I’m a few months into my journey as an academy owner and instructor at Grassroots Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness and it’s been an incredible learning experience. I can write a short book of all the challenges, ups, downs, and everything in-between starting and running the school and maybe one day I will. But, since the first day I opened the doors, I’ve always said that I don’t want the academy to be about me. So for this first “Jiu-Jitsu Tips!” post I felt it appropriate to put the focus on the beginner students.

Since opening the doors of Grassroots Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness in Chicago in late March, I’ve been fortunate enough to become the home of quite a few people just beginning their jiu-jitsu journeys. While  my particular group of students have taken their beginnings incredibly well, I’ll consider myself lucky in that regard. Beginning jiu-jitsu can be intimidating for a multitude of reasons: fear of injury, worrying about being in good enough shape, lack of an athletic background, and the list goes on. I won’t downplay or dismiss any of the fears as they are genuine concerns in any new physical or athletic endeavor. I do, however, believe that those fears can be calmed and even overcome by practicing a few keys to success that will help you get through those early days and even later days on the mat.

The points below are my beliefs alone, and tips that I found helped me in the beginning stages of learning jiu-jitsu and principles that I stress to my students at Grassroots Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness. Of course, the list can be much more comprehensive and I may add additional parts to this topic in the future but for now the tips below will take you a long way!

Imagine spending years on the couch in front of a television or video game and deciding that you want to pursue something more and improve your lifestyle. You not only want to get in-shape, but learn to protect yourself as well. You like playing UFC on Playstation so you look-up local jiu-jitsu schools and decide that you will go check a few out next week.  Now imagine, the thought becomes intimidating and you think of all of the cons of leaving your comfort zone. You get back in front of your television and click “Keep Watching”. 

The above scenario is all too real and happens all too often. For those who resolve to make a change, improve, and actually walk into that jiu-jitsu school, you’re getting the first victory under your belt. You’re getting up and doing something that the majority of the population will never do, leaving your comfort zone. That’s huge so congratulate yourself, and prepare for the benefits that come with that decision.

Whether you realize it during the trial class or not, you’re making a decision to prioritize your health, fitness, and become proficient in your own personal protection. The importance of that cannot be overlooked, and is worth far more than any win or loss you may encounter on the mat. You’re choosing to be a better you, and a sense of pride should be taken in that. The momentum of that first win should be carried into other areas of your life as well! Deciding to walk through the door and “just start”, could be the springboard to “just starting” your other dreams. Tell yourself that the door to the academy works one way, you walk in and don’t walk out until you reach the goals you set for yourself, whatever that may be.

I always quote to my students  “Jiu-Jitsu is Hard”. That’s my general answer when frustration arises at the early stages of a white belt’s journey. While jiu-jitsu is the best and most fun endeavor I’ve ever pursued, it can have its seasons where it’s tough or overwhelming. The earlier that is accepted, the better off you’ll be…trust me. 

Of course it’s normal to want to be the best on the mat. Or, some of you may try to be “realistic” and settle for second or third best. But, the truth is in many cases you will come into the jiu-jitsu gym starting at the bottom in skill. It may suck at first, but as you look around the gym at all the striped white belts and colored belts that are smashing you on the mat, understand that at some point they started right where you are now! They were the nail (and in most cases still are to someone) and stuck it out long enough to continuously improve and reap the benefits of consistency. It’s a proven system that works! You won’t always be at the bottom.

While you won’t always be at the bottom, while you are the one piece of I advice that I would give is to not compare yourself to those around you. Everyone’s journey, physical attributes, and time to dedicate to jiu-jitsu is different, so the comparison is rarely apples to apples. If you must compare something, compare where you are in the present with where you were when you walked through the door. Think about the skills you have now, that you didn’t have months ago. I tell my students at Grassroots Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness all the time how I wish I could show them their very first rolls in comparison to their present. I’m positive they wouldn’t even recognize the person they saw. It may not feel like you’re making progress, but trust me you are!

I close out talking about being the nail, by stating what should be obvious. If you’re going to be defending bad spots for the foreseeable future, learn to get VERY good at it. It will pay major dividends throughout the life of your jiu-jitsu journey. That’s it. Moving on.

I mentioned before that jiu-jitsu has been one of my greatest pursuits. A lot of that has nothing to do with sweeps, submissions, or rolling at all. I learned early on that there are far greater benefits than just grappling. 

I grew up and still am very naturally introverted. I was never one to go far out of my way to make friends or meet new people, and I was incredibly shy and quiet. It wasn’t until I found jiu-jitsu, that I realized that I just hadn’t found my “tribe” yet. I began to meet people that shared my love of martial arts, fitness, clean living,  and many other things in common. Jiu-Jitsu has given me the opportunity to meet and mingle with people from all walks of life and I’m incredibly grateful for it! I can’t think of a place where so many people of different backgrounds can come together and be equal like on a jiu-jitsu mat. If you’re lucky enough to find an environment with diversity in background and experiences, embrace it! You might just meet life-long friends. I did.

Life, like jiu-jitsu, can be hard. But, I owe it to principles that I learned on the jiu-jitsu mat how to maneuver when the world throws an obstacle my way. Learning to stay calm, clear your mind, and think through the problem in front of you will get you out of many jams in the gym. It will also get you through many jams in the boardroom, classroom, relationships, and wherever else conflict and stress may be presented. If you took the lessons and principles of jiu-jitsu and only applied it to what you can do in the realm of combat, then you would be missing a whole other world of benefits that this sport can bring to you outside the gym. Take the bumps on the mat, learn what you could have done better, and improve. Now bottle that formula up and take it out into your daily life with you.

Finally, there is something about jiu-jitsu that will make you want to embrace a complete lifestyle change. From improving your diet, mobility, and sleeping habits, to maybe quitting smoking or alcohol consumption. I’ve literally seen it all over the years, even with some of my students at Grassroots Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness. Know that this is normal and great for you. Jiu-jitsu is a physical activity that will often require your body to function at an optimum level and you would hate to see the results if it’s not. This leads people to embrace an overall cleaner lifestyle, sometimes down to a complete science in diet and strength and conditioning. Your mileage may vary, but I love knowing that because I’m taking care of my body, that it takes care of me on the mat. If you feel sluggish or not at your best while rolling and training, seek the wisdom of your health fanatic teammate (there is one on every mat) and listen to what he tells you to do! From there, never look back.

I got to the end of this list and forgot the most important detail to survive on the mat…HAVE FUN! I tell my students at Grassroots Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness all the time that jiu-jitsu is finding creative ways to get each other to say uncle on the playground. Have fun and be creative with it. Get on the mat and make friends. Tell jokes, talk about your boss, tell us about the funny TikTok dance your kids were doing and how it made you late to warm-ups.  Whatever you do, just keep showing up in good spirits, willing to learn, and enjoy the journey. Trust me, it’s a long one so you might as well have fun on it!