Stop Focusing on What You Don't Know as White Belt in BJJ 

My gym had me rolling day 1. I had no idea what I was doing. Got my ass kicked constantly. But my cardio has gone up, I’m making less mistakes, I’m understanding positions. I’m glad they didn’t baby me.

I've also only been doing this a short amount of time (2 months). My gym has you rolling on day 1, which I thought was normal until I started reading up and watching videos and see that many people attend fundamental classes for at least a month before rolling for real. Coach gave a great, practical piece of advice: "try to get on top, keep your arms tight, and stall"...you tapping out is inevitable, but try to make them work for it. Doesn't feel as intimidating when put that way.

My first week in my coach made me roll with him. He told me to do what feels natural and just keep my arms in to protect myself. I did terribly, obviously, but it was fun to get the feeling of what rolling is like in a safe and controlled situation. After that he partnered me with very calm higher belts to keep flow rolling until I felt comfortable to roll with much less calm other white belts.

I am about 5 months in, training 3 or 4 times a week, 45 years old. I have a lot of higher belts where I train, so my personal bjj path became defense, defense, defense. As a result, I am lacking in my submission skills, but have greatly improved in my guard retention, framing, and escapes. I get frustrated because I have a hard time practicing submissions since I am ALWAYS just trying to survive attacks, but I know my game will balance itself out as my journey continues. And what a life changing journey it has been! Thanks for all the videos!! This is my favorite channel for BJJ instructional videos and motivation.

“Often people drill in a passive state. Repetitions, repetitions, repetitions....Then when they roll- right out the window!” This pegged me PERFECTLY. Frustrating. I can’t remember shit.

Rolled my first day with a blue belt (bc there was no one else to roll with). Got my ass whooped really bad. I learned what he means by how deep BJJ really goes. Just take your L’s with a smile on your face and don’t take it too seriously. All blue/purp/black belts were clueless white belts at one point. The better you are at losing, the better you’ll be at winning. A sore winner is just as bad as a sore loser.

Your very well structured and always 100% for your students and the bjj community. Im a newbie white belt and your channel is my encyclopedia for bjj. Thanks!

I started rolling the second I joined. Getting tapped out every 20 seconds for 5 minutes isn't too bad. But lemme say, when I finally did learn a guard escape or soemthing that I picked up easily and I'm not stuck somewhere for half the roll I appreciate it more vs not rolling until you know a good amount to roll with.

Awesome Chewy! Thanks so much for the response! Great advice and I will put it to good use!

What I'm learning as a pretty new white belt is what doesn't work. My coach tells me when rolling to keep trying things and find out what works and what doesn't, and stop doing things that don't work.

Went to my 1st open mat yesterday, no stripe white belt. It was awesome go for it

Great advice Chewy. You just reassured i was doing the right thing. Thanks man.

I'm not gonna lie I got a little bummed out earlier this week after some of my gym mates were promoted to a stripe and I wasn't. It's cool though I know I've improved a lot compared to before but I have been struggling to pass the guard. I realized later what I'm doing wrong. All good, gonna work on that next week 🤙🤙 #throwmetothewolves!

great content helps me alot on my jui jitsu journey

I feel i learned a lot faster going to no gi open mat at a friend’s gym with a lot of experienced people when I first started. It was a crash course with a lot of experience in a short amount of time versus one or two new techniques at a time per day and taking longer to see the realistic use for them

First bbj class learned one pass or move, practiced it , then last 15 we rolled,aka survive. Do whatever, it was fun learned how good my defenses could be, just keep working

My problem is actually getting the people to roll with me. I’m 14 and in an adult class because i’m old enough. But for some reason (probably my anxiety) I just feel like I’m being a bother when asking someone to roll with me. Because i’m new and don’t really know anything but the basics

This helped me out alot thank you.

I was having the same problem, but after a couple of classes and your videos, I tapped a blue belt

You look like a good teacher ... watching from Costa Rica... hablo español... jaja

I rolled on the 1st day, but that’s because I went to the “all belts class” and not the beginners class. Which was kind of a mistake. I had a lot of fun and got a good taste, but I got mat burn so bad, my knees and the top of my feet were rubbed raw. It sucked. I use to watch people all taped up on their feet and fingers and think, is that really necessary? Yup! But yeah, that first class I rolled and was so tired at the end I wanted to throw up… but I was still hooked and wanted more.

I was reading a jiu-jitsu blog post the other day. And the author says something like "Except for those rare times when the person you're drilling with always reacts wrong, that can be maddening." And I realized that might be why I keep getting hurt in BJJ even though I'm not sparring yet. Two months and I've had at least 3 good injuries and tons of little ones. I think maybe I'm not reacting to various grips, etc., quite the way they were designed to be reacted to. If that makes sense? I don't mean that I'm not responding to the drill with the instructed methods. But that if the instructor is like "If you go here, the other guy is going to put his weight there" and I don't instinctively put my weight "there". Any advice for being a better sequencing/drilling partner?

I’m a new white belt is it ok to go to open mats and ask others to just drill moves with me?

I am not allowed to roll until white belt three stripes or above at my gym. We do situational drilling in fundamentals as part of the class at the end, and it’s expected.

Wait, we were supposed to learn the fundamentals BEFORE we start getting arm-barred and choked out?

After My first class this kid wanted to spar with me, he was a more advanced white belt, who switched to my school on the same day I joined and he claimed to have NO experience. Naturally we got paired up by my instructor. I made it clear that I didn’t know anything, it was my first day, and I wanted to learn stuff before I sparred. He, of course, claimed to be inexperienced as well so it would be an even playing field, and tricked me into agreeing to spar. When I went to roll with him, he immediately began attacking me with a ton of aggression and used my inexperience to absolutely smash me, as if I had just fucked his girlfriend or something. I don’t mind tapping or being the nail for the sake of other people’s learning. But this didn’t feel like that, it felt like he just wanted to brutalize me. I got hurt, because he pulled a choke super tight and at the time I thought nothing of it. Then I rolled with another guy, with more experience, I think a blue or purple belt, who was extremely kind and took his time to show me a few tricks. Looking back now, I kind of feel like the first guy was a real dick, and I’m kinda offended. I don’t wanna roll with guys who are gonna hurt me before I can even learn how to do Jiu Jitsu..I mean I don’t mind going hard but at least let me know, and let me learn some shit so I have some tools. I just don’t get what’s satisfying about drilling a complete newbie into the ground on their first day when they’re trusting you not to hurt them. Now I kinda wanna kick his head. (I won’t.) watching this video helped me realize this. Thanks man. I ain’t rolling with him til I get my shit together.

LOL I name is Derek and I’m a newbie and I’ve also been training at my gym three weeks.

THAT'S IT!

Should white belts learn berimbolo's?

Only disliking so it's 666 likes 6 dislikes

I was able to tap out a purple belt. But I stay humble.