Jiu-jitsu is clearly an interesting art, but it also works on the intellect and takes the person’s efforts to a new dimension on a day-to-day basis. As the trainer first embarked on BJJ training, it was more than just a challenging task that required more dedication and concentration. The BJJ beginner will unlock the new feature while training.
How people turn out to be and whether they can dawn their white belt one day and the next day come in as experienced BJJ practitioners even surprise the individual.
Many professionals and competitors find it hard to cope with the status elevation, but there are some great tips for the BJJ white belts to bulk up on their ordnance for future battles.
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Becoming a BJJ white belt is challenging, and there is no black or white to go around it. That is why we bring you this compilation of 25 of the best BJJ white belt tips you have ever encountered.
In this well-defined collection, BJJ beginners will explore the various ways that will provide guidance in their jiu-jitsu journey. After all, there is a whole encyclopedia that beginners need to understand as they work on attaining the new skill set. This article will fetch you information that is engaging and useful at the same time.
General Tips for BJJ White Belts
Starting as a white belt in BJJ means you will learn the techniques on an everyday basis. Submissions are just the order of the day in fundamental BJJ.
It is critical to understand how to quit and how destructive it can be to quit so much in the early stages of your BJJ journey. Continuously disrupting your health will dampen your training because you will not be able to reap the wonderful benefits that come with training BJJ when nursing an injury. Tap early and often and get back to learning and evolving.
During the first few days as a white belt in BJJ, the experience could be rather disturbing in the initial days. You are going to notice that your back gets tapped out time and again.
You are one of many who face such issues. Everyone has personally experienced this. In order to sharpen the skill set, the beginner has to go through the difficulties. In the initial days, it is best to have some form of direction.
Thus, in this compilation of BJJ White Belt Tips, we will explore the critical information you must have to help you cope. Most of the students did not have much guidance during the starting session, so they faced sheer difficulties. So today, we want to talk about the things you wish you knew when there weren’t many instructions given.
If you apply the things in this particular list, it will definitely benefit your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
1. Set the Criteria
Even if a beginner of BJJ is training in some other martial arts, you need time. Try to fix the time and make a schedule. They should be set as per the requirements of the practitioner. As some of the practitioners are part of various martial arts, they can set the criteria for the training. They can set the priority to take maximum classes in a week. Or the practitioner might switch the days of the training sessions.
Adjustments can be made according to the coach's instructions. This will help the beginners be at the same level as their fellow practitioners and allow them to remain consistent throughout the practice session.
2. Consistency is the Key
The most important thing for people starting to train in BJJ is staying consistent with their training. For a newbie white belt, nothing beats consistency. Being thrown into a new environment is hard enough when everyone is trying hard to grasp the skill.
In BJJ, people are not just trying; they are improving and evolving. The practitioners implement the techniques that they have learned so far. It needs consistency and patience to overcome. Sometimes, most of the simplest grappling techniques seem very difficult, and the method full of effort will be executed with ease. It is dependent on how individuals grasp information.
So, the more consistent people are with their training, the faster they will progress towards the second rank of jiu-jitsu.
3. Change your Training Partner
While you are practicing jiu-jitsu, the white belt might face a tough time and want to stay with the same training partner with whom they are much more familiar and comfortable. It is quite suitable for them initially, but it would create difficulty after a time.
BJJ is about using angles and leverage, which allows fighters to submit opponents larger and massive in size. Therefore, it is recommended to change the training partner to one that differs in size, weight, and strength. This will prepare you to get to a higher rank in BJJ.
4. Enjoy the Training Session
It is quite obvious that beginners of every martial art face a tough time; this is because the trainee is learning new terms and methodologies. This advice applies to every practitioner, regardless of rank: They need to enjoy the BJJ practice session.
The trainee will need help if they think their every move will be accurate from the beginning. Have fun and enjoy the BJJ class. In a stressless environment, you will learn more accurately.
5. Get the Answers to Your Questions
Fighters often feel uncomfortable asking questions if they do not understand specific techniques. The BJJ method requires working on minute details. For that purpose, the BJJ practitioner needs to ask about every detail related to the specific technique.
Remember, feel free to ask for information you need help understanding.
6. Jiu-Jitsu is not an art of Strength
While practicing martial arts, most people think that the strength of the practitioner matters the most. This concept did not work in BJJ. On the contrary, the fighter uses leverage and works on the angles; this helps to submit the grappler that is larger in size or weight. That is why Brazilian jiu-jitsu is considered a gentle art.
7. Incorporate the Drilling Exercises
The incorporation of the drilling exercises creates a significant difference. In addition, it will help to get:
In proper shape
Increase in mobility
Enhanced flexibility
On the other hand, if there is a practitioner who is solely practicing jiu-jitsu, it will require more time to get in content with the technique and method of BJJ.
8. Focus on the BJJ Practitioners
BJJ beginners spend time practicing the techniques of sweeps and takedowns after understanding the method. Most things can be easily mastered just by focusing on the moves and methods of the practitioners.
It will allow you to appear better on the mat, and you will be able to enhance your mental focus and physical endurance
9. You Can Make Mistakes
Any person begins to learn a new art, and it requires time and practice. This ultimately means that the BJJ practitioner might make mistakes, and that is considered completely okay. There is no disgrace and no guilt in making mistakes while applying the submission.
10. Trust your Instructor
Learning is a complete process that requires complete focus and determination. The practitioner needs to understand the concept to go through the takedowns, sweeps, and guards. These things will not become part of your memory at once, but as you follow your BJJ instructor, you will understand the process side by side.
11. Stay Focused
One thing is to comprehend the information, and the other crucial part is to get the techniques. When you are demonstrating certain techniques on the mat, make sure to concentrate on the moves. It is a very important step, as most fighters get distracted on the mat. If you focus on the execution method, then it will be easier for you to perform.
12. Focus on the Core Principles
As you step in to begin the training of BJJ, you will notice that there are minor details on which you are required to work. Every sport is basically based on the fundamental rules and the core principles that are applicable to everyone. In jiu-jitsu, there are specific particular rules on which the young contender needs to work, which are:
Takedowns
Shrimping
Sweeps
Guard Passing
Escapes
Bridging
13. Focus on Learning the Escapes
In every martial art, the fighter needs to pay more attention to himself for the defense. If the practitioner is not focused, then there will be the possibility that they will easily get submitted.
There are two main conditions: offensive and defensive modes. Sometimes, the fighter needs to protect themselves from an attack; on the other hand, they need to be in the attacking mode.
For that purpose, the practitioner needs to learn the proper method of escape so that they will stay in the game.
14. Pay Attention to the Leading BJJ Practitioners
In the jiu-jitsu class, you will learn that there are some brilliant practitioners in the training center who can easily perform over the mat. They might have faced the same scenario as the white belts, but the point of concern is to pay special attention while they are executing the various techniques.
The observation approach is really good, and it has helped many learners reach the higher ranks of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
15. Tapping Out the Opponent
The core purpose of the BJJ practitioner is to get the tap of a fellow fighter. This is not an easy task; additionally, it will require a lot of practice. As you are learning and in the initial stage of the practice, there is no need to get the tap each and every time.
Remember, the core purpose is to learn from your mistakes. Winning and losing is part of the game. However, the fighters who stay in the game are those who have worked to correct their errors.
16. Compete at the Level of Excellence
Most BJJ practitioners face the difficulty of putting in a lot of effort, but the outcome is ultimately the opposite. They might feel down and lose their attention.
Note that hard times are a part of life; the core factor is to focus on the improvements. The hard work will definitely pay off. Stay focused on working on the techniques and grappling methods. Keep a check on increasing the level of excellence.
17. Work on the Execution of Attacks
If a practitioner is working on a particular takedown, such as a single-leg or double-leg takedown, the BJJ practitioners will find out that they have understood the method more effectively through practice or by implementing the same move multiple times.
Consequently, they will find out that they are getting perfect in the takedowns, sweeps and submissions.
18. With time the Pace will Increase
Winning the title or tapping out the opponent is not the particular target; the practitioner must focus on the technique they have learned. With consistent practice, the fighter needs to learn the specific technique and incorporate it into the new guard position.
You will notice that you have increased the pace and will be able to execute the specific method in relatively less time.
19. Set the Goals to Meet the Targets
In order to move forward, the fighter needs to improve his ability to set targets. That could mean finding errors and working on them to become more certain. Improving the methods with regular practice is also important. If a practitioner does not list the goals, then it will be difficult for him to reach a higher rank in less time.
20. Keep a Check on Your Weight
Before getting into the jiu-jitsu practice, ensure you have checked your weight. It matters that the training sessions require a lot of physical effort, which results in putting down weight.
21. Leave your Ego
Try to remain open. Appreciate the BJJ art, appreciate the fighting techniques of your opponents, and enlighten yourself in the process. Practice what your instructor has orated, be patient, and you will not only learn new techniques.
But, most importantly, you will learn about yourself that much more. More importantly, you will learn the techniques of learning jiu-jitsu step by step.
22. It's Completely Okay to Tapout
Understand that when a submission appears, and the opponent’s hand is raised to get a tap from you, it is not a defeat. It’s a part of training. It is the BJJ practitioner who loses after tapping out during sparring, and you should express appreciation to your partners who could submit you because they just really helped you. It is quite local in the figurative sense as well, and it has been difficult for me to understand this. The more time is allowed, the faster you will progress.
23. Set a Schedule for Training
Training at a set schedule will make sure that you are under the mat constantly, which means you are rolling, practicing, and acquiring new skills from your instructor, as well as gaining some mat time.
It is impossible to train five days in one week and then only one day the following week. That is impractical, will break the flow of focused learning, and may even cause some injuries. Decide on how many times you would comfortably train in a week and then work on it.
24. Strength and Conditioning Are Essential
Though BJJ is indeed a good workout, that is not adequate. You should attempt to go a step further by trying to enhance your strength and conditioning on a regular basis as well. This may assist in injury prevention and make participation on the mats more enjoyable as you will have the chance to be more aggressive.
25. Remain Calm and Remember to Inhale
In the beginning, when you put on a white belt, it won’t be easy because you will face a hard time. At times you will have to endure strenuous positions such as bottom mount.
This is a point where most practitioners will want to panic at, and buck wildly trying to throw their opponent off. Keep this in check and try to keep calm, take a deep breath and recall your escapes instead of trying to throw the opponent off.
Part of being calm against panic while rolling is also to make efforts to avoid holding one’s breath. Doing so enhances one’s recovery during the roll and also in the attempts of different techniques.
Final Words
The one thing that many need to grasp is that given the length of time people stay at any one belt level in BJJ, you cannot really consider the same things apply to everybody in a rank.
While this may sound a bit steep, we do keep saying that the experience gap between someone about to be promoted and someone brand new might as well be the gap between a white and a black belt; we seem to forget about it immediately when it comes to advising people of a certain rank.
Firstly, it is the instructors' job to teach BJJ beginners. However, every white belt will receive information in a completely different manner. Those who have been training for years and those who are brand new shouldn't even be in the same training group, provided that is a possibility.
A "seasoned" white belt's mind works a lot differently than that of a BJJ newbie. The focus is still on survival, but the picture is a lot clearer of what's going on. On the other side, a grappler with a few months of experience will still be lost in the complexity and require different guidelines.
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