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How Training With UFC Featherweight Champ Max Holloway Helped me Break the Blue Belt Blues

How Training With UFC Featherweight Champ Max Holloway Helped me Break the Blue Belt Blues

Guest post by Ari Christopoulos, a blue belt under Carlos David Oliveira, a fourth degree black belt under Roberto “The Spider” Traven. Youth Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach at Phoenix Fitness & Martial Arts, in Richmond, Va. Aspiring world traveler. Check out his awesome blog TheGuardeiro.com

As someone in the tail end of my blue belt the Blue Belt Blues have been all too real for me, the excitement of nearing my purple keeps me moving forward, but I have also been feeling like I haven’t been learning or progressing much.I have also been spending a lot of time teaching youth classes and helping out around the gym.

However, I am still a competitor, and I am very confident.

There is an unspoken law in the Jiu Jitsu universe though.

Whenever you think you know something, you are swiftly reminded you know nothing.

I would say that I have been less motivated about my training than usual.

I mean in a room full of white belts basic moves become easy to dismiss as “something I know” and not do as many reps, or chat with my friend I haven’t seen in two weeks.

Right?

It’s easy to dismiss things.

“I mean I know this insert sweep here” or “this move won’t really fit my game” …another common mental go to.
My coach, Carlos David, has become one of my best friends, so when he comes to check on us, it quickly goes like this:

“Tell us a story about training with Ricardo De La Riva” or “Big Nog” or “Fernando Terere” or whatever legend I feel like hearing a story about, to which he would happily oblige as the white belts listen with awe.

I mean when we start to roll I’m going to smash most of these people anyway so who cares…

I will be the first to tell you now this thinking was toxic.

But like I said before, Jiu Jitsu has a way of giving you what you need, including perspective.

Why this thinking is absolutely absurd clicked for me when current UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway came to train with us prior to his title fight with Jose Aldo.

It was a private session and only a couple of us were invited to attend, thankfully I was one of the fortunate few that got the opportunity to train with him that day.

My coach, Carlos David Oliveira, is for those that haven’t heard of him a fourth degree black belt under Roberto Traven.

He is an absolute savage on the mats and has several professional MMA bouts under his belt. The way he carries himself and stories he has to share are an ode to JiuJitsu fighters of a bygone era. I will forever be thankful to him for sharing his knowledge with me.
On this day he was his usual jovial self, cracking jokes and playing Reggae music.

He started it us with a relatively basic warm up, and moved us onto light rolling, reminding us to be careful because Max was in camp for a high profile flight.

For those who have never met Max Holloway in person, he is huuuge!

I have no idea how this man makes 145lbs. I walk around at about 175 and he was quite a bit bigger than me.

It’s easy to see him yelling “Blessed Era” all over Fox Sports 1 and get the wrong idea. He is incredibly polite, humble, and soft spoken in person. Everything you would expect out of a champion.

“This is his training not ours” he reminded me as I shook hands with Max.

Max Holloway proceeded to kick my ass, in case you were wondering.

He is very skilled both off his back and in his guard passing. I would describe his game as deceivingly good. Using mostly basic movements and being frugal with his motion, but with impeccable timing. He was able to take my back multiple times and pass my guard without much trouble. I almost wish I had a cooler story.

David paid close attention during his rolls with all of us and found many things to provide feedback on, Max listened intently, asking many relevant questions and making mental notes, soaking all the information in, and thanked him for the instruction.
This is where the Jiu Jitsu universe provided me a case study of the perspective I was beginning to lose.

I am 100% absolutely sure Holloway knows how to do an ankle pick!

His response wasn’t “I already know how to do an ankle pick, we drilled it a bunch in Hawaii” when Coach David was showing him small details.

instead he took the opportunity to receive instruction and become sharper even through small details.

I noted this, and I noted him do it again many times through our training session.

He listened, asked questions, and tried the technique many, many times.

The championship mentality became apparent.

So did the perspective I needed.

Ps. If you enjoyed reading comment below, let me know!

…If you didn’t I’m just a blue belt, what do I know anyway?



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