American readers: Happy Independence Day! Non-American readers: Happy weekend! Jiu Jiu’s Note: Big news in my household: we are NOT moving this fall. My husband’s orders were rescinded, as the band he was going to move to is shutting down. Most likely in response to this amendment which would ban military bands from playing any […]
You are browsing archives for
Tag: White Belts
BJJ: Should I Quit Jiu-Jitsu Part 1 – I’m not good
Welcome back! I recently had a comment on my blog that I wanted to address: I just started Bjj […] I’m almost in my third month. I can’t seem to get a submission, though I get caught plenty. I don”t get it. I have some strength, so flexibility, and I try my best to listen […]
BJJ: When are Belt Demotions Okay?
At their heart, belt demotions signify that someone’s previous rank was believed too generous, and they are no longer recognized at that rank. Unfortunately, they can also have political motivation, and very often they are a trope in BJJ Soap Operas, as they generate lots of High Drama. BELT DEMOTIONS BY INSTRUCTORS Standards Based “BJJ […]
BJJ: Advice for a Panicked but Excited Beginner
Dear Jiu Jiu, I just started doing BJJ. Basically, I don’t know anything about anything, and I’m wondering if I made the right choice as far as a school goes. I don’t know anyone here on a personal level that can give me advice and honest opinions about starting BJJ. I don’t want to ask […]
BJJ: Starting Jiu Jitsu Late in Life
JiuJiu’s note: This was written by Flossie, an older woman in BJJ. It serves as a nice companion piece to “To the Fat Person Googling Jiu Jitsu.” Along with the question of “Am I too fat to do Jiu Jitsu?” I very often see people ask “Am I too old to do Jiu Jitsu?” I […]
White Belts Behaving Badly Online
There are so many posts for white belts about what not to do in class, advice on how to approach class, and even pages with several links about classroom do’s and don’ts; however, there’s not quite so much advice about white belt etiquette online. After an amusing thread over on jiujitsuforums.com, I wanted to give […]
What to do with baby white belts?
How does your school handle baby white belts? I was scouting out BJJ academies to visit during my vacation home and I came across Cassio Werneck’s gym. More specifically, I came across their school guidelines and read something interesting: The white belt stripe rules break down as follows: 0 & 1 stripe: Only permitted to […]
Just go to class
Dirtyrancher, a member of Jiu Jitsu Forums has as his signature: Answer: Just go to class. I realized today the connection between playing an instrument and doing BJJ: Practice makes perfect. “If I miss a day of practice, I know it. If I miss two days, my manager knows it. If I miss three days, […]
The cast of female characters
I’m proud to say there are 7 women at my [former] BJJ gym. Of them, I’m the only American. The rest are Korean. There are a lot of differences between us, and I’m sure that many are culturally based. The women are MUCH less aggressive than any women I’ve ever met. They are shy and […]
“I don’t understand”
In my classes with teachers and anyone learning English, I try to teach them not to say “I don’t understand” because it blocks communication. What I mean is that by saying “I don’t understand” you throw up a wall and the person has to start all over again. Instead I try to have them rephrase […]