Marcelo Garcia recently took the time to reflect on his journey through the ranks before black belt, and he came up with three things he would have done differently. He shared the insight when he was conducting an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit, and a user asked him the question. Given that Garcia is one of the greatest BJJ competitors in the history of the sport, it’s hard to imagine how he could possibly have done any better. According to him, there are actually a few things that he would’ve changed long before he ever broke through to the highest level by winning gold at ADCC 2003.
When reflecting on his journey through the ranks prior to getting his black belt, Marcelo Garcia first shared some sound advice for everyone who is just starting out in the sport:
“White belt – I would’ve learn how not to get hurt.”
This is a common problem among white belts and whether it’s down to not wanting to tap or just moving in an uncoordinated fashion, injuries at that level are incredibly common. Garcia makes a great point that if someone is able to avoid those issues from the start, they will be able to get more mat-time in and will have less recurring injuries to deal with later down the line. He then moved on to the thing that he would change when he received his first colored belt:
“Blue belt – I would’ve learn specific training and techniques. For example, back attacks, side control, mount etc”
That’s another piece of advice that would serve everyone very well, as specific training is one of the best ways to make significant improvements. This is usually done through the use of positional sparring and a long-term focus on a single area rather than learning disconnected techniques. Finally, Garcia laid out the change he would make for his time as a purple belt:
“Purple belt – I would’ve focus more on my stand-up.”
That’s another area of Jiu-Jitsu that many competitors are lacking in and some can even get to black belt without really being proficient in either wrestling or Judo, and relying on pulling guard instead. There’s nothing wrong with having a preferred gameplan in competition of course, but the ability to threaten an opponent from everywhere makes you a more well-rounded grappler. Not only is that a great goal in itself, but it also gives an athlete more options for success when it comes to competition.
