How to Jiu Jitsu
There are a few key things that will make your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu easier and enjoyable. They revolve around two key concepts, learning about what it takes to be a good training partner for others and the mindset it takes to improve faster.
Being a great training partner for others will increase the likelihood you will be asked to spar with others, including from the higher belts.
The perfect UKE
All martial arts always glorify the champions but to become a champion or proficent in and martial art, you need a team. To learn BJJ, you need partners to drill techniques and partners to roll with to hone the techniques in a live environment.
When you first learn a technique, you ingrain it into your body by drilling the technique 100s of time with a training partner who lets you drill the technique on them, also known as an UKE (meaning to receive).
Being a good UKE is an important part of training BJJ. Following these simple rules will keep you on the right track:
What is the role of the UKE
Your job, as the UKE is to help your training partner drill and learn techniques, not your chance to test out a counter and show how much you know. There is always a counter to every technique, now is not the time to do them, your role as UKE is to provide your partner a compliant to drill and engrain the technique. After 10,000 reps, you can start throwing some counters in there. Sparring is the time to test out your counters and different techniques.
When drilling, drill the technique the instructor demonstrated – drilled it 5 times already? think you have it down packed? you don’t. Keep drilling it until the timer stops. Don’t start drilling variations or counters or other techniques you may have seen on youtube – thats for open mat/sparring.
Sparring
Sparring also known as “Rolling” in BJJ is what separates BJJ from most other martial arts. BJJ is one of the few martial arts that you can practise techniques against your partner at 100% intensity safely. If you decide to train BJJ you will definitely come across the term “The mats don’t lie”, this is where this term comes from.
Because you are able to train all your techniques at 100% intensity against a partner also going 100%, you will never get a false sense of where your skills are truly at.