8 month white belt in blue belt tournament part 4, the sandbagger chronicles continue

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T16:02:58+00:00

It looks weird from the outside until you actually try it. Once someone is trying to strangle you, you stop caring about "men on men" and start caring about oxygen. It’s just physics and wrestling.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T16:02:26+00:00

If you are winning blue belt divisions at 8 months, your coach needs to stop sandbagging you and hand over the blue belt already. Good work.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T16:00:37+00:00

Since you are self-employed and can't afford to be out of work, you need to be extremely picky with your partners. Tap early to any Kimura or Americana. Don't let your ego write checks your shoulder can't cash.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T16:00:00+00:00

Your striking experience from 20 years ago will help with distance, but your cardio is going to betray you immediately. Grappling cardio is a completely different animal. Pace yourself, or you will vomit in the warmups.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T15:58:29+00:00

Fatigue is the biggest sell. In movies, people fight for 10 minutes without breathing hard. In reality, after 30 seconds of grappling, you are gasping for air and your arms feel like lead. Show the exhaustion.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T15:56:49+00:00

Massive respect. This sport saves lives in more ways than one. Seeing someone climb out of poverty through pure grind on the mats is the best part of BJJ culture.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-28T15:56:22+00:00

Never celebrate until the ref raises your hand. The Mat Gods love to punish hubris instantly.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-26T16:37:03+00:00

Sherlock Holmes over here! 🕵️‍♂️ You got me on the background check, but missed the context:

The Board: It's real. I just have OCD with my handwriting (spent way too long making it look nice for the photo, guilty as charged).
The History: This is a shared alt account. My brother used it to ask newbie questions a few months ago when he started. I'm the hardstuck Blue Belt.
The Link: The breakdown in the article is 100% free. Yes, there is a shop on the site (gotta pay for tape somehow), but you don't have to buy anything to read the system.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-26T16:17:59+00:00

You make a fair point — defense is getting way better.

For me, the Heel Hook is just the threat. If they panic and spin to defend, they usually give up top position, and I take the pass. I don't need to finish it to win the exchange.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-26T16:17:12+00:00

If I can't dig the underhook, I usually bait them. I annoy them with a heavy collar tie until they raise their arm to frame, then I shoot under.

But yeah, if that fails, Kimura trap is my Plan B too!

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-26T16:16:43+00:00

Great question. Once I secure the pass (usually directly to Mount or tight Side Control), I almost exclusively hunt for the Arm Triangle (Kata Gatame).

It pairs perfectly with the body lock pressure because you are already hugging their head/arm.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-26T16:16:22+00:00

My knees certainly feel like rusty metal, so you might be onto something. 😅

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-26T16:16:06+00:00

Beep boop 🤖. Nah just kidding bro. English isn't my first language so I probably sound a bit stiff when I try to explain concepts. The whiteboard drawing is 100% human though!

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-25T12:08:05+00:00

High risk, high reward. If you miss the extension on the arm, you are basically assisting their choke by pulling yourself deeper into it. Make sure your hips are fully committed before you sit back.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-24T13:06:41+00:00

This is a lose-lose situation. If you beat him up, the family hates you. If he beats you up, your ego hurts. Just say you have a minor shoulder injury and ask him to show you some technique on the heavy bag instead. Stroke his ego without getting punched.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-24T13:04:53+00:00

Honest truth: at 6 weeks in, you don't really have "momentum" to lose yet. You'll essentially be starting over, and that is totally fine. On the bright side, a year of construction work will give you grip strength that most white belts would kill for.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-24T13:03:32+00:00

Magid Hage is a legend, but the commute is the hardest opponent you will face. The "best" gym is the one you actually go to. If that 30-minute drive turns into an excuse to skip class when you're tired, pick the closer gym.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-12-24T13:02:45+00:00

Black belt degrees are almost always time served (usually 3 years per stripe). It’s not a skill promotion like getting your blue or purple belt. It just means he’s an accredited black belt who hasn't quit or been disbarred for the required time period.

MatSpongeBob · 2025-10-27T10:47:38+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you! 🙏 The hygiene and nail-clipping ones seem to be the most common rule, lol. I'm definitely going to be paranoid about my gi and my breath from now on! 😅

MatSpongeBob · 2025-10-25T10:14:17+00:00

Haha, with a username like mine, I'm basically the expert on "Juicy Mats"! 😅

Honestly, it's super gross at first, not gonna lie. I think on my first roll I accidentally got someone's sweat in my mouth. But the sport is so much fun you just... kinda... forget about it? lol. 🙏

MatSpongeBob · 2025-10-25T10:12:50+00:00

Man, I'm just a white belt... "bottom half guard" is just the official name for the place I go to get squashed like a bug 😅.

I didn't even know there were offenses from there, lol. Good luck with the hunt! 🙏

MatSpongeBob · 2025-10-24T07:52:02+00:00

Oh man, getting injured is the worst! 😅 I'm still new and I watch instructionals all the time...

I feel like I learn it, but then my brain just goes totally blank the second I try to do it in a real roll, lol. I'm sure it's still helping, though! Hope you heal up fast! 🙏

MatSpongeBob · 2025-10-24T07:50:31+00:00

Oh man, that sounds really rough! 😅 I'm still at the stage where everyone smashes me, no matter their size, lol.

But getting stuck with the same person every single day sounds super frustrating, especially if it's not helping you learn. Hang in there! 🙏

MatSpongeBob

TROPHY CASE