How to Refuse a Dance Partner

Val Worthington’s Ask a Panda series is back! In this installment: How do you decline someone’s request to roll?
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: How do I stop overthinking?

Question: Could you do a post on “pulling the trigger” when rolling? The most common feedback I’ve gotten (across multiple gyms) is that I think too much. I especially get told this when I roll with higher belts. For...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: Significant Others Are People Too

Question: I have been training jiu-jitsu for a while (I am a blue belt), since long before I met my current boyfriend. He is a black belt and runs an academy, and since we have been together, I have taken on an unint...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: Who Has to Move It, Move It?

Question: I am a purple belt with four stripes. The other day I was rolling with a blue belt when two other purple belts, one with no stripes and one with two, collided with us. I asked them to move, but they said tw...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: How do you deal with tapping to a lower belt?

Question: I just received my purple belt a couple of months ago, and I’m starting to feel more pressure to perform well, especially when I roll with lower belts. The other day I had to tap to a white belt. It was ...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: How to Deal with “Let’s Just Go Light” Guy/Gal

Question I am a male blue belt, 5’10” and 165lbs. I’m not small, but I’m also not the largest person in my gym. I try to be a good training partner, and I want to keep myself safe during training too. I’m sure you’ve ...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: Dealing with the Jiu-Jitsu Blahs

Question: I am a brown belt, and I love jiu-jitsu. I am in it for the long haul—there is no question about that—but sometimes I find myself feeling ambivalent. I look at some of my teammates, particularly ones who ha...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: Purple Belt Purgatory

Part I: Knowing Is Half the Battle and Most of the Problem Question: I recently heard someone call purple belt “purple purgatory,” and it seems to fit. When you were a purple belt, did you start to question everythin...
Valerie Worthington
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Ask a Panda: How Do you Cope with the Ups and Downs of BJJ?

Val Worthington is taking questions about jiu-jitsu and life. Submit yours here and it could be featured in the next installment!Question: Can you please discuss how you deal with the peaks and valleys of passion wit...
Aaron Rubin
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Heal Up or Jump Back In? Getting Back on the Mats After Injury

Val Worthington is taking questions about jiu-jitsu and life. Submit yours here and it could be featured in the next installment! Question: Hey! I'm a blue belt from New Jersey. Is it better to fully recover from inj...
Valerie Worthington
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Introducing Ask a Panda with Val Worthington

Val Worthington is taking questions about jiu-jitsu and life. Submit yours here and it could be featured in the next installment! Question: If you could go back and do one thing differently in your jiu-jitsu experien...
Valerie Worthington
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