Walking into a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school for the first time can feel like blindly heading into a storm that you are terribly unprepared for and the undisputed truth is, you aren’t. You know nothing, you are an empty vessel, a blank canvas, you can’t hide your inexperience in this environment, if this bugs you, change your attitude or you will not endure the first few years of training. Take a moment to embrace the opportunity, it isn't every day that you are completely out of your element and standing at the beginning of a treacherous learning curve with trepidation and hopefully… excitement. It takes courage to begin a combat sport that is as technically demanding as Jiu Jitsu; be proud of taking the first step. With the right attitude and a supportive community of team members, what will now feel like an insurmountable obstacle can be conquered in time. Included in this post are essential tips that will help foster a positive mindset for individuals who are starting their Jiu Jitsu journey so success can be achieved, anxiety eased, and enjoyment maximized.
1. Jiu Jitsu is a Game Until You Turn It Into a Fight
Outside of learning the technical ins and outs of survival in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you will need to master your physiological fight, flight, or freeze response. The amount of cognitive learning you will need to process in Jiu Jitsu is massive and it is incredibly difficult to adequately learn anything if your biological systems are operating at critical mass. Be patient and learn how to control your breathing; relax while grappling because holding your breath and/or panicking will lead to the body and brain not operating at peak efficiency. Even more importantly, try to maintain a humble attitude and be eager to tap; let go of unhelpful expectations regarding performance (tapping training partners, toughing it out in dangerous situations, not wanting to lose to specific students in the school, etc.) as these expectations will do nothing but hamper your progress. Believe it or not, tapping out when you feel any pain, danger or confusion is the superpower of the white belt; there are no expectations as a beginner, enjoy this time as it will be gone one day. Try to keep in mind that experienced members will often mirror the tempo that you set, do not set a pace that will lead to injury or complete exhaustion during class; this can be a hard lesson to learn the more stubborn someone is about “winning”. The process of learning should not feel like a street fight class after class but if it does take time to evaluate how you train in class, chances are you are not training to learn and improve, you are training to win and not submit. Focus on being humble and improving technique at the beginning of your journey so you do not have to play technical catch up years later to teammates who took this advice at the beginning of their journey. Athleticism and stubbornness will only take you so far; learn to master the art of staying calm and managing unhelpful expectations; you will be more technically sound and less injured as a result.
“There is no losing in Jiu Jitsu; you either win or you learn.”
Carlos Gracie Sr.
2. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency
One of the most important habits you can adopt when you begin Jiu Jitsu is one of consistent training. Building a stable routine that will enable adequate practice time is a key to success in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. An irregular schedule will lead to prolonged hardship as intermittent practice will not produce sustained technical development and lead to a great deal of frustration. As a teacher, it can be depressing to watch enthusiastic new white belts eventually fall into the prolonged torture of inconsistent training. Do not be a white belt who cannot commit to a consistent schedule as your progress will continually lag behind others who started at similar times; sporadic routines will significantly lockdown any consistent gains. Build a routine that works for your lifestyle and be sure to attend Jiu Jitsu class at least three times a week to allow for a good rate of technical growth over a longer period of time. Three sessions a week will allow for time to reflect on practice and also rest the body as the first year of training Jiu Jitsu can be notoriously demanding and it is important to respect your own limits during this time. A routine of personal reflection when away from the mats can also help solidify concepts covered in class; new and experienced grapplers alike will keep journals, create graphs, think about lessons on their commute, and study technique on their own time. Jiu Jitsu will not be mastered quickly so plan accordingly and give yourself the opportunity to succeed by sticking to an organized schedule or risk dissatisfaction and eventual burnout. Time on the mat is the most significant and controllable measure of improvement and the equation is shockingly simple: if you spend time on the mat, you will improve and if you don’t you will stagnate; the choice is yours.
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.”
Ryan Blair
3. Stay Cool Under Pressure
Time and time again I witness rambunctious rookie grapplers willing to exhaust one hundred percent of their energy to get out of pins or submissions within the first minute of a five minute round. Practicing how to remain calm under pressure is a valuable skill that will ensure you become an efficient grappler in the near future. The goal of learning Jiu Jitsu is to remain coherent and problem solve when placed in uncomfortable positions NOT to explode out of all dire situations by using every ounce of available athleticism. It is important to consider that erratic athletic movements and chaotic spazzing while training won’t win over many new friends as other students will see you as a liability to their own learning. Remember that the first lesson of self defence is to learn to control your ego because if you do not manage unhelpful expectations you will eventually injure yourself or someone else; it is critical to think before you move your body. Additionally, the ability to stay cool under pressure is incredibly valuable when you are dealing with multi-faceted offensive attacks and/or suffocating pin positions as you will be better prepared to defend, think, and counter the situation calmly. Being mindful of your energy output will also put you in tune with your internal “gas meter” as you begin to evaluate and understand your physiological limits while sparring so at some point in the future you will be able to operate on cruise control. Staying calm in difficult circumstances will help your Jiu Jitsu but it will also assist in life outside of the academy. How many times have you had an event outside of your control ruin your mood and force a misguided decision or negative behaviour? Probably more than once. Stay calm when things don’t go your way and this will inevitably lead to better decision making and management of frustration in the future. Learn to enjoy being squished, embrace the rigors of training with smoothness, and put a razor sharp focus on learning the intricacies of the sport before relying on athleticism (strength, speed, explosiveness, flexibility).
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
Epictetus
4. Without Struggle There is No Progress
You can’t avoid it. Wanting to be in better shape as a result of training Jiu Jitsu will always come packaged with an immense amount of physical and cognitive struggle. Yes, you will be tired, you will at times feel sick, you will want to give up, you will have to deal with injuries, you will leave the academy feeling frustrated and beat down; it is impossible to avoid suffering in the pursuit of being a better version of yourself. Experiencing these uncomfortable sensations in the pursuit of self-improvement will be well worth the effort but you will need to cultivate a mindset of positivity and perseverance. When you are struggling and feeling unmotivated, reach out to veteran members at your school and ask them questions about their own journeys. I am confident that these individuals will be happy to share their stories and they will be astonishingly relatable to your own. That ultra technical and tough brown belt you admire also started as an awkward and uncoordinated white belt. It will provide comfort knowing that no one progresses in this sport without looking foolish and all practitioners have faced difficult but surmountable internal battles as they walked the difficult path to where they are now on the mats. Remember: you are not alone, new people begin Jiu Jitsu every day and a good school will seek to protect, support, and educate white belts so they will one day become excellent training partners. Avoid teams who treat new enrolments like nuisances, dead weight, or “fresh meat” to be pulverized.
“Genius is 1% talent and 99% hard work.”
Albert Einstein
5. It Takes a Village… To Build a Jiu Jitsu Technician
One of the best things to ever happen in my own Jiu Jitsu journey was being part of friendly rivalries when I began training. Competing with training partners at the academy gave me motivation to spend time at the club and not miss class as I did not want to give up strategic advantages in the early days of my training when I had many technical gaps to fill. My Jiu Jitsu community kept me honest with my training schedule, encouraged me to push forward when times were tough, shared technical advice whenI needed it most, prepared me for competition, and I was also routinely humbled by them on the mat during rolling sessions. These social connections pushed me to be my best because we all knew each other’s games well and I had to put in my best effort as well as partake in a lot of extra-curricular study to keep regular training partners on their toes. Friendships built on the mats are ones forged with blood, sweat, and tears; there is a reason why grapplers become “fast friends”: a mutual respect and appreciation of the hardships of training. Your grappling community will be in your corner at tournaments, keep you company at Jiu Jitsu related functions, be a sounding board for technical discussion, and raz you just enough to keep the ego in check and firmly grounded on planet Earth. Be sure to take adequate time finding an academy that offers a welcoming community that is happy to have you be a part of it. A solid band of Jiu Jitsu friends will be the ones to pull you out of bad days, sharpen your skills as you help them sharpen their own, and lastly but most importantly, become lifelong pals on and off the tatami; this truly is one of the most rewarding aspects of training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
“If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.”
Confucius
Until next time, stay cool, be kind, and keep rolling.
Benjamin Kool is a content creator and the head instructor/owner of Authentic Jiu Jitsu in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Before founding Authentic Jiu Jitsu Calgary, Ben worked in Alberta as a school teacher and is an alumni of the University of Calgary (B.A. European History, B.Ed. Master of Teaching Program).
Website: www.authenticjiujitsu.com
Twitter: @authenticbjj
Instagram/FB: @authenticjiujitsu
YouTube Channel: Authentic Jiu Jitsu (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_PRH3dHxnIWkbshPUuXKQ)
