Jiu-jitsu Times publishes a lot of articles for the complete beginner in BJJ. It is an overwhelming period to be a raw beginner and many are grateful for all of the help they can get!
But, once you are a few months in and you no longer have the “deer in the head lights” look, you could benefit from some different advice on training.
Here are three pieces of advice for the “post-complete noob” phase:
1) Get a few training buddies
I would always message my favorite training partners the day before and make sure that they were training. It helps make everyone accountable for showing up to class.
It also ensures that you won’t be paired with the “bag of knees and elbows” guys or “Mr. Stinky Gi”. You will make certain that you have a good training partner to drill your moves with instead of having a partner 50 pounds lighter than you.
Cultivate good training partners and stay in touch to schedule your training.
2) Don’t go down the rabbit hole with Youtube
Several World champions that I interviewed have stated that they felt that watching YouTube videos was counterproductive for first year students because it could create confusion.
I am a HUGE fan of YouTube BJJ videos when used properly. When you are researching a new position, there is no better tool.
The negative side of it is the newer student who gets drawn into very advanced, competition moves that are not suitable for their experience level.
Your training time is precious. Don’t get drawn down the wrong road.
3) Drill for much of your free training time
Rolling is the most fun part of jiu-jitsu. In Brazil, I saw most of the black belts turn up at the end of class just to roll.
But that is not always the best training tool, especially for BJJ students who are looking to add and improve their techniques.
No less a figure than Andre Galvao said that 60% of your training time should be devoted to drilling.
I encourage students to spend part of their rolling time drilling the moves that require sharpening in their games.
Pick a move that you want to improve, go to the corner of the mat with your training partner and bust out 50 reps (5 sets of 10).
Your body mechanics, flexibility and specific muscles needed to execute the move will all benefit.
Read also: Jiu-jitsu Times – Light Bulb Moments In Jiu-jitsu
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