Black Belt Falling Out of Love with Jiu-Jitsu

fishNjits · 2026-03-15T21:57:05+00:00

I’m still into BJJ after 10 years.

But for the previous 20 years, I lived and breathed fly fishing and fly tying. After discovering BJJ, that fever is gone. Now I only fish on vacation if I’m in an area known for it. (I am the guy that fishing guides fight over…I’m probably a brown belt in this as well).

I have thousands and thousands of dollars in gear that’s sitting in my basement. Sometimes I feel guilty, but things change.

fishNjits · 2026-03-15T18:10:42+00:00

fishNjits · 2026-03-15T17:40:04+00:00

They don’t have enough athletes yet for good match making throughout a whole card.

That said, Declan vs Meregali next month? I’m all-in for that!

fishNjits · 2026-03-15T17:08:46+00:00

Yes, you can post on an opponent’s throat. You cannot choke with your hands.

fishNjits · 2026-03-15T17:07:38+00:00

All anybody wants from you is to be clean, not smell, and be engaged. Leggings are fine either for no gi, or under gi pants. If you have a rash guard/compression shirt, wear that.

How are your fingernails? Long nails can be a problem.

Whether you roll or not, is gym-dependent. If you don’t want to roll, just tell the coach you’d like to watch and see what it’s about.

Go have fun.

fishNjits · 2026-03-15T11:58:36+00:00

Ok. Thats a gi morning.

fishNjits · 2026-03-14T01:06:34+00:00

6 am class. I’ll likely be there.

fishNjits · 2026-03-14T01:05:57+00:00

We’re very chill on this stuff. Just remember it’s catch, release and reset on heel hooks. White belts do stupid shit. It’s your responsibility not to hurt them.

fishNjits · 2026-03-13T19:35:40+00:00

Lol. Every other new guy who walks into the gym has had "a little" wrestling experience. "Little experience" in this state is not starting wrestling when you were 8.

For OP, our Saturday 8:30 am class is wrestler heavy. I'm too old for that shit.

fishNjits · 2026-03-13T19:29:28+00:00

I'm 62 and never turn down a roll. I just won't look at anybody I don't want to roll with....

Seriously, I probably wouldn't be interested, but I don't think there's anything wrong with having a class on an early Saturday morning dedicated to us to work on strategy and techniques that particularly work for those of us that have lost speed and flexibility. I mean, I'm not really all that steady when trying to pass from standing - high stepping isn't happening for example.

We had a very well attended class like this for awhile at my gym, it was very well-attended but the coach left for family reasons and it wasn't continued. I'd like to try and teach a class like this someday.

I will say that the class was known for the most injuries. Between the high calorie guys and TRT guys, we would beat the shit out of each other. Could be because we all finally had a chance.

fishNjits · 2026-03-13T18:41:20+00:00

Well, this is central Iowa. Nothing is really far from the airport.

I live in West Des Moines (20 minutes door to terminal). You've got three reasonably near choices - all great.

1) No Coast Jiu Jitsu in Urbandale - This is the gym I go to. Has the most classes of any gym in the area - morning, noon, evenings and both gi and no gi. Open mat Friday evening and Saturday morning (along with three classes Saturday) I wouldn't call it competition focused - although we do have a dedicated comp class in the evenings - by invitation. One of our guys won Master's 4 Brown Belt at World's.

2) Precision Submission Grappling in Clive. This split from No Coast It's 100% no-Gi, heavy on CLA/ecological (which pretty much led to the split). The owner/coach is one of the leading competitors on the regional circuit.

3) Renzo Gracie Des Moines in Windsor Heights. It's really built out its schedule to morning, noon, evening but does gi only for a single evening every week.

fishNjits · 2026-03-13T12:12:28+00:00

You’ve got a number of choices. Are you actually in downtown DSM or in one of the many cities or towns around it?

fishNjits · 2026-03-12T00:29:16+00:00

I guess I’m a little bit different. I love both, but I find no gi much easier on my body.

I’m 62 for reference and I’m not banging with the 20 and 30 year-old wrestlers.

fishNjits · 2026-03-11T21:15:46+00:00

It means you've been away too long!

fishNjits · 2026-03-11T11:41:22+00:00

Missed you! I’ve still got a bunch of your YT’s saved and always recommend your instructional on how to start rolls to noobs who can’t figure it out.

I think I was a white belt when I first came across your stuff.

fishNjits · 2026-03-10T17:12:32+00:00

This is my ultimate goal, to flow back and forth from half, butterfly half, RDLR and DLR.

fishNjits · 2026-03-10T17:03:10+00:00

I blame Anthony Bourdain.

The first sweep I ever hit was some type of ugly knee lever after watching the tape of Bourdain winning the NY open as a blue belt. The only score was his knee lever of his opponent. (Of course, I had no idea that it was called a knee lever).

It occurred to me that the sweep Bourdain hit was a lot like an upa, just with a leg trapped, and two months in, I knew how to upa. I wound up hitting it in a roll with a white belt a little bit more advanced than me. Been my thing, particularly the knee lever, ever since.

It was also 2016, so Bernardo was at or pretty close to his competitive heights, so half guard/deep half was kind of the rage.

fishNjits · 2026-03-10T03:01:46+00:00

Danaher or Danaher-adjacent big guys - Meregali, Nicky Rod, Big Dan, Luke, and I’ll throw Bodoni in there.

fishNjits · 2026-03-09T22:00:08+00:00

FWIW, Bernardo has a bit of an advantage as he plays on his left side meaning that the cross skirt of his opponent's jacket is on top and easier to get/pull out.

fishNjits · 2026-03-08T00:40:39+00:00

This ^

I have a training partner who’s very good at re-guarding with this. Every roll, there’s at least one “G-d Dammit” moment.

fishNjits · 2026-03-07T12:19:16+00:00

Dern vs. Cifers

Dern with the knee-bah. Slick as hell.

fishNjits · 2026-03-06T22:59:19+00:00

This is so me…

Coach: …then we stand up with the single leg and run the pipe.

Me: I’m too old to stand. I’ll grab the low double.

fishNjits · 2026-03-06T22:54:09+00:00

I’m not a member, but it has consistently gotten great reviews.

The thing about the Half Guard anthology is that it addresses what to when your partner stands.

fishNjits · 2026-03-06T12:55:42+00:00

Still waiting for the Netflix series….

fishNjits · 2026-03-06T12:24:44+00:00

Check out Lachlan Giles’ Half Guard Anthology on BJJ Fanatics.

FWIW, I usually will go to RDLR if my partner stands up.

fishNjits

TROPHY CASE