Hey there, fellow BJJ enthusiasts! Alex "The Strategist" Johnson here, ready to dive into another exciting topic close to my heart - the fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As a seasoned BJJ practitioner, I can't stress enough the importance of mastering the basics. 

• Today I'll be covering the 8 Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals every white belt should know. 

Whether you're a newbie white belt or a seasoned practitioner, understanding and mastering the fundamentals of BJJ is crucial. These are the building blocks that will form the basis of your BJJ journey, and trust me; they'll come in handy in every role.

Here's a quick overview:

• The Importance of Posture
• Basic Guard Positions
• Basic Guard Passes
• Basic Submissions
• Basic Sweeps
• Basic Takedowns
• Basic Escapes
• The Concept of Position Before Submission

So, let's get started and remember to enjoy the process. Oss!

1. The Importance of Posture

Ah, posture! It's one of those words you'll hear repeatedly in the BJJ world. And for a good reason - maintaining a good posture is a fundamental aspect of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It's the backbone (pun intended) of your defense and offense in BJJ.

Why is Posture Important in BJJ?

In BJJ, posture refers to the alignment and positioning of your body, particularly your spine. A good posture allows you to resist your opponent's attempts to break your balance, control your movements, or apply submissions. It also enables you to generate power for your attacks and moves.

Here are some key reasons why posture is crucial in BJJ:

• Balance: A good posture helps you maintain your balance, making it harder for your opponent to sweep or take you down.
• Strength: When properly aligned, your body can generate more power and stability in your movements.
• Defense: A strong posture makes it difficult for your opponent to apply submissions or control you.
• Mobility: You can move more freely and efficiently on the mat with a good posture.

Remember to keep that spine straight and strong every time you roll, just like a tall oak tree. It's not always easy, especially when you're in the heat of a sparring session, but trust me, it's worth it.

In the next sections, I'll guide you through fundamentals where maintaining a good posture is crucial. So, stay tuned!

2. Basic Guard Positions

Let's dive into the world of guard positions, my friends. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the guard is a ground grappling place where you're on your back, and your opponent is between your legs.

• It's a defensive position, but it also offers various offensive opportunities.

Understanding the Guard in BJJ

The guard is one of the unique aspects of BJJ that sets it apart from other martial arts. It's a position that allows you to control your opponent, set up sweeps, and apply submissions, even when you're on your back.

Here are some of the basic guard positions that every white belt should know:

1. Closed Guard: This is the most basic guard position where you're on your back, and your legs are wrapped around your opponent's waist, with your ankles crossed. The closed guard offers excellent control and numerous submission opportunities.
2. Open Guard: In the open guard, your legs are not crossed around your opponent's waist. Instead, you control your opponent's body using your legs and feet. The open guard is a dynamic position that offers various sweeps and submissions.
3. Half Guard: The half guard is a position where you control one of your opponent's legs between your legs. It's a versatile position that can be used for defensive and offensive purposes.

The guard is not just a defensive position. It's a launching pad for attacks. So, don't lie there - use your hips, legs and keep your opponent off-balance.

3. Basic Guard Passes

After basic guard positions, let's move on to guard passes.

• Guard passing is an essential skill in BJJ that every white belt should learn early on.
• It's maneuvering around your opponent's guard to establish a dominant position.

Why is Guard Passing Important in BJJ?

Guard passing is a fundamental aspect of BJJ. It's the key to advancing your position and getting closer to submission. Plus, successfully passing your opponent's guard can earn you points.

Here are some of the basic guard passes that every white belt should know:

• Torreando Pass (Bullfighter Pass): This pass involves gripping your opponent's pants near the knees, stepping back to stretch out their legs, and quickly moving to one side to pass their guard.

• Knee Slice Pass: In this pass, you use one of your knees to slice through your opponent's guard, enabling you to move to a more dominant position.

• Stack Pass: The stack pass involves lifting and folding your opponent onto their neck, making it difficult for them to maintain their guard.
• Leg Drag Pass: This pass involves controlling one of your opponent's legs and dragging it across your body as you move to side control or mount.

Always keep in mind - guard passing is a complex skill that requires timing, precision, and a good understanding of your opponent's reactions.

It's not something you'll master overnight, but with consistent practice, you'll start to see improvements.

4. Basic Submissions

Submissions are techniques that force your opponent to tap out due to pain or the threat of injury.

• They are the end goal of most BJJ matches and are crucial to your BJJ arsenal.

Why are Submissions Important in BJJ?

Submissions are the ultimate goal in BJJ. They allow you to end a match decisively by forcing your opponent to tap out. Mastering submissions is a key part of becoming a proficient BJJ practitioner.

Here are some of the basic submissions that every white belt should know:

• Rear Naked Choke (RNC): This chokehold is applied from an opponent's back. The goal is to cut off blood flow to the brain, causing the opponent to lose consciousness if they don't tap out.

• Guillotine Choke: This submission is performed from the bottom position, usually from the guard. It involves trapping the opponent's head and one arm inside your legs and applying pressure to the neck.

• Armbar: The armbar is a joint lock that targets the elbow. It involves isolating an arm and applying pressure to the elbow joint, causing pain and potentially damaging it if the opponent doesn't tap out.

• Triangle Choke: This is a chokehold applied from the front. It involves trapping the opponent's head under your arm and applying pressure to the throat.
• Kimura: The Kimura is a shoulder lock that involves bending the opponent's arm behind their back and applying pressure to the shoulder joint.

The key to effective submissions is not just knowing the steps but understanding the principles behind them. It's about leverage, timing, and positioning.

And most importantly, it's about practice - the more you drill these submissions, the better you'll get at them.

Remember, these are just the basics. There are many more submissions to learn as you progress in BJJ. 

5. Basic Escapes

Escapes are another fundamental aspect of BJJ that every white belt should be familiar with.

• They are techniques used to get out of a bad position or to escape a submission attempt.

Mastering escapes can often mean the difference between winning and losing a match.

Why are Escapes Important in BJJ?

In BJJ, you will often find yourself in bad positions or under the threat of submission. Knowing how to escape these situations is crucial.

It allows you to turn the tables on your opponent and can often be the difference between winning and losing a match.

Here are some of the basic escapes that every white belt should know:

• Bridge and Roll Escape (Mount Escape): This escape is used to get out of the mount position. It involves bridging to off-balance your opponent and rolling them over to reverse the situation.

• Elbow-Knee Escape (Mount and Side Control Escape): This escape can be used to escape both the mount and side control positions. It involves creating space by moving your hips and bringing your knee and elbow together to protect your body.

• Rear-Naked Choke Escape: This escape is used to defend against the rear naked choke. It involves protecting your neck, turning into your opponent, and fighting their hooks.

• Guillotine Choke Escape: This escape is used to defend against the guillotine choke. It involves posturing to relieve pressure on your neck and then passing your opponent's guard.
• Armbar Escape: This escape is used to defend against the armbar. It involves stacking your opponent to relieve pressure on your arm and then pulling your arm out.

6. Basic Drills

Drills are exercises that help you practice and perfect your BJJ techniques. They are a crucial part of any BJJ training regimen and especially important for white belts still learning the basics.

Why are Drills Important in BJJ?

Drills allow you to practice your techniques in a controlled environment. They help you develop muscle memory, improve timing, and increase your understanding of BJJ techniques.

They are a key part of improving your BJJ skills.

Here are some of the basic drills that every white belt should know:

• Shrimping Drill: This drill helps you practice the shrimping movement, which is crucial for escaping bad positions in BJJ.
• Bridging Drill: This drill helps you practice the bridging movement, which is used in many escapes and sweeps in BJJ.
• Guard Passing Drill: This drill helps you practice passing the guard, a fundamental aspect of BJJ.
• Submission Drills: These drills help you practice your submissions. You can do exercises for any request, but starting with the basic recommendations like the rear naked choke, triangle choke, and armbar is a good idea.
• Escaping Drills: These drills help you practice your escapes. Like submission drills, you can do evading exercises for any position or submission, but starting with the basics is a good idea.

7. Positional Control

Positional control is a fundamental concept in BJJ that every white belt should understand and practice. It refers to maintaining a dominant position over your opponent and preventing them from escaping or reversing the situation.

Why is Positional Control Important in BJJ?

In BJJ, achieving and maintaining a dominant position over your opponent is often more important than attempting a submission. This is because a dominant position allows you to control your opponent and opens opportunities for offers.

Without positional control, your attempts at submissions are likely to fail.

Here are some of the basic concepts of positional control that every white belt should know:

1. Maintaining Base and Balance: This involves keeping your weight centered and preventing your opponent from off-balancing you and reversing the position.
2. Applying Pressure: This involves using your weight and positioning to make your opponent uncomfortable and limit their movement.
3. Preventing and Countering Escapes: This involves anticipating your opponent's escape attempts and countering them to maintain your position.
4. Transitioning Between Positions: This involves moving from one dominant position to another while maintaining control over your opponent.
5. Setting Up Submissions: Using your positional control to set up and execute submissions.

As you continue your journey in BJJ, you'll discover that these concepts are just the tip of the iceberg. A whole world of strategies and techniques is waiting for you to explore.

But for now, these fundamentals will serve as your roadmap, guiding you as you navigate the exciting world of BJJ. So, strap on your gi, tie your belt, and let's roll onto the next technique!

8. Developing a Game Plan

The final fundamental that every white belt should know is the importance of developing a game plan. This is a strategic approach to your training and competition that aligns with your strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

Why is a Game Plan Important in BJJ?

A game plan helps you focus your training on specific techniques and strategies that suit your body type, skill level, and personal preferences.

It provides direction and purpose to your workout, allowing you to progress more efficiently.

Here's how you can start developing your game plan:

• Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses: Understand what you're good at and where you need improvement. This self-awareness will guide your training.

• Choose Techniques That Suit You: Focus on techniques that align with your strengths and work on improving areas where you're weak.

• Set Clear Goals: Whether mastering a specific technique or winning a local tournament, having clear goals will motivate you.

• Seek Guidance from Coaches and Teammates: Don't be afraid to ask for help. Your coaches and teammates can provide valuable insights and support.
• Continuously Evaluate and Adjust: Your game plan should evolve as you grow in BJJ. Regularly assess your progress and make necessary adjustments.

I remember when I was a white belt, feeling lost and overwhelmed by the vast array of techniques and strategies in BJJ. It was only when I sat down with my coach and developed a game plan that things started to click.

We focused on key techniques that suited my body type and playing style, and I began to see real progress. That game plan became my roadmap, guiding me through BJJ's complex and exciting world.

So, dear reader, as you embark on your BJJ journey, don't underestimate the power of a well-thought-out game plan. It's not just about learning random techniques; it's about building a cohesive strategy that will lead you to success on the mats. 

The Verdict

And there you have it, the 8 Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals that every white belt should know. From understanding the importance of drilling and positional control to developing a game plan, these fundamentals will guide you as you embark on your BJJ journey.

Always keep in mind - BJJ is not a sprint; it's a marathon. It's a journey of continuous learning and self-improvement. So, take your time, enjoy the process, and don't rush your progress.

As the old saying goes:

"A black belt is a white belt who never quit."

I hope you found this guide helpful. If you did, please share it with your fellow BJJ practitioners. Who knows, it might just be the guide they need to navigate their BJJ journey.

And if you have any questions or want to share your BJJ experiences, feel free to comment below. Here at BJJ Informer, I love hearing from readers.

So, keep training, keep learning, and keep rolling. Oss!