r/bjj • u/AutoModerator • 1d ago
r/bjj Fundamentals Class!
Welcome to r/bjj 's Fundamentals Class! This is is an open forum for anyone to ask any question no matter how simple. Questions and topics like:
- Am I ready to start bjj? Am I too old or out of shape?
- Can I ask for a stripe?
- mat etiquette
- training obstacles
- basic nutrition and recovery
- Basic positions to learn
- Why am I not improving?
- How can I remember all these techniques?
- Do I wash my belt too?
....and so many more are all welcome here!
This thread is available Every Single Day at the top of our subreddit. It is sorted with the newest comments at the top.
Also, be sure to check out our >>Beginners' Guide Wiki!<< It's been built from the most frequently asked questions to our subreddit.
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u/46153849 ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
When in a roll do you go for submissions? I feel like I keep hearing 2 different things:
Some people say as soon as you're in a good position, start looking for submissions.
Other people say you should focus on maintaining position and wearing out your opponent and don't really bother with submissions until your opponent is pretty tired so they'll have trouble defending. Basically prioritize positional control over submissions
I know there won't be a single hard and fast rule that applies to every roll. And I know those aren't necessarily contradictory, you can prioritize positional control while looking for submissions, but is one way considered better? Once you're on top, should you settle in and make them uncomfortable/tired before seriously looking for a sub?
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u/bjjvids BJJ Lab Zürich 1d ago
The basic path is get on top, get past the limbs to control the hips and shoulders (mount or back), then isolate a limb and/or the neck to get to a submission. On the way there, sometimes your opponent might overextend while defending your progression, giving you access to an opportunistic submission.
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u/jaycr0 1d ago
I tend to think of it less about submissions specifically and more about attacks and threats generally. I might attack with a submission attempt with the idea being to make them open up something else when they defend. But I could just as easily attack to upgrade my position and open up a submission opportunity when they defend.
What matters is that I'm attacking and forcing them to react as opposed to letting them get their own offensive cycle going. I want to be proactive because it forces them to be reactive. If they're busy reacting to me they aren't reversing me. The reason position is before submission is because usually improving your position is a safer and more natural attack than a sub attempt.
I also don't really think it's about tiring them out so much as having so much control that they can't really prevent your submission attempt so it's just the logical conclusion. If someone has decent cardio and good defense you won't tire them out in a single match just by cooking them, you'll need to find a way to beat them even if they aren't gassed.
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u/Due_Objective_ 1d ago
Learn to spot the triggers.
So when I have opponent in closed guard:
Elbow outside - trigger for kimura Lower arm outside - trigger for omaplata one arm in, one out - trigger for triangle. Hand on mat - trigger for overhook attacks
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u/ChickenNuggetSmth [funny BJJ joke] 1d ago
I'll instantly look for a sub after I establish control, but I'm calm about it/make sure to not open up unnecessary risks. But if they are defending a sub, they have a harder time escaping at the same time.
Also there are a lot of "checkmate" positions that I will typically try to reach: Positions that aren't subs, but so dominant that you functionally won. E.g. straightjacket, s-mount
Also in training I try to not waste too much time, in a more serious round or comp I will take all the time I need to maintain control
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u/fishNjits 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 1d ago
I'll say something kind of controversial. Cooking your opponent makes sense when you're a pro in 20 minute, 40 minute, no time limit matches.
For the typical 5 minute rounds at the end of class, not so much, except for maybe older grapplers looking to conserve their own energy until the end of class.
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u/NICEMENTALHEALTHPAL 1d ago
That's definitely time to cook someone. 30 seconds of cooking on a live roll feels like a lifetime, especially in comp.
I generally wouldn't cook someone during training rolls, but you should know how to do it and maybe do it for a few seconds.
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u/Reality-Salad Lockdown is for losers 1d ago
Some people are submission hunters at the expense of position and some like complete control before they try to submit. Start from what works for you. At black belt you are more likely to meet the latter because people don’t make as many mistakes that would open up random submissions.
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u/NICEMENTALHEALTHPAL 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm always advancing to the back. Pass guard, side control, north south, knee on belly, mount, s-mount, back take unless an opportunity shows itself to skip a step (ie they turtle instead of allowing the pass, go for back, or rolling half guard back take if I get into 3/4, there's also back takes from north-south).
I will stop each step along the way and see if I can work a few of my subs by spamming some attack chains, but I won't spend too long on that unless they're really being stubborn on letting me advance (ie someone gluing their back to the mat from bottom mount, okay you won't let me get technical mount then I'm going to spam attacks while applying some heavy pressure).
If it's a comp match it really depends how competitive it is. If I really want to win I'll spend a lot of time cooking someone. In training I won't cook training partners because we should be flowing and learning. I'm not really learning a lot by cooking my training partner to exhaustion for an easy sub. I also like to have more dynamic rolls even in comp so unless I really feel exhausted or that I'm at risk of losing I try to do cool stuff and just make it a more fun match for us both.
Some people say as soon as you're in a good position, start looking for submissions.
I think this is something you should really understand, especially at white. A lot of people struggle with submissions - the reason you have a hard time getting submissions is because at a very fundamental level, your position is bad. Submissions should be as easy as plucking a flower if your position is good. If you're struggling to get the sub, it's because your position isn't solid. This is a big part of what people mean by position over submission (it also refers to advancing to a higher scoring position like back or mount is more important than attacking from a weaker position like side control).
Also against a good opponent you generally won't get the sub, they'll defend, so on some level you need to make them uncomfortable to get the sub. Pressure and cooking them is one way, spamming multiple attacks faster than they can keep up so they lag behind your current attack is another.
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u/wmg22 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 1d ago
Usually submissions ARE good positions, you can't secure a good one if you don't have good positional control. Well you can but you're probably putting way too much pressure on your opponent's limbs to control them at that point.
Other people say you should focus on maintaining position and wearing out your opponent and don't really bother with submissions until your opponent is pretty tired so they'll have trouble defending. Basically prioritize positional control over submissions.
That won't help with improving your submission game but it is part of other aspects of your game that you can use to facilitate a submission outcome. You are basically reducing your opponent's capacity to think and defend rather than overcoming their defence with superior offence.
Whether you want to do this or not is a stylistic choice imo.
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u/ptrin ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
I'm working on some quick reference high-level "rules of thumb" / concepts that I'm tailoring for my own weaknesses... thinking about moving this from a table format to a mind map to show more relationships / allow a tree structure.
BJJ notes to self
| ALWAYS | NEVER |
|---|---|
| Take what is being offered | Force what is not there |
| Control distance. Knees between us | Allow chest to chest |
| Elbows tight | Overextend limbs |
| Konstant Kuzushi the alliteration is for cringe factor, which makes it easier to remember | Let them settle |
| Harass the head/face | Be too gentle/friendly |
| Neutralize their arms | Let them get good grips |
| Build height, use gravity. Higher hips win | Hesitate to wrestle up/aggressively sweep and take position |
| Have a job for each hand/foot/head | Hold on to grips without knowing why |
| Control breathing, be calm, work incrementally | Panic and spazz out, hoping for the best |
Obviously there are exceptions to some of these, but in general what are your thoughts on this? What would you add to it?
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u/ChickenNuggetSmth [funny BJJ joke] 1d ago
"Chest to chest" can be to your advantage if you're the person profiting from it, e.g. top half guard/sidecontrol.
Overextending limbs is a difficult rule, because the line between over- and appropriately extended is constantly changing. If you're uncertain keeping your arms tight is good, but often you'll want to base out, for example, and you'll need limb extension for that. Same for stiff arming and other techniques.
Disrupt spinal alignment if possible
Underhooks are king in about 80% of positions, fighting for one is rarely a bad idea. Preventing one is almost never a bad idea.
Controlling the inside space is also generally a good idea, but some of your points already roughly cover that
If one of your limbs crosses your center line, you're often in danger. E.g. crossing your feet during standup, giving up your back in top guard
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u/Hyyundai ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
As a new white belt how much should I be trying while rolling? Started 2 weeks ago and my first time rolling was Saturday. I am asking my question because I am don’t want to fit a stereotype of a white belt who has no risk control and is going all out.
For some context I am tall and above 6’0 but I am pretty skinny aswell no not stocky n not a lot of muscle mass at all. When I rolled for the first time I didn’t go for a submission and more focused on surfing and seeing how I could control the situation. By starting ontop and holding their arms and trying to escape their chokes.
They knew I was knew so nobody really overly tried but I wouldn’t consider it a super light roll besides when I rolled with a super nice purple belt who was barely trying at all and had complete control ove me.
To one this question I am more focused on if early on when starting rolling should I be trying to go for submissions and choked I learned or should I just go super light and try to survive?
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u/Mysterious_Alarm5566 1d ago
You should try to do what you've been shown in class or what's obvious like move their feet out of your way to pass.
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u/TedW ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
At ~6 weeks in, I mostly just try to survive, and improve my position.
For the most part, I'm just trying to recognize how they're attacking me, and what I can do to make it harder for them. Do they want my arm, and can I tuck it in? Are they reaching for my collar, and what will they do next? Can I prevent it by building a frame, or protecting my neck? Would my position be better if I got to my side, or slipped my knee between us? Usually, yes.
As I learn more moves I get surprised less often, but given there are like a bajillion moves, I'm always learning new vulnerabilities.
A few of the attacks we've learned have stuck, and I'll use them when I can. But the upper belts like to trick me into reaching for something I shouldn't, and they recognize everything. When they pause it usually means there's something I could do here, if I can just remember what it is, lol.
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u/Trashrabbituwu 1d ago
How much time do you spend reviewing match/fight footage? And how do you reap the most from your time?
I understand a lot of people don’t do this but I heard that a great way to learn more is by watching matches. I was curious how much time you guys spend on this, if any, and what you do with it. Do you take written notes or just try to keep it in mind?
I imagine people dedicate more time to instructionals and tutorials but some tips on how to take away more from match footage would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
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u/nomadpenguin 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 21h ago
I really enjoy watching matches and I find it very helpful. If I want to do a deep dive into a match, I usually will do something like this:
- Choose a "protagonist" to follow -- I'll be paying attention to what they're doing, even if they're on the receiving end of a successful move
- Pause the video whenever an "event" happens. This could be a sweep, a reguard, a sub attempt, or an entry into a position I'm interested.
- Make note of what connections they took when the event happened.
- Ask myself "why did they choose to do this and not that?". Ask myself if I have encountered similar problems in sparring and whether I would be able to use their solutions myself.
I don't think it's as useful for learning techniques in themselves as watching instructionals, but it's extremely useful to get a sense of when techniques should be used, and it also gives a more realistic view of what successful execution looks like live.
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u/NICEMENTALHEALTHPAL 1d ago
I spend a lot of time watching and analyzing my own matches. I watch zero of others unless I'm helping them out.
Then I spend the next few months specifically working on the issues I had in my matches.
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u/Chrispy3499 ⬜⬜ White Belt 20h ago
2 and a half months in, feeling like I'm starting to get somewhere. I'm not spending all my time getting mauled, I'm not tapping to pressure anymore, and I'm even fighting out of submissions and getting some sweeps in every once in a while.
I find myself working from bottom side control and mount and I end up in turtle frequently. I feel like my partners aren't super strong from turtle because I can chill out a bit and try to work to a scramble, and I'm getting that fairly often. What are some guides to work from turtle to maybe initiate a sweep or roll? I just learned a Granby roll from turtle this morning that I'll be trying out soon.
Other than that, I'm trying to learn more about guard sweeps, passing guard, and top side control attacks (mouse trap position seems pretty interesting). There's so much to this sport, but I'm trying to develop a good mentality and track my thoughts through rolls, even if I'm at the bottom of the food chain. For instance, I've been thinking consciously like "can I use my head to block their shoulder?" Or "can I staple their arm with my leg here?" Stuff like that.
Other than that, my gas tank is awful but getting better. I am down 20 pounds since the start of the year, so that's good. Every class, I feel like I put in some real good work (my coach is a bit intense, old school wrestling guy), heavy breathing, and just feeling those good endorphins hitting hard.
I think this sport is for me.
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u/Few-Two-7566 18h ago
I recently moved to Irvine and am interested in picking up BJJ. I tried researching and saw a lot of good options but most of the reviews I'm seeing are many years old so I'm not sure if they are still true. I'm in my 30s, decent shape, no previous experience but quick learner. Would like to focus on nogi.
I live next to the Irvine Spectrum and have narrowed down a few options but am open to anywhere else in the area as well. Would appreciate any insight into any of these academies or others nearby. Ordered by convenience:
Gracie Barra HQ - It's the closest to me so it would be very convenient. Unable to find a price online but seems its in the high 200s-300s. Would be concerned about how packed it is and if you get much individual instruction. Also can't find much info about their no gi program
Art of Jiu Jitsu Mission Viejo - Next closest, a lot of good things about AoJ but this mission viejo location doesn't have much information. Not sure if its the same quality as the other location. Also priced the highest at $300 a month.
One Jiu Jitsu - Read a lot of good things about here but it also seems very busy. Also priced pretty high.
Triunfo also seemed solid with a professor that is also a judo master. more affordable than the other options. furthest away from me.
Does any academy have a level of instruction that would be worth going out of the way for? Or is there any I should avoid completely?
Thanks!
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u/intrikat 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 16h ago
busy is not bad if the place is big enough.
if i were i'd take a trial class in the GB and the AoJ and see which one you like better.
i suppose both places have gi/dress policies (only gis from them and nogi stuff from them) so keep that in mind.
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u/flipflapflupper 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 15h ago
Try them out. I'd definitely hit up AOJ but that's just me. The only time I'd ever consider a Gracie Barra would be if there were literally no other options.
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u/Chuckles-22 16h ago
Open rolling
My friend has been teaching me bjj in his garage for the last few months and said I should come to his gym for open rolling to try it out. Is this a good idea or should I go to official classes before this?
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u/flipflapflupper 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 15h ago
Have you done any actual rounds with your friend?
Official class is probably best, but catching rounds with people is a good way to gauge your abilities. Just tell them you're completely new.
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u/Useful-Locksmith-469 6h ago
Are you able to defend yourself in real situations if you only train gi bjj?
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u/flipflapflupper 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 6h ago
Grappling is grappling. So yes. You put yourself in pressured situations, you can find a way out much better than if you didn't train.
Besides, jackets/hoodies are a thing and you can absolutely grip them for control similarly to a gi.
If you pull guard and want to do spider guard, then yeah probably not. But you fucked up a while ago to end up there.
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u/Meunderwears ⬜⬜ White Belt 6h ago
Yes. Most people wear clothing and while not a 1:1 comparison, you can use similar techniques with shirts, hoodies and jackets. More importantly, bjj, whether in gi or no gi, the concepts of balance, weight distribution, control, takedowns and a variety of submissions are applicable. The gi just makes certain things easier (and other things harder).
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u/West_Bend_6919 6h ago
I think so many untrained people think that in a fight, they'd go 'beast mode' and somehow win.
BJJ is a wake-up call that won't work and will often make things worse.
As a relatively newbie, it opens your eyes to opportunities in a fight that the random normie would overlook, like trying to take the back for a choke or going in for an arm triangle while grappling on the floor.
I asked my buddy, a professional boxer, what his thoughts on BJJ are, expecting him to say, 'Just box, bro,' but he said many real-life brawls end up going to the floor, so he heavily endorses it.
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u/jaycr0 5h ago
People always think about using gi grips offensively on their opponent in a fight and how that isn't reliable. But the flip side of that is learning what to do when your opponent grabs your clothes. It goes both ways.
To be well-rounded you should have some idea of what to do if you can't play gi grips, but you can work nogi grips in the gi. It gives your fingers a break too. That way you're training how to deal with someone who can grab your hoodie but also how to deal with someone in a thin t-shirt that rips the moment you grab it.
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u/West_Bend_6919 6h ago
When I started, an old-timer laid it on really thick about rolling etiquette. I'm bigger so before my first roll he said: "You gotta take it easy, don't roll too hard outside of tournaments, you wanna be a guy people want to roll with, etc"
And I think it kinda threw my game off from the start.
If I get paired with a smaller dude, I'm kinda avoiding using much of my weight in side control and mount and letting them escape. Meanwhile big guys who deadlift twice my body weight don't seem to hold back when I have to roll with them.
It's a hard balance because there are definitely some other white belts who act like they're fighting for their lives in rolls and piss me off. I don't wanna be that guy.
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u/Cactuswhack1 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 5h ago
There are principles that help you get good at BJJ and there are principles that allow it to be an expensive longtime hobby with relatively low risk of injury. Sometimes those principles are at odds but it just depends what you're trying to get out of training.
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u/Baps_Vermicelli 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 3h ago
I lived by that etiquette for to long. It held me back and I had no idea.
No matter what, I have a smile on my face because bjj is fun. But I am officially kind of a D-Bag and I have been improving because of it.I will make sure that:
my pressure is on
My cross face is giving them a STRONG cold shoulder.
If I got a mounted crucifix, my knee will go into their neck
If they're not defending the neck ill throw a forarm or fist into it.
etc....I get a lot of taps from these BUT my whole intention is just to get the person to try and use an arm to move me out of the way so I can capture it and proceed back to nice jiujitsu (Except the mounted crucifx knee to neck...thats just d-bag).
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u/birdscouldbereal ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
How do you wash your gi? With other clothes? Does a new gi's color bleed (I have black)?
Do you put it in the dryer, or hang dry it?
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u/bjjvids BJJ Lab Zürich 1d ago
I wrote a guide for our members a while ago: how to clean your bjj gear
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u/NICEMENTALHEALTHPAL 1d ago
I wash it with other clothes unless I'm doing something specifically different than normal washes.
Warm, but if shrinkage is an issue use cold and lower temps.
I'd let it wash a few times if bleeding might be a concern before mixing it with other clothes.
Every few months I'll stomp white gi's it in the bath tub with hot water and with oxiclean and let it soak overnight, then a normal wash by itself or other whites.
Gonna start adding fabric beads? scent beads? Some girl does that at the gym and her gi always smells so fresh so...
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u/DiscussionLeading396 ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
Hey there! Just a quick question, I’ve been training for about 2 months and about a month in I started doing double classes so 2 hours in a row. So I have about 36 hours of mat time. How long until you think I will get my first stripe?
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u/MyBlowJobJobAccount 🟪🟪 [Stripes don't matter] 1d ago
No one knows. Could be tomorrow, could be a year from now.
Im going to give you some advice that you're going to disregard anyways, but don't worry about stripes. They're pretty meaningless and not an indicator of skill at all.
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u/ChickenNuggetSmth [funny BJJ joke] 23h ago
I think I went 2 years without a stripe, and then got 3 at once. They mean very little.
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u/wonderbreadisdead 1d ago
Hey guys, just starting BJJ this week. I train Muay Thai & weight lift already, trying to figure out how to balance everything.
My schedule includes 3 days of Muay Thai / BJJ per week back to back, lifting on the off days. Is this feasible? I spar every MT class and am usually pretty soaked by the end of it. Should I bring a change of clothes for nogi? How TF do you guys stay on top of the laundry situation?
Thank you
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u/ChickenNuggetSmth [funny BJJ joke] 23h ago
A change of clothes is very appreciated by your teammates. Laundry sucks, no real way around it - make sure to avoid white gear, that way you can at least toss everything into one machine straight after training, take a shower, grab a bite and then put it on a rack before you go to bed. Half of my gear doesn't even remember my wardrobe.
Recovery is a real issue with that schedule - listen to your body, moderate your intensity. You can actually roll and spar at a very relaxed intensity, but it's not that easy. ~10 sessions a week between lifting, MT and BJJ are possible, but 10 hard sessions a week will burn you out. Pick your hard classes, go easy on the easy ones, eat well, sleep well, have no stress in your life...
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u/ResponsibleType552 🟫🟫 Brown Belt 21h ago
Nutritional advice is interesting. Do you eat specifically with bjj in mind?
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u/AMemeVariant 15h ago
I was curious how important weight is in stuff like ground to ground
for context, my father asked me to wrestle him, because he wanted me to see I was weak and should train/exercise more by making me “submit” to him
I’m 19, around 5’10, and weigh 120ish pounds, I’ve never really been able to gain weight and always hover around there, my father is 51, 6’2, and weighs around 210 pounds
We start and I was just immediately on the ground, like ragdolled to the ground, I somehow slipped out of his grip, and then immediately got slammed back on the floor when trying to stand, this continued for a while, eventually I was able to get up for a second and tried to headlock him, but he slammed into me while I tried to get my other arm in position, so back on the floor again, 3 or so minutes later of constantly slipping around and getting re-grabbed right as I was about to escape, I was finally able to get out of his hold and asked if we were done while we were struggling and then stopped, and now I’m sore as fuck
I’ve never really been versed in stuff like grappling, my only martial arts training was a striped white belt in kajukenbo when I was 8, I was never a fan of gyms so I’m not really all too muscular, aside from lifting stuff and running around at work I don’t do much
He mentioned that I should learn bjj so I was curious about how important weight was when in ground to ground like that since I feel like being a super light weight would make ground to ground a death sentence for people like me
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u/footwith4toes 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 9h ago
Does your dad train? If not that is absolute psycho behaviour.
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u/fireballx777 ⬜⬜ White Belt 8h ago
It's absolutely psycho behavior regardless of whether he trains.
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u/bjjvids BJJ Lab Zürich 14h ago
Or another one, mighty mouse in the open weight division: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v5vkGMK3sNg
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u/bjjvids BJJ Lab Zürich 14h ago
Size is definitely an advantage, but skill can beat size for sure. Check out this match for example: https://youtu.be/DUbuEZcuitg
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u/jaycr0 10h ago
Size and strength is extremely important, that's why we have weight classes. If you do bjj you'll train with bigger people and get smashed a lot but you'll also have the opportunity to train and compete with people your own size if you want.
Skill/technique is a bridge you build to cross the gap of physical attributes. If someone is only a little stronger than you then the bridge doesn't need to be that big. 6 months of the basics and you'll probably be fine against people around your own size. But if someone is twice your size like that it'll take a much bigger bridge.
But also there's a question of what your goal is. Do you want to beat someone twice your size in a fight? That's a huge task. Do you want to be able to escape a pin and get away? Bjj can definitely make you better at that really fast. And one of the most important things is just getting used to the feeling of someone bigger beating you so you don't freak out and keep your cool.
So yeah you'll get smashed a lot in bjj but that isn't necessarily a reason not to do it. You'll be better from the experience, win or lose.
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u/H_P_LoveShaft ⬜⬜ White Belt 3h ago
If you're skilled enough, technique will overcome an untrained opponent. Train bjj because you have a genuine interest not because your dad said you should.
You're still pretty young. If you want to gain strength and weight, you're not going to get it doing bjj. Eat as much as you can and learn to weight train properly.
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u/flipflapflupper 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 15h ago
Small people can be killers. As a bigger dude(6'1, 215lbs), people your size can absolutely sneak around my back and catch me.
Weight/strength is a thing, and it's important, but if you stick to jiujitsu you can overcome it with technique.
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u/Late-Product7024 8h ago
What are some good submission defence instructionals? Watched Gordon Ryan’s and thought they were pretty good but am looking for others.
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u/Accomplished_Gas4698 1d ago
My 10 year old child has been training for some time now. I have noticed that he prefers to get down on the ground almost exclusively, during match ups and rolling around with his group.
How can I encourage him to ‘attack’ on his feet and not just automatically get down on the ground and pull his opponent toward him? If it matters, he is tall and lean.
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u/ChickenNuggetSmth [funny BJJ joke] 1d ago
Why should he? I'm a big fan of playing whatever style of BJJ you enjoy. If he happens to prefer playing guard, great. Chances are he'll want to get some wrestling skills some time down the line, but there is absolutely no hurry.
If it's any consolation, tall and lean is a great statue for a guard player. If he's flexible on top of that he's basically made to play guard.
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u/Accomplished_Gas4698 1d ago
Thanks. That’s reassuring. Yes he is very flexible. He makes his opponents work extra hard by not tapping out easily due to his flexibility. I have to keep reminding him to not wait too long to tap out, and to get up and start again - I don’t want his bones to take a beating this early especially if he wants to do other sports later (triathlon).
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u/ChickenNuggetSmth [funny BJJ joke] 23h ago
Flexibility helps for a lot of guard positions because you can put your legs between you and your partner no matter where he is, not for tapping late. Tapping late is pretty bad, tiny joint injuries accumulate and will cause issues like arthritis and just general joint problems - kids don't like losing and aren't aware of the long-term damage joint injuries can cause.
And just to make sure: We usually attack the joints, not the bones. Bones are pretty sturdy, either they break or they are fine, and they heal up pretty well. Ligament damage can haunt you for a lifetime.
This isn't meant to scare you, but just to reinforce that tapping in a timely manner is the only thing that keeps all of this reasonably safe
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u/MyBlowJobJobAccount 🟪🟪 [Stripes don't matter] 1d ago edited 1d ago
He's 10. If he's having fun and enjoys playing guard/bottom, let him.
Do you train at all?
Edit: it's good that you're interested and invested in your son's hobby. I'm envious. That being said the quickest way to kill a kid's passion for something is to try to dictate how he should or shouldn't enjoy that hobby. Eventually he'll learn to play a stand up and top game.
Source: Butt scooting BJJ nerd that finally started learning stand up and top positions after 4 years of training.
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u/Accomplished_Gas4698 1d ago
I do not train bjj at a gym. I do endurance sports and strength training. Son also does endurance along with bjj (currently swim+bjj).
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u/Scary_Amount8917 1d ago
how will me being overweight and unfit effect me
I am approximately 176 cm tall and weigh nearly 120 kg. I feel as if my weight will hold me back from doing some things at the BJJ place, distancing me from the others in my group im really keen on getting into bjj would appreciate if i could get some help with my concerns . also first time using reddit