How do I survive my first month of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Mijn eerste BJJ les ben ik nooit vergeten. Geen idee hoe ik moest vallen of hoe ik een koprol moest maken en geen flauw benul van hoe ik mijzelf moest verdedigen als het gevecht richting de grond ging. Verder had ik geen realistisch beeld wat iemand nou kon aanrichten als die je onder controle heeft.
Dear (future) white bander.
Here's what to expect in your first month of BJJ. Here some tips on how to get through this period well.
Injuries
I don't want to scare you, but you will get injured in Brazilian JiuJitsu.
At first, this will mainly consist of bruises, scrapes and pain in your ribs.
Injuries are part of every sport. Hit hard serve balls you have a tennis elbow to contend with. A wrong turn while playing soccer and there goes your cruciate ligament. Be aware of this and prevent the most common injuries in BJJ with these tips!
You can prevent many injuries by learning how to fall safely and by tapping out early. After a few months of "rolling" (sparring in BJJ jargon), you will learn your limits. And your injuries will be drastically reduced.
A handy tip: do mobility exercises daily and make this a habit. On our YouTube channel Jiujitsu Amersfoort I have filmed a nice routine for you.
Study the basic positions
BJJ is more complex than you think.
Voor elke basis positie, zijn er tientallen manieren om op een andere positie terecht te komen. Dan heb je meerdere manieren om een submissie te krijgen. Sommige posities zijn beter dan andere, het kan lastig zijn om te weten waar je moet beginnen.
Below are the basic positions that will give you a good idea.
These positions are the building blocks within Brazilian Jiujitsu.
Bouwstenen van het BJJ
Submissies die je tegenkomt in het Braziliaans Jiujitsu
Keeping a logbook
Je zult flink wat technieken leren in je eerste maand.
Sommige technieken pik je wat sneller op dan anderen.
Er komt best veel op je af het is tenslotte ook veel informatie wat je moet verwerken. Uiteraard zul je er een paar vergeten waar je meer moeite mee hebt.
Je kunt dit minimaliseren door de technieken in je logboek op te schrijven.
Voor elke techniek kun je de basis stappen noteren.
Een techniek die ik al jaren succesvol toepas is visualisatie training. Hier moet je de nodige research voor doen en eventueel een coach vinden die je hierbij kan helpen. Dit kan je BJJ ontwikkeling een enorme boost geven.
BJJ is a study
Brazilian Jiujitsu is a lifelong study. After a few weeks you have a small idea of what is possible. You roll every class, of course you're going to tap out often. This is just part of the process that no one can escape!
Of course, it gets really fun when you make someone tap out using techniques you learned in classes. (Matt etiquette: don't advertise this)
This makes you feel like you can do it too. That often tastes like more.
You can learn a lot about Brazilian Jiujitsu even when you are not on the mat.
In another blog, I listed for you a top 10 books that can contribute to your BJJ development.
Invest in private lessons and seminars
In de afgelopen jaren heb ik het privilege gehad om te leren van de allerbeste in de wereld. Het is niet goedkoop vandaar dat ik ook refereer naar het woord investering.
Je zult inzichten krijgen in concepten, technieken en de mindset van wereldkampioenen. Een goede seminar is gebaseerd op concepten of één onderdeel van Braziliaans Jiu-Jitsu waar de persoon om bekend staat.
Denk aan iemand die bekend staat om zijn guard of beenklemmen.
Seminars often last three hours. Come prepared and rested. Film the techniques with a training partner after the seminar and drill it at your next open mat!
(Ask if you can film or take notes during a seminar here are often different rules for this)
Een eer om van deze legendes te mogen leren
Kron Gracie
Demian Maia (ufc)
Saulo& Xande Ribeiro
Dean Lister
Roger Gracie
Rickson Gracie
Rafael Lovato JR (Bellator wereldkampioen)
BJJ you become an addiction!
BJJ is human chess. It stimulates you physically and mentally. You have to make decisions under pressure.
For me it is an intensive form of meditation. You don't have to think about anything but solving the problem right now. When do you have an hour in the day all to yourself with no distractions?
You can develop a (good) obsession with the techniques; you're even working on them after class. You think about what you can do better for the next practice. You also develop a strong bond with your teammates. Despite being an individual sport, you need your teammates to get better!
Bonus tips:
To choose is to say no.
When I started BJJ, I boxed four times a week. Crossfit four times a week and Olympic weightlifting. In the beginning, I had underestimated the BJJ workouts and soon enough I ran into myself.
I realized I had to make a choice. To do one thing as well as possible and that was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Now I have been training seven days a week for years. Of course with different intensity and kettlebell supplemental training. It's simple do you want to get good at your sport. Then do more of your SPORT.
Safety
Save yourself a lot of hassle and buy a good bit. Knee pads are also highly recommended. I am a fan of the Trace brand. You reduce the impact on your knees significantly.
Listen to podcasts
I listen to a podcast almost every day. You learn insights and other perspectives.
Check our blog for the top 10 podcasts from Amersfoort BJJ.
Circle of Friends
It may be that someone in your circle trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Send them a message and ask them if you can join them.
Interested?