Tips to Get Better at Jiu Jitsu
Having a white belt wrapping around your waist means so much more than just being a beginner.
It also means that you have taken a step outside of your comfort zone to try something new. A learning curve. A new journey to push and learn more about yourself. A challenge in discipline, mindset and personal growth. Not many people out there can proudly say they have done all of these in the last 2-3 years.
The concepts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) can be quite confusing at first and frustrating to grasp, even if it is something as simple as a forward roll or hip escape. Sometimes, you might feel like everything you are learning doesn’t make sense and you can’t seem to be able to apply the techniques that you have learnt and you may feel start asking:
“How do I get better at Jiu Jitsu?“
1. Focus on the BASICS
Like every sport, a solid grasp of the fundamentals is essential to progressing further. Only when you understand the basics, then you can understand every drill and movement with intent.
Every good BJJ practitioner has to develop a strong foundation before they start improvising a technique in a way that is advantageous to their physical attributes.
A strong foundation includes the understanding and application of a certain position, techniques or escapes, this includes, but is not limited to:
Basic movement in warm-ups, such as
Forward and backward rolls
Hip escapes
Bear crawls
Frog jumps
Inchworms
Basic defence strategies like frames, distance creation
Hold position in full mount, side control, back control and guard
Escape from self-defence positions
2. Take your time. Drill slowly.
Succeeding in Jiu Jitsu takes time and resilience.
When drilling, it’s okay to take it slow. Remembering every little detail of a technique is a difficult task and we understand how overwhelming it can get.
Prof. Alex & Prof. Kalil always break down each technique as simple as possible for everyone to learn regardless of their level. If you have trouble recalling certain steps, don’t hesitate to ask your coach for help.
Rushing through a technique will only negatively impact your progress. When you are rushing through the drills of a new technique, chances are, you may miss a lot of important details.
Be patient with yourself, your progress and your journey.
3. Set your Jiu Jitsu Goals
Setting goals and breaking them down into smaller goals is a good way to help you progress in Jiu Jitsu in any aspect. It doesn’t have to be big goals but it should be big enough to become your drive to improve yourself.
We recommend writing it down and taking a look at your goals and objectives before training to help put you in the mindset to train with intent. This helps you navigate your training as you have clear goals on what to achieve on that day.
For example:
Step 1: Write down your BIG GOAL
I want to be able to land an armbar during a roll.
Step 2: Break down your goal into smaller goals
To land an armbar, I must work on my precision in executing it.
To improve my precision, I need to drill more.
To drill more, I will need more mat time.
Is there someone who would like to drill with me? How can I make it beneficial for them too?
Who can I reach out to for more information or tips on perfecting an armbar? Should I consider a private session?
Step 3: Set a timeframe and quantify your goal
By the end of the month, I want to land 3 armbars.
I need to drill at least 100 times a week to improve my precision, which is about 20 times a day.
I will attempt to pull an armbar at every roll.
Step 4: Tell someone about your goal so they can hold you
accountable and/or help you achieve your goals
Coach Alex & Kalil will be the best people for me to talk to so they can give me some tips. If they know that is what I’m working on, they will push me towards achieving my goals in a more effective way. I will also talk to a friend so that they know what I’m working on and I know who to celebrate with when I have reached my goals.
Step 5: CELEBRATE
Congratulations on reaching your goal! Celebrate it and thank the ones who have helped you get to where you are today. Take a photo or video and post it on social media!
Life’s too short. Celebrate every win!
Step 6: Set a new goal
Goal setting is the quickest way to improve your Jiu Jitsu. Having an end goal helps you focus more in class and roll actively whilst sparring.
If you need help with setting your Jiu Jitsu goals, feel free to reach out to Prof. Alex or Kalil. They’d be more than happy to help you out with this!
4. Ask questions
We love getting questions from our students! At Clube de Lutas, we want you walking off the mats feeling like you’ve learnt something new!
To learn actively is to start asking questions. When you ask questions, you start to explore the sport even further by understanding the reason behind every detail such as the type of grips, position, angle etc. Our coaches are always ready to answer any questions you may have regarding the technique of the day.
You’ll never know – somebody may have the same question in mind and unsure of how to ask!
5. Take your Jiu Jitsu to the Private Coaching
If you like to have a more tailored program and lessons, you can also opt for a private coaching class. This is a private one-on-one or one-on-two (if you’d like to bring a partner) class where you can fine-tune your Jiu Jitsu game further.
Private Coaching is a brilliant way to speed up your journey. Your coach will identify your strength and weaknesses and show you techniques that can take your Jiu Jitsu to the next level. This will also be the perfect time for you to ask more specific questions that you may have about certain techniques you would like to learn more about.
Private coaching doesn’t have to be a preparation for a competition, it could simply be just to explore your potential in Jiu Jitsu.
Getting better at Jiu Jitsu takes time. Our best tip for you is – be kind to yourself. We’ve gone through the same journey and sometimes it may feel like you haven’t gotten better as compared to your peers who you have started Jiu Jitsu with. Never forget to step back and reflect on how far you have come. Remember those days when you were having trouble doing a forward roll and now you can do it swiftly without hesitation?
Never compare yourself to others.
Everyone’s journey is different and so is yours.
The only person you should compare yourself to is the you from Day 1.
With time and resilience, you will one day develop a Jiu Jitsu game that is uniquely yours.