Step by Step System to Learn Jiu Jitsu FAST 

I’m a blue belt. I got my blue belt in 2002. Shortly after that I got injured and quit for a long time. I was able to start back up in January 2020. I have been back and constantly training for just about 3 years. I just couldn’t turn the corner for my purple belt. About 6 months ago I started really focusing on everything you discussed in this video. Plus I picked up 5 hours of open mats on the weekend at different gyms. I also dropped about 70lbs and have been weight training. My BJJ has completely exploded. I’m getting and catching techniques in live rolling that I had learned 5 mins earlier. I’m subbing guys my own rank multiple times in a roll after being crushed by these guys 6 months earlier. I’m giving our brown belts a hard time now. It’s a great feeling to finally get to this point. I literally close my eyes and feel the roll, and react accordingly to the other persons movements. Great Video, and Thanks for the content.

If you did an audio book on Jiu Jitsu topics like this, I would buy it

I respect the tips you give here, I received my BB in 2015, 17 years on the mats this year. Lower belts are improving faster than ever, more and more belts mean nothing (esp in no gi and the current leg lock meta). I feel the path to black belt is quite easy and simple. Train 3 times a week consistently, don't burn out and go too hard like most white-purple belts do, do strength training 2-3 times a week and always remember to stretch/do mobility work before and after class. Compete every now and again to test yourself. Do this for 10 years and you'll get black belt. It doesn't have to be complicated.

Jon was my instructor when I was training at Alliance in Atlanta. This guy is incredibly knowledgeable and the most effective instructor I’ve ever had. It’s one thing to know a sport it’s another thing to teach somebody else how to practice it and he’s exceptional at the latter.

This is absolute gold. "Pattern Recognition" . . . . BOOM!!!!!

Great video! Perfect way to get a more structured learning process in BJJ, and something I really needed. In general I like how you talk a lot about consepts instead of just showing different technuiqs. Makes BJJ a lot more dynamic, and easier to adjust after my spesific body type. Heared you are coming to Kristiansand for a seminar next year. Can't wait to see what you have in store for us :)

OK this is the video that has helped me a lot. Thank you man I appreciate you. Keep up the good work.

Really great video. I’ve been doing jiu jitsu a while and currently fight in mma. One thing that popped up a lot to me in this video is not getting too bummed out in training when you aren’t pulling off what you want to pull off, but trusting that it takes time and consistent training. You always suck at whatever you are first trying, and it may take longer than you expect to get really good at it.

Solid! Thanks for the step by step. BJJ can feel defeating, this helped me realize how to adjust my expectations and approach it more methodically.

As a whitebelt i really appreciate your content. Also it really gives me hope to see someone of your physique outclassing really jacked opponents. Great content very specific and just superhelpful!

Great thoughts and instruction. Keep it coming it’s always helpful!

Very helpful videos on this channel. I watch your content often and I practice the methods you teach. Thank you Sir!

Dude this is great! You are a smart guy and great teacher! Amazing content you give away for free!

Great video thank you especially for pointing out on how to improve faster.

I have been but initiated to Jiu Jitsu, but I have enough understanding that all you say makes much sense!

This channel is so top tier. Jon's JJ IQ Is insane. Wonderful tips

You touched on so many great things. I will try to condense our terminology that we use for this stuff, as specific terms are useful. Three pillars of training: solo, coaching, opposition. New people are moved through solo and coaching as fast as possible to reach opposition. You then find problems in your performance and reverse engineer and fix those problems in solo or opposition. Low opposition is "sparring" where you can think the whole time. High opposition is "fighting" where your brain can't process everything and it is all reactionary. Solo is obvious, opposition is when both people are trying to win and trying not to lose, coaching is everything in between. Great video. Would love to share more about our process.

Solid video!!!! The advice is spot on.

Jon, this message is brilliant!

Love your channel!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! 🙏

Great content as always Jon

Found this really inciteful. Iam a brown belt and iam not exactly "self taught " but I've made most of my progress by trial and error. Tons of research etc. Your channel is awesome. Love the content. Iam really trying to get to that next level and this def helps. I need to re evaluate my philosophy on studying the art.

Appreciate it, I will take this concept beyond jiu-jitsu

I agree with all this. Positional sparring to get reps on weaknesses, this gets you better at applying techniques. But flow rolling is important also to get reps at identifying opportunities for subs/sweeps. In a normal 5 min roll, we tend to get stuck in certain positions, but with flow rolling you get to see a lot of positions, each time giving you an opportunity to spot subs/sweeps

I like the concept talks! And all your vids! Especially the system videos (like the closed guard one)! Thank you

That’s why I took several private lessons from my instructor (Machado bros lineage) who was a second degree BB at the time. He taught me several details to counter moves, and give me a choking game. I learned more from an hour with him, than rolling hard on the mat for a couple weeks. It worked for me as I was able to use the moves to tap out training partners.

One issue I’m having as a purple belt for a few years now is identifying problem areas. As a white and blue felt the problems were very obvious. Now, there are small adjustments to be made which are kind of hard to notice sometimes.

LOVE the concept-videos. There are a billion instructionals, I need more conceptual to supplement

Thanks for these concepts Jon, really helpful. Any content around competition would be greatly appreciated.

Great overview just what I need at this moment in time

Always on point, great concepts. When you bring up this overarching principles that help “simplify” bjj, I find it super helpful. It’s a welcome break from the technique-by-technique saturation that we see elsewhere, which can be overwhelming.

I agree with the idea that the most important part of training is the post sparring reflections to identify problems and formulate possible solutions. However, sparring instinctively with full speed may increase the possibilities of injury and reduces the time you have to observe and solve problems in real time. I feel the most productive rolls are with people that have enough control of their movement such that sparring can be slow and technical, of course if you are rolling with someone that imposes a high pace you should mach it, but it should not be the go to mindset.

I got my blue belt a little while ago, your content has helped me a lot in my evolution.Oss I am from Brazil, Thank you!

This is such a good pep talk! As a white belt I needed this. I’ve been allowing stuff to happen instead of forcing positions to determine what I need to work on and where I’m completely clueless. Thanks man! Would love to train one day!

Legit video-concepts all logical. Thank you!

Thank you very much for the video. im a white belt, and Jujitsu has been hard for me to grasp, but i knew i was overthinking it. i will go into my training session like that. i appreciate the advice!

This is amazing! Great advice and bang on. Thank you!

Thank you. This makes a lot of sense.

This is such solid advice - the modular framework and pattern- recognition elements of BJJ are essential for true growth in the art and great video🥋🤙🏼🛡️⚔️

Excellent advice. As a result, I thought carefully about a session yesterday where I struggled to achieve mount from a side position. My leg got trapped as I telegraphed its movement across. Now I know to recreate that moment with a partner and work through it. Also great point on turning your brain off during sparring. Becoming consciously logical during matches has cost countless precious milliseconds to great disadvantage. Very much appreciate the tip.

hey JonThomas, I just want to comment on your post, expressing how good this content is. it makes a lot of sense as whole, and one thing in particular that caught my moment is when you said: "you need to shut your Brian off!" I truly believe in that statement, bc I usually apply this concept as one of my own. thank you for sharing this.

i did tkd for years and taught Olympic style, did bjj for the last three years with knowing a few techniques from reading and researching a very humbling experience. lol I told my instructor that i just wanted to get the basics down really well, so i trained with their MMA class and BJJ guys got the basics down within three to four months my endurance went through the roof, rolling with higher belts and beating some of them while free sparring after class was a incredible worth while experience. I told my students if you ever get the time or money to try BJJ with another martial art do it, it's well worth it's weight in gold. Great video yes if they learn the body positions and the basic techniques of BJJ they would be better off in a street fight with a little bit of Thai boxing/boxing added with it.

This is amazing, thank you.

Love the concept videos! Great content!

Thanks for taking the time to explain the concepts!

Thanks so much for sharing! I’m a white belt, just started two months ago. Didn’t have my 1st stripe yet. I struggle with the mount. I can control the position but i have a lack of submissions. I don’t really know what to do from there. You helped me so much with your suggestions! Thanks for sharing!

Dude, I love the “concept talks” because I can learn a ton even without seeing or feeling anything (ideal for listening at work). If you don’t already have a playlist of these, I’m going to make one.

funny i’ve never watched this channel but came across this video after I was thinking of how to really explain how to train bjj for success since yesterday. What I kinda came up with is drawing a tree where grappling is the trunk and main branches are areas of grappling (guard, half, side mount, mount all top and bottom, and takedowns etc) off each branch is a smaller branch for example i like the hip switch pass position in half guard. from that there’s a branch for passing, a branch for applying the kimura when they reach to stop the pass, sliding the knee across the belt line and attacking the leg when the counter by pushing you forward and trying to take your back, there’s branches from that position with a variety of leg locks. there’s a branch from when you get to the three quarter mount position from the hip switch and then that has branches with the kimura, arm bar and go go plata. freely swing from branch to branch is a half guard game, that happens to be my A. B game is when they beat my hip switch with a knee shield so I go to cradle and have the same branches from there. Then there’s a C, and the idea is to build all the initial branches out like the half guard until your tree looks super full. I think that’s the best way to visualize the goal and the way to get there is through everything you just said in this video. Cool channel, Im going to check out more of your vids lol 👍🏼

You are my favourite online Jiu Jitsu coach. Thank you, and please don’t stop. You always explain things step by step, and my most used system when training is a system you showed on one of your vids

Great advise Jon

Best BJJ channel on RU-vid. I’m starting back after a 20 year hiatus from training, things have changed a lot. My instructor is from Brazil, and I find it hard to understand him. I’m fortunate to have found an online resource by someone who is a gifted teacher and communicator.

This is incredibly good advice, if you just replace "jiu jitsu" with "fencing" it applies perfectly.

Love the jumping analogy. Great for acrobatics as well.

Excellent stuff. It good to hear about a learning method rather than just watching endless techniques.

Absolutely perfect Thank you !

@JONTHOMASBJJ This is a fucking phenomenonal video, but I'm a visual learner. If youre talking about half guard, even a half second still image of half guard would be wildly beneficial to my comprehension of what you're saying. Just a RU-vid tip, you're great on the jits. Cheers

I mostly like this video. I will say that if you have a specific goal in live sparring like passing the guard and you achieve it, dont stop and reset in that position. What if your partner had a goal to try and escape side control and you just stopped that match? I would have a few goals to focus on in the match so you dont disrupt the flow of training and potentially take away an opportunity from your partner. Have a secondary goal after you pass like trying to attain mount or getting an armbar. If your opponent escapes back to guard, you get to start over on your primary focus.

This video landed at just the right time for me. I’m a 4 stripe blue belt and have been feeling that it’s hard to know where to go. I really like roadmaps like this video provides

This is awesome very insightful and true getting in shape is super important drilling techniques also very important but knowing the game the when the why and the how priceless

Great video. Thanks man!

White belt here… I’m not sure how it works at all gyms, but with mine I find their open-mat sessions to be invaluable for drilling those techniques that I need to work on. One of the coaches who I rolled with a couple of days earlier approached me for example and asked if I’d like to go through escaping mount, as that was a weak area she’d identified during that roll. However, (at my gym at least) there is always someone who will spend time to go through some stuff - so long as you reciprocate of course 😉.

Great content! Your advice on turning off your mind during rolling since you won't have time to think during a self defense situation really spoke to me! I guess this would also be the same thing as repping a technique so many times that it becomes instinctual. Thanks for the words of wisdom!

Very interesting part regarding the turning off of the brain during sparring. Thanks!

Great content, and very well organized. My biggest take away is to turn the brain off during sparring to make sure the moves are instinctual, which gives them the best chance of working, and also helps identify holes in your game. ✌️

I really wish you would do more on no-gi. Your content is so good - take it to the masses.

I'm a Judoka and recently started BJJ, and i'm having to change my game completely (even in standing) and it's been really fun to figure out what does and what doesn't translate. I've been watching your instagram videos a lot and that's been helping. Asking for feedback all the time, getting advice, rolling often, still doing judo to stay on top of that skillset, though toned it down. Reassuring as i'm trying to do all the things you've explained in the video already, so good to know if I stick to it and persevere it should start to come together. I know that it will as it did with Judo. Quite literally starting all over again

Thanks good this It helped me to identify a couple holes in my process which I will be plugging up right now

Of all the coaches teaching here in RU-vid I would have to say that this guy is the only one who explains complete ideas and has a very systematic approach to everything he does. John Danaher might be the expert in finding details in techniques or even creating new ones, but usually they are not helpful when starting BJJ. This guy however has explained so many basic ideas so well that I'm able to proceed with my white belt struggles more efficiently. Also his personality is just so perfect for coaching.

Great video def. going to watch a 2nd time and take notes.

Thank you for breaking sumtin complex into small easy to digest concepts

Fantastic Content as always

Thanks. Just came at the right time

Great advice!!

Very helpful. Thank you.

Great video. I know just enough to know this is all great advice..........I think.

I immediately went to my workout journal and wrote all.this down🤙 thank you!

Completely agree whit you, tough the same.

Great advice!

What you're saying reminds me of chain wrestling the difference between someone having a good takedown and then someone having a good sequence of takedowns all they need is to get to one leg and then they can run a double high crotch or a single leg to a sweep single if you get somebody down how to hold them down control their hips use a spiral ride to get to your PIN combinations or your tilt or back points.. or how to chain wrestle and get off the mat if you're on the bottom how to stand up how to sit out how to switch how to Grammy roll... You got to have counters and be able to flow adapt boxing is very similar

Its too complicated, I am just going to buy a gun.

After about 2 years of training Im getting ready to quit since Ive hit kind of a brick wall for the past 3-5 months. Im gonna follow this advice and see if I can get back on track.

Older guy here (staring down the big 5-0 as a 3 stripe whitey). I am in good shape but I can't always match the intensity (let alone recovery) of my classmates who are in their 20s and 30s. I kind of hit on some of these concepts - working specific sparring into rolls as opposed to just going hell for leather. It's really helpful to have it broken down properly like this. This fills in the blanks for me. I have a plan for my training in 2023 now.

awesome video alot of good info thank you just subbed

Great video, wish I had this ten years ago!

Great stuff!

Great video!

Got a sub. Good content

So, more accurately we can describe "my game" not as a prescription, but an assessment of "what I'm good at, what I'm getting better at, what I'm struggling with, etc..." and rather than pigeon holing any given round / training session from the top down (good > bad), focusing on the bottom up (worst / most secure positions) allows you to see the opportunities for the goods 👍

The part about thinking slowing you down during rolls is true. I was rolling and trying to think too much about it, which slowed me down and actually led to me being injured because I acted too slowly at the wrong time while my partner was going full speed, as he probably should have been. The time to think, in my opinion, is off the mats or when you are only practicing and not actually rolling hard.

Greats points, I try to review my rolls as you say and just react to what my opponent gives me. When I identify a weak position that I was not able to defend well, I review videos on the subject and I practice at home with a dummy cause my wife does not want to be my rolling partner. I then take it to class to try my defense.

John Danaher broke down the positions you need to do depending on where you're currently at. First is getting them to the mat, 2nd is pass the legs, 3rd is get to a dominant position, and 4th is submitting them. You can start with Kaizen and work on specific moves for each of those positions. For example, one day you want to work on getting them to the mats. Okay so you focus 1 day during rolling doing takedowns. Pick a few and work on those. Practice as much as possible for that day if you have a partner. Next day, pass the legs, so you work on that and little by little you've gained a good skill set.

I like a lot of these concepts, but my brain works like a web or a skill tree. I have plans a lot of the time, but i use them with the aim for them to become reflexive. And by planning out things like guard passing sequences that lead into various submissions or positions, I'm able to study the different permutations of activity and possibilities

havent started the video yet, will edit later. jiu jitsu i find is very cerebral, and a lot of the ways to improve aren't necessary related precisely to BJJ - or sports as a whole. when i picked up jiu jistu kore then 10 years ago, many things came naturally to me in terms of instinct, tempo, and improvising submissions - but only when i had truly taken steps toward truly mastering the basics and an added sense of humility did any of that become effective. i moved out of the country and didnt train for 5 years, and just started again last year. i lost much of the foundation and a great deal of my humility in relation to BJJ due to the fact that i am a higher belt than many of the MMA fighters i train with. the result of this is im right back where i started in many ways, back to going for a flashy pass or an unsafe sub. im hoping to really go back to my roots and do it right this time. tha ks for reading

Thank you

What I hope my game is ten years from now? Fluid. Constantly adjusting, micro movements, subtle and hidden application to major results, the ability to flow around whatever my partner is applying, redirecting their game into mine. Its going to be a busy ten years....

woww that chess analogy you mentioned, I thought about the same idea exactly. an AI, if trained using data from some of the best chess grandmasters, can potentially come at a point where it reinforces itself to beat some of the best of chess players. Jiu JItsu, being the human chess it is, doesn't have a set of pre-defined movements or rules, so even if the AI the has data of Roger Gracie and Gordon Ryan summed up together, it won't be able to adapt that easily, since there is more room for innovations in JJ than chess.

This is brilliant

Long live life long learning, instructionals and watching matches, essential during injuries and the sucky parts of jiu-jitsu. OSS

I just stumbled across your site and quite enjoyed that post. Perhaps if you have time you could answer a question i wrestle with...I don't have nearly enough opportunity to make it into the gym (averaging 2x per week). On my off days, i am always looking for ways to improve on my own, but I never really know the best approach. Solo drilling to build muscle memory? Grappling dummy to practice submissions? Conditioning exercises to improve my fitness for BJJ? Yoga to improve mobility? In a perfect world I would spend time on all of those things, but if I had that kind of time I would simply go to the gym more.

Ultra Instinct 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽