10 Questions With Atos Brown Belt Rose Miller

Tips for white belts, women in BJJ, and fellow content creators.

Source: Rose’s Instagram

Today we have another interview!

Rose Miller trains out of Atos HQ in San Diego, where she is a brown belt under Andre Galvao. She’s a Jiu-Jitsu coach, strength coach, and nutritionist.

You’ve probably seen some of her videos on Instagram, which cover fundamental techniques, concepts for beginners, and other essential Jiu-Jitsu lessons that Rose “wishes she knew at white belt”.

If you want to learn more about Rose before we dive in, I recommend that you check out her website here.

In this interview, Rose talks about her background as an athlete and coach, some of her best tips for beginners, women in Jiu-Jitsu, and other content creators, and much more. I definitely learned a lot from these answers and I’m sure you will too.

Let’s begin!

Tell me a little bit about your background. How'd you get into Jiu-Jitsu?

As a kid, I was always fascinated by martial arts. I grew up as a competitive dancer, though, and I didn't really have the time to pursue that interest. I also think some part of me also thought it was just "for boys".

My older brother had a friend that did karate and I remember thinking that his uniform was really cool and sometimes I'd go watch his practices, dying to know how to do what they were doing, but I was too shy to ask to participate.

So I never did.

But martial arts, in general, had piqued my interest as a kid. So, when I was finally old enough to pursue my interests independently I started boxing. And, the first time I was ever introduced to Jiu-Jitsu (outside of seeing "the stuff on the ground" in MMA fights), was in 2010-2011 or so at a boxing gym. These 2 guys came into the boxing gym AMPED having just left the collegiate, recreational, Jiu-Jitsu club. They taught me an armbar and a triangle.

No setup. Just the submission.

And even though this club was likely run by YouTube and white belts, I thought it was the coolest thing. I wanted to understand it. But... I still didn't pursue it for a few years.

Long story not as long as it could be, I moved to San Diego, joined an MMA gym to continue my very amateur boxing "career", and I'd stay late to watch the Jiu-Jitsu classes happening on the other side of the gym. Eventually, the instructor told me to take a class. I had no idea what was happening.

It was nogi. I had no gear. And, I left more confused than before I stepped on the mat.

About a year later, in 2014 or 2015, my boxing coach passed away unexpectedly, and I wasn't feeling motivated toward boxing. So, my friends from the gym encouraged me to try Jiu-Jitsu because they knew I had been too shy to start for many years. I took my first class and immediately ran out to buy another gi, so I could go back that night for another class. And, it's been like that ever since. 

Your Instagram bio says "What I wish I knew at white belt". What are the 3-5 most essential things you know now that you didn't then?

Oh man... so many things, and brevity isn't my strong suit, but I'll try to distill it down:

Technical things:

1. There is so much more time before your guard gets passed, or before you get swept than you think. I remember when I really understood what "stabilizing" a position meant and my mind was blown at all the opportunities I had missed. 

2. You don't learn basics instead of more advanced techniques. You learn basics SO THAT you can do more advanced techniques, well, from many positions. Movements > Concepts > Techniques. They all support each other. Advanced techniques are just simple movements, put together a little differently, with a few more variables. 

Other things:

1. A common thing I hear in Jiu-Jitsu and in the fitness space is that "it's not about the result, it's about who you become along the way". And, I used to think that who you became along the way was, like, inherently good. But, it's not. Good Jiu-Jitsu doesn't mean good human, OR more importantly, it doesn't mean you are getting your life closer to where you want it. It CAN, but it doesn't do so necessarily. At one point, I became so obsessive, and whether I was good enough, etc. that I actually didn't like who I was becoming or what my life was. I had to re-evaluate what Jiu-Jitsu meant to me, and my life, and what I wanted my Jiu-Jitsu practice to say about me. I completely forgot the point was self-improvement, something I enjoyed, an avenue for me to challenge and test myself. Those are the things in the JOURNEY that make you better... not a better submission rate. And, don't get me wrong, I still train a lot and take it seriously, I go to the comp trainings, etc. but the way I show up in those spaces is different than before. It's for ME. 

2. It's okay to pursue and like things outside of Jiu-Jitsu. 

3. DO IT SCARED. Do things scared. Whether that's competing, or going for THAT move that you're a little timid to try because it might fail. DO IT SCARED.