Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

I frequently talk to people who want to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). When asked these are some of helpful tips I give to people who want to try it out. ## About my experience I've been doing BJJ for over five years now, the last two years intensely. I just got my blue belt. Blue belts normally happen in 1-2 years but I took my time. I have a long, long to black belt, which in BJJ often takes a decade or long. I'm okay with that - I'm all about the journey, not the destination. ## Can you do BJJ? Probably. BJJ can be learned and practiced by anyone who can get up and down off the floor under their own power. Even if you struggle with getting to the floor and back up again, it's still something you can learn. However, there are people who shouldn't do BJJ. Don't start if you are: 1. Pregnant. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu involves a lot of pressure on different body parts. I can't imagine any coach allowing a pregnant woman to start. Please wait until you have finished with the pregnancy and then get on the mat (maybe as part of recovery). 2. Are recovering from major injury like broken bones or surgery. These injuries are going to make it impossible for a beginner to make any progress. A good coach will ask you to wait until you are recovered before beginning. 3. Sick with a cold or flu - you will be sharing personal space with others. When you do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you spend a lot of time going into the personal space of others. If someone has germs, they are sharing them with the other people they are training with. 4. Have a heart condition. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a serious cardio workout. If you have a problem with your heart, avoid BJJ unless you get the okay from a doctor. Otherwise you can probably do BJJ. People have started in their 70s and 80s! Sure, they aren't fighting hard against 20-somethings, but I've been beaten by some who started at my age who is now in their 80s. How awesome is that? ## Selecting a school How do you pick which school to attend? I'll admit it's a challenge because if you don't know Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how do you know that a coach or a teacher is any good? Here's what I look for: - Proximity: Can I get there easily enough to train on a regular basis.? - Schedule: Do they have classes that I can fit into my schedule? - Beginner-friendly: Will they teach beginners? Most schools are quite beginner-friendly, but it's good to ask. ## Getting in shape to start at BJJ Sometimes people tell me that they're interested in BJJ but they're not in shape enough. To me, this is kind of silly because BJJ is a great way to get in shape! It is essentially resistance training where the resistance is your own body weight and that of training partners and opponents. Since even the warmups can be fun, techniques are fascinating, and sparring is literally a game, at first you don't even realize you are exerting yourself. If you're already in shape, unless you've done wrestling, expect the first few sessions to be an intense workout. Seriously, you're going to be surprised by how much effort you put into rolling on the floor. The amount of strength and cardio you need to use in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will catch you by surprise. ## First classes What I tell people just starting out. ### Have good manners Good manners are appreciated in BJJ, especially by upper belts and coaches. Bring your best manners to class: - Come bathed recently, wearing anti-perspirant - Your training clothes should be clean - When you come in introduce yourself to the coach - Introduce yourself by name to new partners - Listen more than you talk - Thank people for any tip or advice they give you Note: A lot of people think Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a modern combat sport thaat rejects traditional martial arts culture. That's not exactly true, there's quite a bit of inherited culture from Japan and Brazil. Also, BJJ arguably predates some traditional martial arts. ### Safety Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a surprisingly low injury rate compared to full-contact striking sports such as Muay Thai, Boxing, MMA, and even Tae Kwon Do. The reason for this is because in BJJ you aren't getting punched or kicked (which usually lands before you can react). In fact, while doing BJJ you can usually tap (quit) before something happens that will hurt you. Here are my five golden rules for staying safe on the mat: 1. If a warmup exercise hurts or feels dangerous, ask the coach for an easier version or skip it. 2. Tap early and tap often. 3. If you don't understand what's happening to you, tap. 4. Switch partners if you are uncomfortable with them. 5. **If you aren't allowed to switch partners with someone who makes you uncomfortable, leave and go to another school.** Rule number five is really, really important. **No school or coach is worth risking your health.** There's enough BJJ schools around that you should be able to find a place that doesn't force beginners to train with dangerous opponents. ### Recovery After your first class you are going to be exhausted and sore for a few days. You'll feel pain and stiffness in all sorts of new interesting on your body. Don't plan on any heavy exertion until you are recovered. Walking, sauna, and massage will help ease discomfort. Also, up your protein to help your body recover faster. You may have a few bruises on your arms or legs. This is normal and will become less common as your body gets used to it. ## Cognitive Overload It is really common for new people in BJJ to feel totally overwhelmed by how much is going on. It's common to feel this way at the outset of BJJ training. To a grappling beginner there's so much going on that cognitive overload forces people to simply stop moving because they are lost and confused. What it takes to get past this is practice, lots of it. If you show up to class for weeks and months, you will start to learn fundamentals and build up enough muscle memory and knowledge to not feel so overwhelmed. How long it takes depends on a lot of variables: the student, the coaches, the environment. To summarize: - You are going to be overwhelmed with knowledge. - This happens to everyone, you aren't stupid. - It usually takes months to not feel overwhelmed. - BJJ is a deep art with a lot of stuff going on. At first, everyone is confused and overwhelmed. ## What it takes to become a Black Belt in BJJ > "A black belt is a white belt who never quit." > > -- Old martial arts saying From many years of doing other martial arts I can tell you that the ultimate secret of mastery is to show up. To find joy in learning something new and improving ourselves. In this way, BJJ is no different than other martial arts. ## Good luck! I hope my advice is useful. I've got some [more advice here](/posts/2023-06-bjj-training-tips). If you ever want to roll and train with me, I hope we get the chance. I do both gi and nogi, and usually bring at least a rash guard wherever I go. See you on the mat!