Rener's Grandad

I love hearing how Rener Gracie talks about his grandfather's later years in Jiu-Jitsu.

His grandfather, of course, was the creator of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Helio Gracie. He was still on the mat well into his 90s.

He says that his Grandfather wasn't able to go around submitting athletic people, who were only a quarter of his age. He would still roll, and would be later express his delight in keeping the youngster from submitting him. With childlike delight, he would say things like, “See that young Purple Belt over there. He couldn't submit me.”

I think that's great.

That's kind of who I have to try and be.

Physically, when rolling with the young folks, it's like they are Spider Man, and I am a regular Joe.

I end up on the bottom most of the time. This means I am usually on the defensive. Being on the bottom, and defending, against somebody with a young person's strength, speed, and cardio is a distinct disadvantage, unless I have a significantly higher-level of skill.

At our school, we have basically people with two levels of technical knowledge and training in our advanced class. Against the newer students, I have no problem. I can dominate them from the bottom, and can escape pretty much at will.

Against those with around my level of training, this doesn't work. They have all that speed, strength, and cardio, and we know the same stuff.

Therefore, I have to cheat.

The technical material our experienced advanced students are all trained in is called BBS1, and BBS2. There is a level above called BBS3, which had only been partially released, and which we are not yet learning in our group classes.

I am doing all I can to teach myself that material.

Last time we were in Los Angeles, I cheated another way. I had 4 private lessons with Gracie Headquarters Instructor, Jordan Collins. We spent every second of that time working on stuff to use against physically-dominant opponents.

I review this material frequently.

I am certainly not Helio Gracie, the genius who created our form of Jiu-Jitsu, held the rank of 10^th Degree Black Belt, and who rolled well into his 90s.

I am only a lowly Blue Belt, who is able to roll competitively with my peers, while in my 60^th year of life.