This is the first of a series of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blog posts that asks experienced grappling competitors and coaches a simple question…
What do you know now that you wish you knew as a White Belt?
Jay Hayes - BJJ Black Belt; currently holds both the Intercontinental and Tag Team Belts!
I wish I knew the importance of always trying to improve your weaknesses. When I was a white belt I was more concerned about getting to my strong positions and working from there instead of trying to strengthen a weak area of my game. It was a comfort zone that I didn’t feel confident leaving. As I progressed through the belt ranks I quickly learned that I needed to have a more well rounded game. Not only on the ground with jiu-jitsu, but also improving on your feet with wrestling and judo. This is very important especially for the competitive aspect of jiu-jitsu.
Jay Hayes
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
Team Lloyd Irvin
2007 Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Gold Medalist (Purple Belt)
2009 Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Bronze Medalist (Brown Belt)
2009 NY International Open Bronze Medalist (Black Belt Open)
7X Grapplers Quest Champion
6X NAGA Champion
PS – We just had Jay Hayes here at our Baltimore Martial Arts school for a seminar and it was well worth it. If you are thinking of hosting Jay, do not hesitate to bring him in!
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