In-Depth Guide - Basic Concepts of BJJ

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is not just a martial art; it is a complete philosophy that teaches the code of life. Through its profound principles, practitioners learn humility, command, strength, and perseverance. Fighters focus on the principle of leverage.

BJJ is a philosophy based on the 80/20 ratio. Practitioners spend more time training, increasing the fighter's effectiveness on the mat.

The art of jiu-jitsu is based on concepts and comprehensibility. In addition, BJJ is suitable for every age group. It emphasizes the techniques of the weaker practitioners so that they can defend themselves against the stronger contenders. 

The art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is based on the principle of dominance; this combat art is based on the hand-to-hand theory. The grappling sport has a predefined positional hierarchy, which increases the effectiveness of the submission method.

In this article, we will explore the basic concepts of BJJ that will enhance the effectiveness of the BJJ practitioner. We will go through the do’s and don’ts of getting control, escaping from submission, and learning about the dominant positions of jiu-jitsu. 

In BJJ, elbow placement plays a significant role; the correct position of the elbows and arm will help you avoid getting pinned.

• Keep your elbow close to the torso.
• It will help you to stay in the dominant position.
• You will not get pinned by the opponent.
• If you leave a space between the ribs and the arms, your opponent will apply the submission method.
• You can take control over the opponent with its isolated arms and elbows. 

The concept of attacking and defending changes the entire approach of the practitioner. Follow the tips down below to understand the effectiveness of the method:

• Attacking is the position that requires proper attention; the fighter needs to keep no space in between.
• If there is a visible space, it will maximize the chances of escape.
• The fighter must change the position according to the opponent's movement.
• Once you are in the dominant position, keep less space in between.
• In the same way, when the fighter is in the defending position, he needs to maintain a proper distance from the opponent.
• Move the body away from the opponent.
• Change the side; that should be the opponent's invert.
• Remember, defending requires a lot of space, while attacking requires less or no space.

The proper symmetry of the body plays a significant part; if your body is not properly aligned, it will be tough to stay in a game.

• The first step is to determine whether you are in an aligned position.
• If not, re-align yourself by keeping your body in a symmetrical position.
• Maintain the proper weight in the body.
• The jiu-jitsu is dependent based on misaligning your opponent. This is possible when you are in the correct symmetrical position.
• A misaligned body can not function properly.
• So, the BJJ fighter focuses on targeting the opponent in a way that will misalign their functioning.
• While staying aligned, you need to move your opponent to misalign their body so that you can implement the submission method.

“Position before submission” is the basic ruleset that increases the effectiveness of the BJJ practitioner. In this way, you can master the jiu-jitsu approach to execute the techniques effectively.

• A practitioner can only stay in the dominant position sometimes.
• The combat sport of BJJ is dependent on accurate body positioning.
• You need to change the position according to the body position of the opposer.
• Accuracy and precision are the two critical factors in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
• Find out and recognize the strong and weak points of the opponent.
• Stay aware of their next move. 

The lower body plays a vital role in executing the submission methods.

• Keep your legs and feet in a way that helps you determine the leg’s position of the opponent.
• Break the opponent's connection with the ground so that they can put less pressure on you.
• Keep your concentration to resist the movement of the opponent.
• The leg or knee hook can be applied to submit the fellow fighter.
• The lower body plays a significant role in sweeping the opponent.
• It helps to break the grip of the opponent.
• You can change your position with the movement of the legs. 

In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, grips are considered one of the most critical factors that help execute the submission method. Here are some of the tips that will indeed work for you:

• The practitioner can keep a firm grip by holding the thumb close to the fingers.
• Keep your core close to the fingers of the opponent; this step will restrict their movement.
• This point is an advantage for the fighter, as the opponent will have fewer opportunities to escape.
• Secure the grip and keep the opponent’s hand away from your side.
• If the opponent is holding you tight, use the twisting strategy; twist their wrist to escape.

The art of BJJ is the ground sport; in this way, the ground plays a significant role in executing the grappling methods, taking certain positions, or applying the submission method.

Whether at the top or bottom position, the critical point is to maintain the balance with the help of the ground force.

• The practitioner needs to keep the base strong by maintaining the balance on the ground.
• Keeping a strong connection with the ground helps execute the BJJ techniques.
• When you are at the top position, try to maintain the weight by tilting your body to the ground; this will help your mobility.
• Wherever you find yourself losing your balance, maintain it with your legs, hands, arms, or even your head.
• Knees or feet also play a significant part in taking the dominant position.

For the novice, escaping is the most important point to learn. It is a comparatively complex task that requires proper execution. Offense and defense go side by side.

• Escape is considered the foundation of grappling.
• Once you get pinned in a position, use the techniques to get out of it.
• It requires a lot of practice.
• Put your core attention to the placement of the body.
• Practice the titling and sweeps.
• You are in the defensive position when you get pinned in a place.

• The Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the ground art designed to take the opponent to the ground fighting.
• It requires the practice of the sweeps and throws.
• Several takedown methods are used in BJJ.
• Some include foot sweep, double leg, ankle pick, body lock, and arm drag.
• The simplest method distinguishes the art of jiu-jitsu from the other martial arts disciplines.
• If you are proficient in takedowns, you can defend very quickly.
• Takedowns give you maximum opportunities to stay in the game.

The Brazilian arts of jiu-jitsu are known for their techniques rather than their strength. That is why the practitioner has the advantage of pinning and submitting a bigger and stronger opponent.

• You need to work on the movement of the body.
• Train yourself to do the sweeps.
• The lower body movement is the core component of BJJ.
• The proper execution of the techniques can help you to take over the bigger and stronger opponent.
• The beginner should focus on taking the back and bottom control techniques and practice the mount and side position. 

The BJJ practitioner needs to learn all of the submission methods and become proficient in one process. This means that you need to sharpen your submission techniques through continuous learning and practice and focus on your favorite move. 

• Become smart in your one move to tap out your opponent.
• Use your strength by working on the submission method.
• The art of BJJ requires practice.
• Practice is the best instructor until you apply the proper submission method.
• It will allow you to submit the massive opponent.

• You must apply a different strategy for every grappler.
• There must be a variation in the styles and methods of execution.
• Choose your style according to the opponent you are facing.
• Identify and work on the guard passing method.
• Work on the speed passing or guard passing technique.
• Smaller grappler uses the speed-passing method.
• While the massive fighters work on the pressure-passing style.

• Beginners need to focus on learning new methods and executing techniques.
• Stay concise and consistent.
• You might find a difficult method easier; it depends on the practitioner and its competency.
• The sport of BJJ is not dependent on perfectionism but on who stays in the game until the end.

Several BJJ contenders started their careers late, but they have achieved a distinguished place, including Mark Hunt and Yoel Romero.

If the practitioner does not maintain the proper weight, he will have difficulty getting the opponent to tap.

• Putting alot of weight on one side of the body.
• The BJJ fighter is standing stiff.
• If you are in the dominant position, keep all the weight on the lower body.
• Keeping the weight on the knees makes it difficult to execute the methods properly.
• Keeping the legs wide apart increases the difficulty of rolling over. 

Following are the causes that misalign your body:

• When you are bending or twisting in some direction.
• Not focusing on realigning your body.
• If the body is not aligned correctly, it will increase the number of people stuck in the submission.
• Keeping your body bent.
• Not tilting the body according to the motion of your body.
• Not keeping the balance of the body.

• Not staying aware when you are on the mat.
• Not focusing on the moves of the opponent.
• You can not apply the proper submission method without giving adequate attention.

• Stay relaxed and concentrate on the moves.
• No one is perfect from the beginning, but you will learn the moves with time.
• Use the technique of deep breathing.

• Beginners consider warmups not essential and skip the session.
• Stay punctual to attend the warm-up session.
• Do the warmup at the start and the end of the jiu-jitsu training.

• You need to track your progress.
• Check out your improvements and set your target.
• Don’t think yourself superior.
• Don’t judge any practitioner based on their size and weight.

• The novice considers it to be disrespectful to use the tap.
• You can also tap on the mat if needed.
• Always try to use the best techniques; this can be done when you practice more.
• Don’t be afraid to go for a tap.

• Most of the newbies focus on one move.
• They need to concentrate on the strategies of the partner.
• Go for another move if one technique does not work.

• The art of BJJ is not about hurting someone,
• It is about taking control over fellow fighters.
• You can take control of the leverage.

• The art of jiu-jitsu is based on ground fighting, you need to focus on cleanliness.
• You must stay in contact with the practitioner, which requires proper hygiene.
• Wash your Gi after the training session.
• Do not take shoes on the mat.

The heavyweight grapplers use the position of side control . The fighter takes control over the torso by applying pressure from the side. In this way, you can pin them in place and apply the submission method of your choice.

Fighters can apply the choke with their hands; their legs are used to restrict lower body movement. 

Guard is the position where the fighter can use the body to protect against submissions. This position is crucial for controlling the opponent. You can restrict the movements of the arms, hands, and legs.

It is the most favorable position to implement the sweeps, and it also helps in the escape. There are two types of guards:

• Open guard
• Close guard

The full mount is considered the most dominant position. In this case, the practitioner is at the top of the opponent. In addition, this position allows the fighter to apply any of the submission methods.

Once you get to the top position, you can control the upper body as well as the lower body of the opponent. You can take control of the torso and control the movement of the hands and legs. 

It is a significant position to deal with the spazzy practitioners, you need to place the knee over the torso and the pressure is maintained with the other leg on the ground.

• It is used to pin the opponent in place.
• It is similar to the mount position.
• It is used to restrict the movement of the fighter.

The turtle position is used in the defensive mode when a fighter fears being controlled from the back. At that point, the fighter must act like a turtle and keep the head, arms, and legs stiff. The turtle stiffs at the spot when it is stuck in a certain position; the BJJ practitioner is required to do the same which is why it is known as the turtle position.