White Belt - How To Survive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Part 9, Attend Seminars One of the biggest and most exciting developments in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over the past twenty years has been the massive leap forward in the overall quality and consistency of instruction that people are getting around the world. Back when the sport was still growing fast but hadn’t quite exploded yet, the standard of teaching varied wildly depending on where you lived. In many countries outside of Brazi

BJJ White Belt Survival Guide: 5 Essential Things Every New BJJ Student Must Know (That Most Instructors Won’t Tell You) You just stepped onto the mats for the first time. Everyone looks like they know what they are doing. The gi feels weird, the room smells like old sweat and ambition, and you are already wondering if you have made a terrible mistake. Relax. Every single black belt in the room was once exactly where you are right now: nervous, confused, and convinced they we

White Belt - How To Survive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Part 8, Take the extra classes, do the open mats You’ve probably come across that famous idea that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become a true expert at anything. I’ve always had mixed feelings about that number myself. On one hand, some skills really aren’t that complicated once you grasp the fundamentals, so you can reach a solid level of competence much quicker. On the other hand, certain disciplines are i

The Basic Physics of Leverage in BJJ Leverage is one of the foundational principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). It explains why a smaller, weaker person can often control, sweep, or submit a much larger and stronger opponent. Instead of relying on brute muscle power, BJJ uses mechanical advantage, applying force efficiently through body positioning, angles, fulcrums, and long levers, so that a little effort produces a big result. The Basic Physics of Leverage in BJJ In simp