7 Common Mistakes Everyone Makes In BJJ

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most demanding sports around the world. However, a lot of people face difficulties when starting it. Despite our knowledge or talent in BJJ, we are liable to make mistakes repeatedly. In this respect, seven of the most common ones are listed below:

One of the most common mistakes that specifically beginners make in BJJ is giving away their position. It happens when you get frustrated from time to time. However, this leaves a huge psychological effect on you as you may give up an arm or your neck in panic and get submitted.

Basically, this game is about maintaining your dominance over your competitors. At any point you lose dominance, you can lose the game. This is why experts always recommend beginners to attain the top position. Do not give up the dominance or advantage that you have over your opponent. 

But don’t worry, as this is something that gradually becomes less frustrating when you roll for a substantial period.

Too much aggression is also a common mistake that many of us make in Jiu-Jitsu. When we’re too aggressive, we do not change the flow of our attacks and game plans. This makes it easy for opponents to predict our techniques and counter them with ease most of the time.

To avoid this, you should have all of your tools and techniques prepared that are to be used with a game plan. Instead of acting on instinct and giving yourself away, keep all of your tool’s secret so that your opponent is taken by surprise.

A lot of beginners and even experts make the mistake of using failed submissions repeatedly. For example, if one of your techniques is not working well and the opponent is easily reading it, let it go and try for another submission or position if need be.

Many times, people do not know the ineffectiveness of their chokes, so they try holding it and apply more pressure for a little longer. But since your opponent hasn’t submitted, holding on to it is the real mistake.

The opponent can easily take time to deposition you. The better way is to let failed submissions go, try for a better and unexpected move that can help you stay on top, and make a successful submission.

Posturing is one of the key aspects of this sport. Having a firm posture is key to rolling successfully. Positions like close guard or at the start of a fight, perfect standing posture are vital. Hunching the body forward or backward is the most common mistake that people make mostly because they lack cardio endurance.

Having a good posture during the fight not only prevents you from getting unbalanced but also keeps you from being swept and submitted. Experts suggest keeping toes bent and stuck in the mats along with insteps lying on the floor. This will surely help you avoid being pushed with ease.

Though a lot of experts recommend competing to learn, it does not mean you should go all out during training. A lot of beginners take things too far when they can’t control their output. Gym mats are only for training purposes where you may lose, tap, and learn. Losing again and again on your training mats can make you a better fighter.

However, trying to win in training can result in limiting your game and learning opportunities. Always winning will make you restricted to doing things that you are already good at, but you may miss out on other things that can help in beating tougher and better opponents.

So, keep your competitive spirit away from your training so you can learn as much as possible and apply it for better results.

Another major mistake that a lot of beginners make during their fights is looking at their collars while being choked, especially from the rear, by their opponents. When they are attacked with a choke like the Rear Naked Choke, to counter, they put their chin on the chest but they start looking at their collars.

You do not have to do so. You just have to look at the elbow of your opponent to pull their shoulder and arm to relieve the pressure and rotate the hips on the right side to escape. Going this way will not only help you save your energy but will also help you get more room for your moves.

Healthy eating is one of the essential aspects of human life apart from BJJ training and competition. However, in BJJ a lot of beginners ignore the importance of diet and only focus on their training schedules, which is another newbie mistake.

A healthy diet provides you the energy to train like a well-rounded athlete. Training like an athlete but ignoring your diet will not help you get on the top of your game.

If you’re worried about burning calories, your rolls will do that for you. So, eat well before and after training to ensure that you have the required energy and make up for the expenditure.

However, you must be following the dietary plan provided by your trainer. Also, make sure not to go for training hungry or when you’re too full. Experts also suggest that you should not use any supplements without medical advice.

Avoiding these common mistakes in your BJJ training can help you be a better fighter. Making mistakes also provides you the opportunity to learn new things. You should be learning from them instead of repeating them to be perfect at your game.

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