Learning BJJ faster
The biggest tip I would have for learning Brazilian Jiu-jitsu faster is to take ownership of your own progress. Don’t just go to class and learn what your coach shows the group. The reason this isn’t ideal is because at any given time, you have a few specific things that you need to work on. The chance that what the coach decides to show everyone in a group class matches what you specifically need to work on is low.
You need to figure out what you need to work on. No one else can do that for you. When you roll, be mindful of what happens. What did you do well and what did you not do well? Any time there’s a situation where you are consistently having problems, it’s your responsibility to notice that that situation is a problem and figure out how to fix it. For example, if one person consistently gets you in the baseball choke from knee on belly, you need to figure out how to stop it. This may involve asking your coach or asking the person who’s choking you. It may also involve looking on the Internet or instructionals.
Once you have an idea for something to try, you have to try it. If it doesn’t work, figure out why or figure out something else to try. This is an iterative process that may take months. As you adapt, your opponents also adapt, so it becomes harder.
The hardest part of this whole process is actually in the beginning, to be mindful enough when rolling to determine that you have a particular problem at all. After you roll, do you remember what happened at a detailed level? If not, start developing that ability now and it will pay off big over time.
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