BJJ TIPS
The art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a highly complex and dynamic form of Martial Arts. The art essentially began as a self defense concept, and over the course of its evolution it has diverted into more of a sporting aspect. BJJ has gained significant notoriety with the rise of international competitions like the IBJJF and the ADCC. There are many high level athletes that are spreading innovations throughout the BJJ community, as they are adding some of the best bjj instructional videos on the market today.
What This Article Covers:
- Tips for Beginners
- Blue Belt Tips
- Navigating Towards the Pinnacle of BJJ
- Tips for Competition
- Tips for Long Jeverdy
Training out of a BJJ academy is one of the most rewarding experiences that students can have. The rigorous training regimes involved can be tough, but under the guidance of a certified black belt instructor, the insights they have to share are unparalleled. Students will learn the ability to cope under pressure, while they receive an abundance of tips that will help them improve their BJJ game style substantially.
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TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
Starting out at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy can be extremely nerve racking for a new student. The biggest hurdle is actually walking through the door, as students will ask themselves should i learn jiu jitsu. What can commonly happen is a student will talk themself out of going. Once the student takes the step into an academy they will experience first hand the inviting atmosphere that the BJJ community has to offer. New students should not be worried about their level of fitness, strength, or flexibility, as they will improve on these attributes tremendously over the course of their first few months. A lot of potential new students seem to think they need to get into shape to begin training in BJJ, this couldn't be further from the truth, as training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will take an unfit, or uncoordinated person, and get them into shape.
It is highly recommended that students enter their BJJ journey showing respect, humility, and integrity. Students that come into an academy being disrespectful, egotistical, or training unsafely, will be quickly exposed. A good white belt tip is to forget what you think you know when you start BJJ, and allow the higher belts at the academy to guide the student through the early learning stages. Another important tip for beginners is to stick to the fundamental techniques that they are taught by their instructors. Students that stray away from this concept, and begin to delve into more advanced movements at the early stage, will often find it can be detrimental to their growth and development of learning BJJ.
There are other extremely important factors that new students must learn, like hygiene. Students must shower before and after training, as coming to an academy filthy is extremely rude, and disrespectful. Hygiene doesn't just stop at keeping a students body clean, it also means they must wash all of their BJJ gear like their Gi's, and even their belts. Another good tip for new students is to keep their finger, and toe nails trimmed and filed, this is so they don't scratch up their training partners, or damage the mats. Students should also use appropriate footwear when they step off of the mats, as this is another important component in hygiene practices. All of these aspects of hygiene are extremely important, as they can help stop the spread of different types of skin infections that can occur commonly inside a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy.
BLUE BELT TIPS
Once a student earns a promotion to the blue belt level they will need to step up their game. Being a blue belt means they are out of the novice stage, and are climbing their way up through the belt ranking system. The jiu jitsu benefits of mastering the fundamentals early on in a student's journey will give them an extremely solid platform for when they enter the blue belt stage. Becoming a blue belt in BJJ comes with some extra expectations, as they will need to show leadership towards all of the lower ranked belts. Trying to adjust to the next level can be difficult, so students must focus intently and put in a large amount of hard work if they want to proceed towards further belt promotions.
Becoming a blue belt still doesn't mean that a student should be delving into extremely advanced BJJ maneuvers, as they will still need to further develop their foundational Jiu Jitsu game. It is important however to start to understand, and develop some of the basic concepts that are involved with more advanced technical systems. This may include a wider range of guard movements like the de la riva, and the lapel guard. Bluebelts should also start to understand the mechanics of how leg entanglements work, as well as how to defend them, and many of the countering aspects like moving into back takes. Studying Jiu Jitsu is an extremely important notion for blue belts, and once they reach this level, moving toward the purple belt level is basically in their own hands.
Another good tip that will help blue belts achieve further progression is to have a think about competing at BJJ tournaments. Although students are not required to compete, it is highly encouraged, and widely supported by all members of a BJJ Academy. Competing in tournaments is not for everybody, but the great aspect about it is that students will be able to battle test all of their techniques inside of a real situational experience. It can be extremely hard to replicate real life scenarios when a student is training inside an academy, so entering into competition can be a great way to further adjust their technical grasp of many of the BJJ movements. When a student competes they are putting themself under highly stressful situations, and this will only result in a blue belt mastering how to make better decisions, as they adapt on the fly.
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NAVIGATING TOWARDS THE PINNACLE OF BJJ
Once a student has developed deep into the blue belt level, they will need to adjust even further to reach the halfway point in the journey. Students will often ask why is bjj so hard to learn, as the purple belt level can be an extremely difficult belt to acquire. The majority of students are known to give up before attaining the purple belt rank. Students will need to put in an extensive amount of work into the teaching aspect of BJJ. Learning how to teach is a different skill set to being exceptional at BJJ, and if a student wants to reach the black belt level in the future this is where they need to excel. There will be many hurdles for a student on the way to becoming a professor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the best advice that a student can receive is to purely keep persevering. Learning an art form like BJJ can be quite comprehensive, as it takes the majority of practitioners ten years or more to achieve this feat. It is a good idea for students to begin connecting the dots between how to understand a technical movement, and how to teach the same movement consistently.
A major aspect of improving a students skill set in BJJ at higher levels, is the necessity for refinement. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a constantly changing evolution, as students will be consistantly adapting their game style to stay ahead of the pack. Navigating through the purple belt rank, and into the higher rank of brown, is where students will truly start to master their craft. A good tip for a high level purple belt is to think conceptually, as this time in their learning is all about adding different components to their repertoire. This will include evolving their flow chains to incorporate counter movements, and setting traps. Once the student has reached the brown belt level they should be extremely well versed in technical proficiency, and have an exceedingly effective teaching skill set.
Moving from a brown belt level towards the pinnacle of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, is an inevitability. Most students that reach the brown belt rank are almost certain to achieve a black belt in the art. Students should focus on any weaknesses they may have, and look to turn them into strengths. Reaching the black belt level is a prestigious honour, and one that involves a considerable amount of discipline, technical aptitude, knowledge and perseverance. Brown belts must understand teaching to an extremely high level, as they should be able to demonstrate all aspects of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu game style. Identifying how other students learn is an art form in itself, and a concept that brown belts need to master if they are to become a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
TIPS FOR COMPETITION
Training for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition can be extremely hard on the body, as the dynamic movements involved can take a heavy toll. Usually most practitioners will elevate their training with a specific purpose, as they look to build into a competitive tournament. There are many important tips for competitive students, like how they prepare mentally for a BJJ competition. Training in an art form like grappling has many profound mental health benefits of brazilian jiu jitsu, as a strong competitor has not only a strong body, but a strong mind too. Building up mental resilience is an aspect that commonly gets overlooked, and what students don't realise is that training in BJJ will naturally build up their mental fortitude.
It is extremely important for students to go into a BJJ competition with a definitive game plan, and it also pays to have numerous back up plans. Quite often what can happen in a grappling tournament is the moment won't go as they expect, and this is due to each competitor having their own specific movements or counter movements. Developing game plans are important to refine at least a month out from entering competitions, as students will need a comprehensive amount of time to find the right avenue of attack. Another important aspect is how hard they train both physically and mentally leading into a competition, because an under prepared practitioner will find themself out of the depths. It is important to train hard in the lead up to a competition, but then know when to ease off in the last week before the competition. A common problem that some students have is that they train too hard for too long, and end up burning out in the last week of their training camp. Competing in a BJJ competition is not for the faint hearted, and should be taken extremely seriously, as there are more comprehensive dangers involved in a real fight scenario.
Competing in BJJ tournaments can be extremely nerve racking, as students will have their own remedies to help settle their nerves. Stepping onto the competition mats takes courage, as the rigorous grind of competition level BJJ can be daunting. There are different ways to counteract the nerves that a student may feel in the lead up to a competition match. Some good tips to consider are: do extensive warmups, as this can help reduce levels of stress, all while stimulating the muscle group, and preparing them for battle. Another good way to prepare is to listen to music, as many competitors are seen with headphones on. This is a good way to settle the nerves, and receive some inspiring lyrics at the same time. If a student has not competed before it is a good idea to watch a competition first, this will be a great indicator so students will know what they can expect.
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TIPS FOR LONG JEVERDY
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a Martial Art that can have some long term effects on a student. Some athletes can be reckless over the course of their careers, as they may suffer from severe impacts, or overtraining issues. The long term key to success is simple, students must find a balance between their training and their personal lives. Burning out is extremely common in BJJ, so students should take the appropriate amount of rest days. To achieve a long jeverdy in BJJ, it is extremely important to strengthen a student's body. Even though training in BJJ gives the practitioner significant core strength, it is a good idea to add extra strength and conditioning to their training regimes. Bulletproofing a student's body will help them keep up with the high demand that BJJ places on the body. Learning BJJ is not a race, as each student learns at their own pace. The important factor is to never compare themself to other students of BJJ, work hard, persevere, take rests, and above all else enjoy the ride.
If you enjoyed this piece, consider checking:
- How to Get Better at Jiu Jitsu at Home
- Can You Practice Jiu Jitsu Alone
- BJJ for Beginners
- How Long Does It Take to Learn Jiu Jitsu
- What Do You Call a Jiu Jitsu Teacher
- What Does Jiu Jitsu Teach You
- BJJ Basics
- Foundations BJJ
- Jiu Jitsu Moves
- Jiu Jitsu Positions
- Jiu-Jitsu Street Fight
- Police BJJ / BJJ for Law Enforcement
- Invisible Jiu-Jitsu
- Combat Jiu-Jitsu
- Types of Jiu-Jitsu
