The 3 things you need to learn when you start Jiu Jitsu is usually a list of positions and techniques, but I'm going to move the goalposts a bit for you and give you the three things I say to every beginner.

1. How to stay safe
2. What to train
3. How to train.

I'll take you through the 3 of them quickly today. This won't be a long read.

How to Stay Safe

The obvious one here is tapping. When to "tap out" is an obviously important part of training that will stop you from getting injured in training when you work with submissions. The Tap is a training tool in the same way that a whistle is- it's just something we use.

But there are more ways to stay safe- and when I speak about Safety, I'm talking about how to train sensibly and enjoyably so that you can train for a long time. An example is to ensure you're warming up correctly and paying attention to the body positions and postures you're being shown as a part of that.

It's also about getting advice that comes from experience on how to take care of yourself when you're training- avoiding bad positions, and using less strength and power so that you don't overstress yourself early on in your training. Jiu Jitsu is most fun when it's a physical chess match, not a tough guy battle (although it's still pretty fun when it's like that too!)

What to Train

This one is getting more important every year, as more and more access to information means that we've got to be careful not to just follow the cool new trends on social media. It used to be that the only place to really learn technique was on the mat with your coach, but now there's more technique online than anyone could possibly learn!

While that's obviously a good thing for everyone (including us coaches!), filtering through it can be a real challenge (even for us coaches!). There's also a few issues with it. Some moves are completely unsuitable for beginners. They may be dangerous to train. Or they may look cool, but be of such a low success rate that trying to do them might even hold you back.

So having a guide to show you what Fundamental techniques to do is really important.

How to Train

The last one is the most difficult thing of all to teach, because it involves trying to switch off your physical attributes and focus on using correct technique all of the time. In general, it can be easier for smaller people and women tend to get this concept much easier than stronger people. After all if you're often less strong or smaller than your training partners, then you're less likely to rely on strength.

Jiu Jitsu is best trained as a skill and technique sport, rather than as a strength and power sport. That's what makes better grapplers, and better training partners too.

In my experience, put all 3 of those together and you'll be pretty decent at Jiu Jitsu in about 4-6 months. Why? Because you'll have trained for all of those 6 months without pain or injury, enjoyed the process, and learned in the most effective way.

The saying goes "Train smarter, not harder". I agree with the sentiment, but to me, Smart training is hard training. It requires your concentration, your discipline, and your ego to be dropped. Those are some of the hardest things of all.

See you on the mat,

Barry