Top 5 White Belt Jiu Jitsu Mistakes
5 Mistakes BJJ Beginners Don’t Realize They Are Making
There is always an area of improvement for a jiu jitsu student, regardless of the belt level. BJJ is fun, and there’s always so much to learn, experience and discover.
However, as a beginner jiu jitsu student, you need to be careful of these mistakes:
Trying too hard
A lot of BJJ students usually attempt to overcompensate for their lack of technical skills by exerting themselves too much physically. Usually referred to as “spazzing,” this term basically refers to new jiu jitsu students who do the most during training without making use of the proper jiu jitsu technique, often to the disadvantage of their training partners. If you’re new to jiu jitsu, you don’t have to beat your more experienced training partner with effort and "crazy" strength. Just learn from them and try to apply the correct jiu jitsu technique that you’re taught.
Learn to avoid these costly mistakes with a solid fundamentals of jiu jitsu game.
Weight too far forward or back
It is essential that you maintain a proper center of gravity in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. However, a lot of grappling beginners either lean too forward or too for backwards when they train, thereby leading to various negative consequences.
For instance, when you’re standing over a seated opponent (guard), you can be thrown if you lean too far forward, and you can get swept if you lean too much in the opposite direction. Just remember that there are a few situations in jiu jitsu where you need to either lean too far forward or backward. A solid grappling base is what you need.
Taking things to seriously
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an effective martial art for self defense, sport, MMA and lifestyle... and it is definitely to be taken seriously. However, you should also remember not to take your BJJ development too seriously. It’s a hobby after all, and hobbies are supposed to be fun approach your training with a cheerful attitude, no ego, and an open mind. You can be playful, and you’ll enjoy one while you improve quicker.
Overextending the arms
It is almost always a bad idea to do this in BJJ. There are various reasons why.
First, when the arms are extended away from the body, they weaken. The closer you can keep your arms to the body, they stronger they become. Yu can demonstrate this principle with dumbells.
Another reason why you should keep your arms close is the threat of an armbar. An experienced BJJ fighter will love when you-the inexperienced one- extends your arms, as it provides various opportunities for an armbar.
To wit unless you have to extend your arms for a technique, keep them close to your body.
Bench pressing out of mount
This mistake is actually related to the one above as it also involves an overextension o the arms. When stuck in full mount, it is natural for you to want to bench press your opponent off you. A lot of experienced BJJ students would have made this mistake in the past.
As a matter of fact, it is one of the reasons why BJJ is so effective. It anticipates and takes advantage of natural human reactions to certain situations. It is poor technique to try bench pressing an experienced BJJ student off you, and it can lead to an armbar.
Did you know that the top Jiu Jitsu fighters in the world actually have the best understanding of the fundaments of jiu jitsu?
Bernardo Faria is a 5x Black Belt World Champion, and is considered by many the master of fundamentals. He has an easy to learn jiu jitsu system that will help you develop a strong foundation.
The fundamentals are the most important part of Jiu Jitsu, basics are what wins jiu jitsu matches. His DVD instructional video series is the perfect instructional set for anybody of any age, rank, athletic level, and fitness level
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