5 tips from Fábio Leandro to teach Jiu-Jitsu better

Established in Florida, GMI Fábio Leandro brings tips to improve your Jiu-Jitsu teachings. Photo: GRACIEMAG Archives

Founder of Alliance Angra dos Reis and Grip Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, our GMI Fábio Leandro is no stranger to the challenges faced by Jiu-Jitsu instructors. With his base established in Florida, where he acts as an investor partner of Alliance Venice, the black belt balances a routine of athletes and gentle art teachers.

In conversation with GRACIEMAG, Fábio shared a little of his experience in the area and left five tips to teach Jiu-Jitsu more effectively. Check it out!

1. Have a basis as a teacher: Many new students check the history of the academy and the black belt who teaches there before enrolling. You wouldn’t go to a gym without knowing where it comes from or who’s the teacher at it, right?

2. Teaching beginners’ classes: These are the most important classes for a black belt to teach. There are a lot of black belts who are world champions and they tremble when they need to teach a white belt because he cannot just go training on the first day. The white belt needs to have a beginner’s class with lots of self-defense and needs to understand what is leverage, posture, and balance to make the positions.

3. Identify the student’s goal: You need to understand to direct your student in the right way and not to end up losing him after 5 or 6 months. It’s necessary to have a chat with the student, first of all, understand what he is looking for and what the objectives are so that you can keep this student for many years.

4. Define a class system: Having separate classes for beginners, intermediates, graduates, and self-defense is very important for the longevity of your academy. It is very important to have and follow this system. For example, imagine if a white belt appears in a class focused on black belt competition. This student may end up getting hurt and you might end up losing him because you didn’t have the wisdom to direct him to the correct class.

5. Represent a great team: There are very good academies that do not have a flag, but having a membership expands your resources. Your background is checked by the team, monitored, a base and structure are offered for you to follow. Furthermore, teaching is standardized. What I teach here in the USA is the same thing taught in the rest of the world. That way, you have a higher quality of teaching.