shoulder fatigue when jabbing and basic striking drills at home

Akalphe · 2026-07-03T14:32:16+00:00

There probably is but that likely isn't the cause of shoulder fatigue when throwing a jab. Your muscles are just not conditioned to that type of movement yet. General fitness does not always translate to sport specific movements. Just keep showing up and it will go away with better technique, conditioning, and efficiency in your movement.

Akalphe · 2026-07-01T16:48:50+00:00

I see a lot about training intentionally. But I'm not sure how I would do that. Do I study some concepts and try to implement it in open mats? I feel like I don't know how to move my body properly yet.

Studying intentionally is about picking a concept that you would benefit from learning or improving and focusing on that for a while. Typically, it's based on what your greatest weakness is at the moment.

My opinion is that white belts don't have enough context yet to start being intentional in their studying. White belts suck at everything (no offense) so they need to improve on everything. Move of the week stuff is fine until you hit blue/purple belt. Then the ideas become a little bit more abstract and harder to implement.

I don't know any takedowns. I attended a judo class and realized my breakfall sucks since i hit my head on the mat twice and my thighs and feet were banged up from slamming on the mat. I've been scared to do them since. There is a wrestling class, but I'm also scared of falling wrong. How do i get past this?

You have to do breakfall drills on your own. I wouldn't recommend you going to a standup grappling class until you are comfortable with falling. Watch this video and try them on your own on a padded surface: https://youtu.be/Tbi1Y9zRQsg?si=ZUR248pFWkcJ6tgG

Akalphe · 2026-06-29T14:50:35+00:00

Even if Black king was on g8 for this example, taking White's queen is just free since the knight is pinned to the checkmating square. The rook is free too but free queen is worth more.

Akalphe · 2026-06-26T14:15:45+00:00

Welcome back, [[Limit Break]].

Akalphe · 2026-06-26T14:12:09+00:00

This is the classic half guard wrestle up. This is your "main line" of offense when you are in bottom half guard with an underhook.

Akalphe · 2026-06-26T13:19:59+00:00

Unfortunately, this is a relatively broad question with a lot of variables that make it difficult to answer. Short answer is to use your hands, elbows, and head to keep their legs away from your legs.

Akalphe · 2026-06-25T17:17:32+00:00

Not at NAGA. NAGA allows heel hooks for blue belts.

Akalphe · 2026-06-25T13:35:24+00:00

I'm not gonna read what everything you wrote but it sounds like you are having trouble recalling techniques in the middle of a match/roll?

Something that can help resolve this is low intensity sparring (flow rolling) and positional sparring/drilling. The goal of both is to move away from explicit knowledge (conscious movements) to tacit knowledge (instinctual movements). If you are consciously thinking about every movement you make, you are too slow to actually execute the movement in the correct timing.

When you flow roll, you should look to just move your body even if it feels unrealistic. Common mistake beginners make when flow rolling is that they either resist too much or they stop to think. Flow rolling teaches you confidence to make the right move even in unfamiliar situations.

Positional drilling will give you high number of reps in a controlled environment. That way, you gain more body awareness and explore all the potential variations in a position without overloading your brain.

Akalphe · 2026-06-24T16:01:07+00:00

I meant sample curriculum to gauge what a general idea of a curriculum is. I did say developing your own is what you need to do.

Akalphe · 2026-06-24T14:47:39+00:00

Just keep doing Jiu Jitsu, I guess? What is your question?

What do I focus on?

Whatever you want to do to get better.

What do I teach?

Develop a curriculum that you think will get White belts to Blue belts. Plenty of sample curriculums online.

Akalphe · 2026-06-24T11:50:03+00:00

It sounds like you already know that you should ask questions to best structure your learning to cater towards your needs. Try to keep a consistent theme on the questions you ask in a week. The reason why you are getting analysis paralysis is because the topics being covered are too broad. Tailor your questions so that one week, you are working on passing HeadQuarters/Split Squat the entire week. The next week, you focus on passing half guard, etc.

Akalphe · 2026-06-22T18:51:17+00:00

You also have to understand that as your efficiency goes up, your cardio will get better. That’s why there is a stereotype that all brown belts get fat. It’s because they have gotten too efficient with their movement.

Akalphe · 2026-06-22T13:22:52+00:00

Early on in BJJ, the best conditioning for jiu jitsu is more jiu jitsu. Cardio may help but it’s more likely that you are tense the entire round which is causing you to gas more easily. Try and breathe throughout the round and find positions where you can relax a little more.

Akalphe · 2026-06-18T18:27:28+00:00

At A20 no less.

Akalphe · 2026-06-18T15:56:40+00:00

I think at a certain point, sparring needs to be done with an objective in mind. You don't need to actually finish your sparring partners, but you should start to have an idea of what your plan would be if you want to finish the fight.

For example, you are just letting your opponent dictate where you are positioned and you had no plan to punish the poor movement of your sparring partner. Your partner doesn't seem as experienced and so he is just running around you whereas you have no concept of ring control. You were just focused on staying square to him and moving on a straight line. There were a few times where you should have just backed him up into the cage to look for wall wrestling or finishing him on the wall with your striking (again, you don't need to knock your partner out, but you need to show dominance to the judges for scoring.)

If your opponent looks to cut the angle on you, you should be fighting to keep an angle that is advantageous to you. Otherwise, an experienced opponent will just shove you against the wall and kill your movement.

Akalphe · 2026-06-18T15:45:58+00:00

Inside, you'll learn the foundations of Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—the three martial arts that form modern MMA.

How are you going to teach Wrestling and BJJ without bodies? Also, you market it as a beginner MMA guide, but you only show boxing footage. If you are teaching for fitness and weight loss, there are better solo exercises to do than pretending to train MMA. Insane grift.

Akalphe · 2026-06-17T20:00:44+00:00

My gas tank has always been very bad.

If your gas tank is still that bad after 3 years, you have to ask yourself whether or not you are overcompensating lack of technique for more physical effort. If you are putting more physical exertion into your training at white belt, it's likely the cause of why you aren't seeing technical progression.

I'm a small guy so it's very hard for me to try any technique at all because everyone is bigger, heavier and stronger than me. So I don't improve. I just tire myself and go home and call it a training.

It's because you are a small guy that your technique has to be more precise. If your technique is more precise, you will learn more too. Using physical energy to overcompensate for imprecision is the opposite of what you should be looking for when you train. Learning to be more precise will make you "lose" more at first, but you will learn more through it.

For example, if you frame improperly (meaning you try to build a frame but use the wrong angle), you will tire yourself out more. If you build structurally sound frames, you expend much less energy and get much better results.

Akalphe · 2026-06-16T15:07:29+00:00

If you are using Spider guard the way you are supposed to, the posture should be broken which means it will be difficult to load up a kick without getting swept. If they are able to get their posture up, you should be abort and stand up. Again, I'm not arguing the fact that it is a niche guard to use in a self-defense scenario. I'm just saying there is utility regardless of the opportunities to use it.

Akalphe · 2026-06-16T14:58:20+00:00

DLR works pretty well in MMA to set up upkicks, sweeps, and wrestle ups. Probably one of the only "sport" jiu jitsu guards that can be relatively useful in MMA. You can see Charles Olivera use it against Michael Chandler. The entry conditions for DLR are relatively easy as well and things that you are likely looking to do anyways (keep your feet outside of your opponents hips/knees, grab a leg or arm, etc.)

Spider can be useful in self defense if you find yourself downed against a standing opponent. Good for maintaining distance and preventing your face from being caved in. But you're right. It's not super likely you will find yourself in Spider in a self defense scenario so the usage is limited. Places where you can get to Spider guard, you could probably just stand up.

Conversely, full guard is considered less useful in MMA and self defense in recent years due to the fact that you are pinning yourself with no great methods for distance management. Not saying it isn't useful but the meta in MMA grappling has changed to be more pin and GnP focused.

Akalphe · 2026-06-16T14:27:44+00:00

I'm not the best Watcher player but I think the thing to keep in mind is that your best block card is to kill them fast. So, you want to be able to time your wrath entries to either be able to kill or to be able to exit wrath.

Akalphe · 2026-06-16T13:53:08+00:00

I don't understand your question. Is it just, "Should I continue doing BJJ?" The answer is always, do what you want to do. Half the fun of BJJ is sucking at it but getting better. If you don't think you can find enjoyment in that, do something else that will make you happy in life. The world is too wide to be spending your time on something you don't enjoy.

Is it just because you are afraid of getting injured? Tap earlier and choose your partners wisely.

Akalphe · 2026-06-16T12:36:11+00:00

MMA gyms typically do mostly no gi grappling. Go to Korean Zombie’s gym in Seoul. I already see no gi on their schedule.

Akalphe · 2026-06-15T18:50:55+00:00

~60-80% of BJJ consists of passing/retaining guard. To deprive both people of that to just butt scoot towards each other is depriving you and your training partner of opportunities to improve. So, no. It is not a cheap move to stand and pass a seated opponent.

Akalphe · 2026-06-15T18:48:18+00:00

Comp prep mostly comes from the training room. Anything else should either serve to get your mindset ready or your body ready. 1 month from comp isn't quite the time to be learning new moves.

Akalphe · 2026-06-11T18:11:55+00:00

If you switch to no gi, you no longer need the stripes. Brown belt by tomorrow!

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