Asking A Higher Belt To Roll

There are a lot of different avenues you can take to get better at Jiu Jitsu. 

While most all of them originate from spending time on the mats, how you spend that time and who you spend time with can help to mold you as a grappler and encourage your game.  One of the best ways to expand your thinking and grow your game, while also keeping your ego in check is to roll with a higher belt. Rolling with a higher belt should safely expose you to techniques that you may have not seen before, and also help you to close the gap on knowing what you don’t know now.  

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Live training, or even drilling with a higher belt can be a great experience to help you learn tips and tricks that they have picked up over the years of training.  When it comes to Jiu Jitsu there is a direct correlation between time spent on the mats and ability. Obviously work ethic plays a part in this too, as well as your effectiveness on during the time you spend on the mats.  

Bernardo Faria has some tips in his video clip “How to the higher belts to roll” on the best ways to ask, and how to ask.

The first key to asking a higher belt to roll is to be polite.  Simply calling out higher belts for example saying “Hey let's roll” would be widely unacceptable.  However, Bernardo encourages us to ask the question differently by saying something like “Can I please roll with you”, or something similar that is more humble, respectful and polite.  At the end of the day, we are all there for the same thing and should be able to have a friendly environment where we can all train together. The last tip that Bernardo gives in his video clip is to be sure you are not coming across as if you are challenging the higher belt as this can be viewed as disrespectful and annoying to a higher belt that has been putting in the work much longer than you have.  

Another way to be more efficient in the time you get to spend on the mats is to focus on specific techniques.  So many times it seems that we just slap hands and “see what happens” but having a focused game plan can allow us to focus on that handful of techniques, and the transitions between them creating a much more fluid game.  One of the ways we can work to improve specific parts of our game is to dig into the details by taking a deep dive into a good detailed video instructional that focuses on the move we are working on improving. 

There are a lot of really good video instructionals available on BJJ Fanatics.  The best advice is to watch some of the top instructors free youtube video clips and see who’s teaching style you like best and purchase an instructional from them.  This will ensure you are getting the most value out of your investment in your Jiu Jitsu game. Some of the best available would include John Danaher’s enter the system series which breaks down in typically over 10 hours of detailed instruction whichever technique you choose from various positions and transitions.  Another great option for building a good guard game is Bernardo Faria’s The battle tested half guard.  In this video instructional you will learn the systems that Bernardo used to help him become a 5 time world champion.  

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The bottom line is if you invest time into truly studying any of the techniques that are available, you will become more efficient on the mats and begin to surprise your training partners and your opponents.  Don’t be afraid to ask the higher ranking belts to train with you as long as your academy permits, but just be sure to do so in a polite non-confrontational way. The chances are good that they will roll with you, unless they are training for something specific. 

Don’t forget to always consider adding some sort of strength and conditioning to your training schedule as well!  Here are a few options you may want to consider. 

Tom DeBlass compiled his diet and fitness plan into a 12 week easy to follow step by step guide titled “Ripped in 12 weeks Intermittent Fasting &Easy Bodyweight Fitness” – by Tom DeBlass.  This video guide is proven to help you shed those unwanted pounds while maintaining your strength.  With this video instructional purchase you will also get access to a private Facebook group where you will be able to interact with Tom and others on a journey like yours. 

Gordon Ryan’s “Getting Swole as a Grappler” will help you learn the secrets of the most defective weight management including cuts and gains.  These are the secrets previously reserved for professional athletes only. If you look back at pictures of Gordon, he has worked his way from 163 pound skinny kid all the way up to a 232 pound monster, and then cut down to the chiseled 194 pounds that you see him in many of his fights.  

Whatever you decide on, start slow, build consistency and ensure that you are working towards the same goal with your Jiu Jitsu training and your strength and conditioning program. 

Check out Gordon's health, fitness and nutrition DVD "Getting Swole As A Grappler". This is a complete guide to get you in shape, on weight, and all around a better grappler. Check it out here!

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