9 Tips for beginners to improve in Brazilian jiu-jitsu

The beginning of any new sport can be overwhelming. Walking in into your first Brazilian jiu-jitsu class seeing all the upper belts analyzing you, like animals before a hunt, let alone feeling like the warm-up itself can be a full workout. As a black belt with over a decade of experience in martial arts, these are the most popular tips an expert can give to those who are just starting in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If this is where you are in your BJJ training, then dig in. adapting these tips and mindset below will surely make a massive difference in your learning curve as well as adjustment to the craft.

1. Keep it simple: Keep things easy and simple from the start and approach learning each new position and move with a mindset of getting a basic understanding of it. Never get overwhelmed early on, keep things basic, and try to know the steps to a method before moving forward.
2. Don’t afraid to ask questions; if there is something you do not understand, do not be scared to ask immediately. If you don’t feel comfortable asking in front of the class, ask your coach while you drill, or if you drill with an upper belt, you can ask him as well.  
3. Keep a journal and record the techniques: especially, in the beginning, it will enable you to keep the technique fresh in your mind and if you can, come early to class and drill it before the next lesson or training.
4. Keep in mind; even every champion has gone in this part of the process. A journey to a thousand chokes starts with submitting your ego.
5. This brings you to keep your ego in check. Be aware of not harming or injuring your partner. If you don’t pay attention to this recommendation, sooner or later, nobody will want to train with yours. So, if you don’t want to be in this situation, keep your ego check.
6. If you can, try to add some endurance and strength training. You do not need to aim at becoming a long-distance runner or a powerlifter, get additional training in this part; it will assist getting in shape and helps prevents injuries. I’m using the programs of electrum performance. They have a great source of strength training made for Brazilian jiu-jitsu. You can check them out at https://electrumperformance.com/. Use my code “ALROY25” to get 25% discounts on all programs!
7. Don’t neglect the warm-up! (even if you see other people doing so) If you can, you can even arrive to class early, warm-up and do some stretching.it will help you train better, be more focused on training, and will help you prevent injuries.
8. Never be afraid to try something new while sparring: Even if fail, it is fine. This is how you learn. Once you don’t take any chances, then you will never grow. Try some new moved which you practiced and then ask if it does not work. What I did wrong? Was it due to timing? This is your chance to learn, therefore, take it.
9. Never get your pride gets the most of you during practice: If you’re in a position where you can get hurt, never hesitate to tap. It is only practice. You’re helping yourself, not to mention your teammates. It is a different story if you are competing, but there is no reason not to tap during your practice.

There you have it, even though this list contains more concepts to keep in mind, which all can put into practice, adopting this mindset will help you improve your learning curve and will make a huge difference in your development as a BJJ athlete.