you can say?As Bertrand Russel said, it must have taken ages for people to realize that a brace of pheasants and a couple of days are both instances of the number "two."Only just? Would you recommend this action to a friend?

[bOoRadley]

If any of you can recommend any good websites or BJJ books I would appreciate it.

[Jiu Jitsu Monk]

If any of you can recommend any good websites or BJJ books I would appreciate it.

Renzo has a couple of good books out and so does Royler. Just don't get anything that is to advacned right now. Good basics and good defnse are the key.

Maybe go to amazon.com and type in Brazilian jiu jitsu. I'm sure you will come up with something.

Keep up the good work and don't expect too much of yourself too soon!

[Bjjexpertise@be]

Hang in there bub. I find doing bear crawls helps a lot with my cardio. At my school the wrestling mat has 9 circles. I bear crawl around all 9 circles 3 sets a day along with some up downs and running. If you can find a place to do them, I definitely recommend bear crawls. A wrestling background also helps , I find it much more demanding than BJJ, personally.
But like they said, keep at it. You only get better when you get your asshanded to you.

[OmaPlata]

What kind of running though?

Should you be able to run atleast 5 miles or rather cover half a mile in under 2 minutes?

I'd say both. What kind of running routine do you use?

When I started I would just jog on the tread mill like 1 or 2 miles, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Even if you just jog along at a slow pace for a half hour or so this will help immensly. I used to get so tired in the warm ups, after no time it was a breeze.

[shamster]

If any of you can recommend any good websites or BJJ books I would appreciate it.

Royce Gracie's Ultimate Fighting Techniques book is pretty good. It's only got moves from the top (Vol. 2 is supposed to be released in the future, which will focus on the bottom), but it's got pretty good info about basic posture, positioning, and submissions.

Royler and Renzo's book is also not bad. I don't like how the moves are all scattered around, but the stuff they do include a lot of basic-intermediate techniques which are good to know.

[danfaggella]

There are also some pretty sweet books outside the gracie family. Eddie Bravo has a book, but its mostly abscure stuff. I recomend that the book you do get is a beggining book, a book that covers the basics well. This is very important and you'll find that these basic strait armbars and rear naked chokes will be the most successfull moves in grappling/mma. I actually am looking for a book like this, so let me know when you get one, not sure whats in the gracie books, i only own eddie bravo's one.

There are also books on grappling that aren't necissarily about "BJJ". I don't know if you rock a GI or not in your class, but even if you don't there is a lot of great possitioning and submissioning in "best judo" and a few other books. I think that "best judo" is the most relyable and recomended book on judo, and I really learned from it, it covers a whole lot.

also, check up on the techniques section on www.bjj.net

there is some wierd stuff in there, you get to see more and more body mechanics and joint manipulations, and you will soak it up.

[JkD187]

Renzo's book mastering Jiu-Jitsu is a great book on no-gi jiu jitsu and self defense....history...training...cardio...its got the works...very basic stuff....it covers takedowns and stand up as well.Dude its natural in the first couple of month to get your ass handed to you...one day in the near future you will roll into class and tap the guy who handed your ass to you and the real fun will start!

[shirase]

hey bjjexpertise, just wondering but what do you mean by bear crawls? just crawling on your hands and knees in circles? Also, another type of cardio that also helps develop muscular endurance allover your body is swimming. Since my grappling class is only an hour long I often swim some lengths in my pool which gets the lungs burning. I find different strokes cause me to have a different intensity , breast stroke is good low intensity whereas the front crawl is an exercise that really gets me panting.

[bOoRadley]

Yeah, I was wondering what a "bear crawl" is as well.

And Sensei Saki, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about...I suggest an ESL (English as a Second Language) class.

Good luck

[Eyegouge]

gotta second jkd, mastering jujitsu by renzo, great book. Also, DL some jujitsu shit, read and watch everything you can. Knowledge can be gained in many ways. And your already in class so go and learn all you can about your new found way of life.

[Jiu Jitsu Monk]

Yeah, I was wondering what a "bear crawl" is as well.

And Sensei Saki, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about...I suggest an ESL (English as a Second Language) class.

Good luck

OK, this is gonna sound strange but it is great exercise - Bear Crawl.

Put your hands and feet on the ground (not on your knees just hands and feet touchng the ground) your butt sticking way high in the air. So now you are on all fours so to speak. Now start too walk along staying on all fours. Your oposite hand and foot shoudl move at the same time. So if you say LH = 1, RH = 2, RF = 3, LF = 4. 1 and 3 move then 2 and 4. I do press ups as well. so walk round in Bear Crawl for a while stop and do press up's then carry on in Bear Crawl.

Hope thsi explains it a bit??

[Spanner]

If any of you can recommend any good websites or BJJ books I would appreciate it.

1) WWW.GRAPPLEARTS.COM has lots of good articles for beginners, including:

-The two month survival blues:

http://www.grapplearts.com/weblog-archive/2005_10_01_archive.htm

-Beginning Grappling:

http://www.grapplearts.com/Beginning-Grappling.htm

-Tips to accelerate learning:

http://www.grapplearts.com/Black-Belt-Acceleration.htm

2) http://www.abhaya.ca/technique.htm has a load of videos of techniques that you can download.

3) www.bjj.org also has a big technique section, with some videos

4) Roy Harris' website has good articles on progression and training, but its down at the moment. Here's one of his articles on BJJ.org: http://bjj.org/articles/harris-progression.html

Hope those are useful. Stick at it!!

[bOoRadley]

Thanks, I've taken a look at these sites and it looks like there is lots of great info, I particularly like the articles and tips section of Grapplearts, lots of useful stuff. I am also looking for the books that you guys have recommended but I'm not finding them at the stores I've gone to and I'm too impatient to order one and wait for 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. One book title that they do carry is "Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Basics" by Gene Simco. Anyone heard of him? read any of his books?

[bOoRadley]

I agree with you guys that the first thing I have to do is study the basics. I am finding that I am occasionally managing to get in what feel like dominant positions, by sheer luck mostly, but then I don't know what to do...I don't have any knowledge of the techniques used to finish so I end up getting exhausted, they over power me and I'm done. It's kind of frustrating...my instructor tells me that it will come with time but we only learn and practice two moves a class and I'm months or years behind everyone else...that's a lot of goddamn classes before I can even be remotely competitive with anyone.

I need to bring in some new guys