In this energizing installment of Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu, we sit down with a standout training partner from the revered mats of Alliance Roswell Jiu Jitsu. As we sip our robust brews, we delve into the crucial role of camaraderie and support in the dojo, dissecting why being a stellar training partner is not just beneficial but essential for mutual growth and skill enhancement.
Darrick Loftus shares his transformative journey from a beginner white belt to a formidable blue belt, unveiling the trials, triumphs, and the resilience required to progress in this demanding martial art.
From his roots at Kenny Kim Jiu Jitsu in Marietta, Georgia to his move to Alliance Roswell, Darrick has accumulated a wealth of Jiu Jitsu wisdom. He spills the secrets on his unique cardio requirements, his strategies for staying motivated, and why a good training partner is the linchpin to success in this demanding sport. Join us as Darrick pulls back the curtain, emphasizing the importance of consistency, self-care, and managing the inevitable challenges that come with training. He shares his thoughts on how to relax and prevent injuries, and the strategies he used to stay focused and motivated. So, grab your Gi and a cup of your finest coffee, and join us for a session that will fuel your passion for Jiu Jitsu and leave you itching to hit the mats. This is one brew of conversation you won’t want to miss!
Contact Email: caffeinatedjiujitsu@gmail.com
Join the Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu IG Community! @caffeinated_jiujitsu
In this energizing installment of Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu, we sit down with a standout training partner from the revered mats of Alliance Roswell Jiu Jitsu. As we sip our robust brews, we delve into the crucial role of camaraderie and support in the dojo, dissecting why being a stellar training partner is not just beneficial but essential for mutual growth and skill enhancement.
Darrick Loftus shares his transformative journey from a beginner white belt to a formidable blue belt, unveiling the trials, triumphs, and the resilience required to progress in this demanding martial art.
From his roots at Kenny Kim Jiu Jitsu in Marietta, Georgia to his move to Alliance Roswell, Darrick has accumulated a wealth of Jiu Jitsu wisdom. He spills the secrets on his unique cardio requirements, his strategies for staying motivated, and why a good training partner is the linchpin to success in this demanding sport. Join us as Darrick pulls back the curtain, emphasizing the importance of consistency, self-care, and managing the inevitable challenges that come with training. He shares his thoughts on how to relax and prevent injuries, and the strategies he used to stay focused and motivated. So, grab your Gi and a cup of your finest coffee, and join us for a session that will fuel your passion for Jiu Jitsu and leave you itching to hit the mats. This is one brew of conversation you won’t want to miss!
Contact Email: caffeinatedjiujitsu@gmail.com
Join the Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu IG Community! @caffeinated_jiujitsu
Intro/Outro:
Welcome to Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu the blend of white belt enthusiasm, black belt wisdom and a dash of caffeine for that extra kick. Dive deep into the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as we explore the journey, techniques, challenges and the sheer joy of the sport from a white belt's perspective, from intriguing interviews with renowned coaches and professors to playful fun episodes that'll have you chuckling mid-roll. We've got it all brewed and ready. Now step into the mats and into your ears. Here's your host, joe Mote, and welcome back everyone to another episode of Caffeinated Jiu Jitsu.
Joe M:
I am your host, Joe Motes, and today we have a special guest joining us. He's not only my training partner and morning partner rivalry, but he's also a blue belt with some killer skills. And today we have a special guest joining us. He's not only my training partner and morning partner rivalry, but he's also a blue belt with some killer skills. And today we are going to be diving into the world of being a great training partner and the importance and the impact it has on your training partner's journey as well as your own, and we're also going to talk about his personal journey in Jiu Jitsu so far. So, if everyone will welcome to the podcast Darrick Loftus.
Darrick L:
Thanks for having me.
Joe M:
Yeah, absolutely, man Welcome. How was training this morning?
Darrick L:
It was tough, it was good. I came out with one jammed finger, but yeah, you and Marco go battling again. Yeah, he was speedy. I think we're trying to build his gas tank because I think without a rest he's having a hard time lasting for a few more than just two or three rounds.
Joe M:
Yeah, he was on the podcast. What was it last week, week before last? And we were talking about gas tanks and things like that. So let's start off and learn a little bit about your journey. How long have you been training, where did you start and what really got you into Jiu Jitsu man.
Darrick L:
Yeah, so this is my third year training. I started down in Marietta, georgia, at Kenny Kim Jiu Jitsu, where I had or my wife had some friends who trained. She was going through chiropractic school at Life University right down there, so a lot of chiropractors would go over and train there. So my start was sitting at a coffee shop working while she was studying and one of her friends was like hey, do you want to come try this? Growing up I played lacrosse as another contact sport. I played a boxed for a few years, and so he's like do you want to come try Jiu Jitsu? I just said, sure, I got the Gion and they tossed me in there. He was a pretty big dude and I was lucky because I got to roll and spar the very first day, and then I think I signed up on the spot. So, and then the rest is history.
Joe M:
Yeah, so thanks for sharing that. You know, the thing that stands out every time I ask a guest that question is everybody's story is really, really different, and it's almost like we fall into this by happen, chance or happen stance. There we go. So yeah, it sounds like it was kind of the thing for you, right?
Darrick L:
Oh yeah, it was just having a conversation in the coffee shop I was at was in the same strip mall area as the Jiu Jitsu gym, so I just walked over and jumped in for a first class and it's where I started my morning training, because they had a 6am class from 6 to 7 every day. And that was really what caused me to move to Alliance Roswell was because I moved down to Ferreta and getting up at 430 to drive down there. Sitting in an hour traffic to get back wasn't, wasn't feasible.
Joe M:
So you said you rolled on your very first day. So I didn't roll on my first day, I think it was like maybe a few days, maybe a weekend, but like what did you think? Did you think you were kind of a pretty in shape guy and you were like oh my God, because I know me.
Joe M:
I come from, you know doing, I done a competition and powerlifting. For like the whole year before I was doing powerlifting I thought, yeah, I'm strong, I'm pretty, you know yeah, so I thought I was in good shape from boxing.
Darrick L:
I had picked up running during the pandemic because that was the only thing to keep me sane and I went in there and I didn't like the physicality of it never really bothered me because lacrosse and all sorts of things where you're just kind of getting hit, but the different type of cardio that's required, that sprint or your heart rate goes really, really high and you have to get it back down as fast as possible, yeah.
Joe M:
Yeah, I think that's. What stands out to me is how fast it wears you out. So we're only rolling like three minute rounds the most part. We're only doing really four of those on average. Well, at least we are. And man, that's what, 12 minutes of just cardio and it just wrecks you. So I remember thinking that, wow, yeah, this is a new type of workout, so let's talk about, let's kind of move into the topic that we want to discuss today.
Joe M:
You and I kind of collaborated and thought about some things we could talk about, and one of the things that came up is the art of being a really good training partner, and I'm glad to have you want to talk about it, because you've been a great training partner for me.
Joe M:
When I started out of Alliance back in what was it? January this year, you were already training there and I think you were a morning class guy for the most part, right, yeah, I know there was a couple morning, no, I did a trial class and then I and I didn't come back for like maybe a week, but then I came back and signed up and then I think there was somebody else training and then, however it worked out, you and I became everyday morning training partners that Marco started coming back and now it's the three of us. So you're a great person to have on to talk about the importance of being a good training partner, because I know what it's meant to me and my jujitsu is as I get better. But yeah, what do you think makes a good training partner? What do you think about when you train?
Darrick L:
So for me it's step number one is putting any sort of ego aside, because there's no real room for it if you're trying to help someone else get better right through you.
Darrick L:
So it doesn't matter if they take you down, past you, tap you, anything like that. You don't need to get in your own head. But what really makes a good training partner is feeding with some sort of resistance, of leaving that one arm kind of exposed for longer than you would so that your partner can try for an attack or something like that. Specifically like a higher belt with a lower belt. If it's two competition blue belts competition, purple belts yeah, go at it. You don't need to be there certain times where you don't have to be helping each other work and you can be working that cardio, working their game plan, working different things. But specifically for white belts coming up is finding those situations, you identifying the situations where you can apply a technique yeah and just leaving something out there, leaving that door open for someone to come in and perform something.
Joe M:
Yeah, yeah, I think I can see that when we roll. I think one of the things that helps me when we train together is we kind of match each other's speed. I know, I know Professor Marcel, he does that too, right, like when we roll him. If you, if you go hard, he'll go hard If you kind of go slow. I know, one of the most frustrating things for me now is when he still does the sit down. I notice he doesn't do it with you, but he still does it with me, right, he'll just kind of sit down and I'm just like, really, man, I mean that's, it's kind of like, ah, it's going to be one of those.
Joe M:
So when you think about how I don't want to say this how you're going to be a good training partner, let's say to a white belt right, maybe it's a white belt, it's got a second stripe starting to roll, how do you gauge? You're going to let them work? But you also have to get your training right, because we're 80 something percent white belts at Alliance Roswell, like you can't always end in the blue belts that we have are female, right, and, and we got some pretty badass females, don't get me wrong. But you can't go a thousand percent. Yeah, on those blue belts. We have no purple belts, right, or do we have one?
Joe M:
we have one, oh, yeah, that's right yeah no, the only right, billy, and and I think Kevin and I are the closest blue belts, so how do you, if I can get in my question how do you, how You're going to get your training while allowing that wipe out the train? Does that make sense, like kind of yeah, how do you balance that out? Is it one for you, one for them?
Darrick L:
What is it? Yeah, so it can be that and I think some days I've definitely in my head just been like that's gonna be it, but other days it's gonna be Okay, I want to hit a submission. So my goal is I'm going to work to get to a position and work one technique while someone is actively Resisting, so they get to. So, as a lower belt, I'm going to be pursuing one specific thing and you have the chance to Adjust, move and I'm gonna still try and work that one Move while you get to work. Say, if you're bottom side control of getting your frames getting yeah understanding how to defend.
Darrick L:
And then also if a Sweep grips come in and he, I'll Just kind of let it.
Joe M:
Yeah, and.
Darrick L:
I'm on the bottom and I have to work to get out.
Darrick L:
That's yeah, it doesn't matter what level of skill. If someone's heavy and sitting on your chest, you still have to be able to work if they're actively fighting back. You got to work to get through it, so it's. It's kind of that balance of letting yourself get into Bad positions on all purpose, but, yeah, letting it happen so you can practice and then Focusing. For me I think I've shared this with you before I have Intentions of what I want to go for in a day. If I only want to go for, say, lapel chokes, right, that's all I'm gonna work that day, right?
Joe M:
I you know thinking about. Well, let me ask you this Do you think it's important for higher belts to kind of think like that when, when training, like they have some type of responsibility to help lower belts kind of work up? Because you know, I trained at Another Academy before coming to Roswell to like you and, and my jujitsu was as good I guess this is, it could have been for what I was getting from that Academy.
Intro/Outro:
But I didn't have a standard training partner.
Joe M:
I didn't have a set schedule. I didn't, so my jujitsu is greatly improved because of having a Steady, good training partner to push me. So you know, do you think there's some onus on higher belts to help in the development of lower belts?
Darrick L:
Yeah, absolutely. So I think that mindset came from where I started. At Kenny Kems and Marietta they have, I think they just Promoted three more black belts, so there's a wow, wide, yeah array. And so I would start, and when I started there were other white belts that we would be the Like each other's rival. Mm-hmm but then I would be rolling with purple, brown, black belts, everything all the time, and their only goal was to let me try and work something, and they would either stop it and show Okay, this is your next position you have to get out of or they would let me work and get to a point, or then they have to react, or else they will get tapped.
Darrick L:
So there's kind of this group mentality that, like you said, if we're all white belts, in order for any of the higher belts to get better, we have to get everybody else to a level, a Level above, so that we have that like similar level of Competency, I guess is the right word of getting.
Darrick L:
Yeah so by making everybody in the gym better, you get better. Because you have better training partners, people can go more rounds because they, like you said, my gas tanks are full. Party is getting better. People are coming more consistently. You have a consistency of people and then it also kind of welcomes new people in. It makes a better environment for people trying it out and wanting to stay and that gets you you know, new things.
Joe M:
Yeah, I think, I think, and I think we're starting to see a lot of the trial classes Class people who are coming in the morning wanting to stay a little bit longer because even class can be overwhelming. I mean you have the monsters in there, right? Yeah, I mean, can you imagine a white belt, like a 30 or 40 year old white belt coming in, or a trial class person? See in Tyler.
Darrick L:
Yeah, that's a big guy. I got to go in that guy His arms are like two of me.
Joe M:
His arms just stand, or even you know, watching professor role with one of us and that's almost die. Yeah and you know, but it's good when they see that that I think the training and sparring it's and I think that's something we do really well in the morning is is you can tell that there's a game plan being Brought out, if you yeah right.
Joe M:
So, and that's good, that's good. Before we pivot into the Second topic, which is your journey so far into blue belt and kind of your thoughts on you have three years, right, yeah, years, yes, you're not too too far from from your purple belt. But before we get into that, so if, if we know that that our, our Academy is kind of heavy and white belt and we have a competition coming up, there's a lot of us competing Are you doing anything extra Outside, do you know? Do you do something to maybe make up or maybe some of the pushing in the training In the gym? Right? Do you go back to Kenny Kim's for visits, do you? Yeah, just, is there any other kind of prep that you do outside of just training to make sure you get your stuff?
Darrick L:
Yeah. So I think for me outside is more of I'm trying to make like a mental model of what I want to do.
Darrick L:
Yeah and I'm kind of Viewing when I come to training and since I know a lot of us are competing, the our professor is letting us Kind of start working as a competition level of rolling and sparring. So I feel that I'm getting everything there, but what I keep doing is every day I'll come up with something new and try it and tweak it, and it's just a little Piece of clay that every time I'm trying something. But outside In my head, the only thing that's gonna get me prepared for competition is just training. Yeah, like weightlifting and things like that I can do throughout the year, right, but dedicate more time to just consistently and starting to Develop a game plan work on any weaknesses that I've seen come out.
Joe M:
Yeah, yeah, you're doing two days now for the most part, right, I think you're getting like six to eight hours a week, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was doing that for a while. I need to get back on. I need to get back on that, especially for competition coming up, the. You know, it's one of those things, right, life, life gets in the way of training sometime. But it's good to hear that you feel like you're getting what you need while being that, that good training partner. I think it's important for you know. Hey, look, we're white and blue belts. You know we're still a little bit lower down on the food chain, but you know, I think, as we progress and we continue to have these mindsets of helping and bettering Everyone, I think it's just gonna make us better in the long run. It's gonna make for better jujitsu. The other day You'd been proud of me, I actually attempted a alma plata, you know.
Joe M:
Go to man, but that you know me and I almost got it, but apparently not supposed to do the alma plata when you're standing up. Yeah, so it didn't work out well. So, yeah, man, let's, let's, let's transition to Talk a little bit about your journey, and I'm really, really excited to have this conversation with you, especially since I'm kind of on the cusp of getting my blue belt hopefully soon Share a little bit of Maybe some of the the initial challenges you had to overcome, when you know, from the time you started to the time you got your blue belt and it could be, you know, mental challenges, physical challenge, it could be both what are some things that that you had to work through, because you said you were kind of physically fit already, right, so, yeah, I would imagine it's a lot of mental stuff you had to work through.
Darrick L:
Yeah, there was the Just trying to figure out how to relax. I think I tell a lot of white belts this too is you just have to relax. I know it's not comfortable and someone's sitting on your chest, but Chilling out for a second in order to catch your breath, because if you're, if every muscle in your body is tight all the time, you're going to gas out and be done real quick instead of just being calm and fluid right.
Darrick L:
But that was number one. Number two was understanding that consistency was really it. And then Three was doing what I can outside of jiu-jitsu stretching. Lucky me, my wife's a chiropractor.
Darrick L:
Yeah heard of work Whatever when I would and give me exercises PT exercises that I could do to prevent injuries, right, because If you get seriously injured you're gonna stop for a really long time and that just breaks your consistency, right? So if you can strengthen your shoulder, strengthen your knees, strengthen your and loosen your hips, yeah, that's pretty key to staying In this sport for a long time is taking Probably just as many hours as you're doing in the gym watching TV or whatever foam rolling. Do whatever you can to Stay loose and stay healthy.
Joe M:
Yeah, I've been looking at and do it. Well, I've been doing more mobility Ability exercises now. I used to when we get there in the morning I kind of sit on the side and Just jump right in. But you know, lately I've started doing some mobility stuff on that and then even before I leave the house in the morning, it's it's always. I don't want to say it's interesting that, just like our stories are different how we we Came into Jiu Jitsu, our stories are also different. The challenges yeah, so yours is, you know, um, learning to relax and things like that. I think my biggest challenge was the soreness initially and wondering, man, am I gonna end up hurting myself? And putting myself out of? This is just out of like a serious life injury. Yeah, remember that there was something on the news not long ago that guy got paralyzed at some gym. Oh yeah, he has a bad move, or something.
Intro/Outro:
And I always worried about that.
Joe M:
I was paranoid about that for so long, man Like I always was driving me crazy. I had a lot of anxiety about that.
Darrick L:
Yeah, I never really got the. I'm sore, sore like a weightlifting sore. Yeah, there was aches and pains, but it was nothing that you couldn't really handle. And one of the things I thought to was, right at the beginning, of not overdoing it. Right, and because obviously, since it's a new sport, body needs to adapt to doing that type of work.
Darrick L:
So if you start going seven days a week. Right when you start, you're going to probably unless you're very in shape, very flexible, very good athlete in general you're probably going to get hurt, tear something, and then you're gonna either stop and be like oh, this isn't for me because I got hurt.
Joe M:
Yeah.
Darrick L:
Or you're going to keep pushing yourself and hurt yourself worse. So for me it was knowing that starting I'm just going to start three days a week, right, and just get in then eventually okay, I think my goal was three days a week If I could do all five or six rounds that we would do in the morning at Kenny Gims, 30 minutes of instruction, then 30 minutes of just five minute rounds. If I could do every single one, then I was ready to go to like an extra day, right, and so if I don't have to sit out for those and I can still give it my all and I don't just sit there and give up, I can get another day. So it's kind of milestoneing myself of okay, my body, my heart, everything is ready to go that extra day.
Joe M:
So you got your blue belt at Kenny Cam, do you remember it? Do you remember it? Oh yeah, did you get a group promotion. Was it a single? What was it?
Darrick L:
Yeah, they do group promotions twice a year, so it's actually like a big party. They bring in a food truck, nice B-Y-O-B great coolers, sit outside and then they have everybody sit in white ease and go through all the promotions. I got promoted with a few of the a few of the morning crew people and they're two. They just got their black belt this, I think past week. They were both brown belts that would teach the six am ghee classes, and so they actually gave me the belt, because Kenny would usually teach the no ghee classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays there. So yeah, remember that was awesome. Sent picture out to everybody.
Joe M:
Yeah.
Darrick L:
And then, and I think that Monday I was back at it and ready to go and then instantly realized that there's a giant target on your back when yeah, that's what I keep hearing, and you get the blue around your waist.
Joe M:
Yeah, I called my first wrist lock, like I was telling you earlier this week, from Rachel. I wasn't expecting it and wasn't thinking about it, and I told the listeners, I think on one of the previous episodes, that I passed my blue belt test. You know, alliance test and you know not promoted yet, but yeah, it does. I'm a little worried about that. We're going to see what happens. So that brings me to this next topic. We got a couple more topics here and then we'll wrap up. But we just talked about how Jiu Jitsu can transform you physically and mentally. I think in both aspects it's great. But let's address the real elephant in the room here. You always seem to have my number when we roll. I'm not even coming close yet to beating you. I feel like I'm getting better. But yeah, man, what's your secret? Why is it? You're just looking for holes, because what is it, man?
Joe M:
So, and it can be just in general, it doesn't have to be with me because you're dominating a lot of people in the morning In general.
Darrick L:
It's Number one is the cardio. I think I jokingly say it, I don't know who the quote by is originally, but it's reps only count when you're tired. So for me, the first roll or two, that's a warm-up.
Darrick L:
When you're breathing, heavy hands on your knees. That's when you need to dig a little deeper, to keep going and keep that level of your heart rate up that high. That's the only way your body is going to adjust to it. So step number one is that, and then step number two is finding spots where I feel comfortable getting my breath back in the middle of a roll. I don't feel that. There's times where I can just pin you or any other people and I can sit for one, two, three seconds and then really it's just trying to just doing new things. Over the years I've been exposed to a lot of different submissions, passes, things that work things that don't work.
Joe M:
You've trained overseas, right. You went to some overseas places too, right.
Darrick L:
I went to Alliance Athens in Greece. I got to do that and I'm thinking I'm going to try and get to. I'm going to New Zealand in December and they have a gym in Auckland, so I'm going to try and go to the Alliance in Auckland. But yeah, it's really just trying new stuff because if you train with the same people over and over, you figure out their game and then if you figure out a game, you can beat a game. So if I can switch it up and just try new things, like I say, when we're doing our techniques, like one side and the other side, it's still a white belt side. My left side is not up there. So trying things just backwards is also.
Joe M:
Yeah, and I think most people train like that. We all do that. I remember Cam when he was coming. Pretty often he would train both sides on purpose and I love that. I think it's something I think about because I stay on one side the whole time, so if they're going around that right side, we're going to have some trouble. Man, that's awesome. I guess Monday might be nice and pull the armbar, so we'll see what happens.
Joe M:
Yeah. So look, man, it's been great having you on. Let's go into some final thoughts and I guess I'll just open it up to you and just ask if there's anything that you would share to your blue belt peers or just anybody, even white belts, brown belts, purple belts, black belts, whatever, if there's anything else you would share about the importance of being a good training partner.
Darrick L:
Yeah it really comes down to. You're going to be training with the same people over and over and there's going to be that percentage that follow you through your whole journey, throwing your ego in if you're a 250 pound guy going against 150 pound guy and you're just tapping him left, right in center he's never going to get better and you're never going to be able to get better.
Darrick L:
Right, so it's really like even the nicest ship compared to like the tiny little fishing boat. With the tide going up, they're both going up or they're both going down. So if you're just crushing your opponents, not letting them get better, you're not going to all go up at the same rate. And so that's really my main thing is, you got to make everybody. You're only as strong as your weakest link, so you got to make it better in order to get better.
Joe M:
Yeah, I like that man, that's a good way to close out and very wise words and to our listeners. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Caffeinated Jujitsu. If you enjoyed the episode today, please don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it. And remember stay grounded, stay caffeinated and let's roll through this journey together. We'll see you on the mats in the next episode.