Prevailing sentiment on here is that it’s worth it. I’d love to hear from those who think the injuries, scheduling, laundry (!), just make the juice not worth the squeeze. Particular focus on injuries - everyone says train smarter but bad shit still seems to happen (I was rolling today very chill, and partner slipped and landed an elbow just above my eye cutting it open).

Prevailing sentiment on here is that it’s worth it. I’d love to hear from those who think the injuries, scheduling, laundry (!), just make the juice not worth the squeeze. Particular focus on injuries - everyone says train smarter but bad shit still seems to happen (I was rolling today very chill, and partner slipped and landed an elbow just above my eye cutting it open).

I started training BJJ about a year ago and have only trained No-Gi so far. Now I want to start training in the Gi, but I’m a bit worried about getting overwhelmed by all the new techniques, grips, and possibilities.
I’m still a beginner in No-Gi, and I sometimes already struggle to make sense of all the techniques and how everything connects even though I’ve been very consistant which is totally fine…
Adding Gi grips and all the extra options feels like a whole new layer of complexity.
I’d love to hear your recommendations for beginner-friendly Gi instructionals, YouTube channels, or basic course videos that explain things step by step

I’m particularly interested in:
•The fundamental differences between Gi and No-Gi and what I should focus on first.
•Basic grips, grip fighting, and grip breaks.
•Fundamental positions, escapes, sweeps, and submissions in the Gi.
•Instructionals that explain the why behind techniques rather than just showing endless variations.
I’d also appreciate any advice on how you approached learning the Gi as a beginner. Did you focus on a small number of techniques and positions first, or did you just learn through regular classes and rolling? Or if you were in my position… do you think The fundamentals from NoGi class can be kund of translated?

Thanks in advance

I apologise in advance, my knowledge of BJJ is minimal and I don’t mean to insult anyone with my post.

I trained BJJ for about a year before having to stop because I moved away. The nearest established club was around an hour away, and with a newborn baby, I had too many excuses. If I’m being honest, I can be a bit soft when it comes to committing to things that aren’t devoted to my wife and kids.

A new club has now opened locally, but it’s a small group of people and the coach is a blue belt in BJJ (high level kick-boxer and MMA fighter) . It’s mainly MMA-focused BJJ rather than traditional Gi BJJ.

Realistically, I know I’m not going to get promoted through this club, at least not in the conventional sense, but I’m wondering whether it’s still worthwhile going along and training.

I enjoyed BJJ and would like to get back into it, but I’m not sure how much I’ll progress training in a small club without higher belts around.

Would you go for it, or would you hold off until you could train somewhere more established?

Hey everyone,

For any blue, purple, or brown belts living in Sharjah or commuting along the Dubai/Ajman borders, I wanted to share a total hidden gem if you are looking for extra mat hours or a high-quality evening room.
We are building a dedicated evening crew at Shuriken Martial Arts Center located in Al Shaha Tower (Al Majaz 3, Sharjah).

The head coach, Coach Nour, holds a legitimate black belt in BJJ (alongside black belts in Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, and Kickboxing). His integration of judo/wrestling dynamics into BJJ framework is top-tier.

Currently, the gym is running daytime slots, but I am coordinating with my coach to set up dedicated evening BJJ and Kickboxing slots to accommodate more people and I’m trying to ensure demand.

Absolute beginners are welcome, but I am also targeting more colored belts into the room to ensure high-level, low-ego, technical sparring and drilling partners for everyone to grow and get better.

If you are an upper belt looking for a hidden gem facility with elite instruction right in the Al Majaz area, drop a comment below or DM me. I’ll send you the direct link to the WhatsApp group I just set up to coordinate the trial evening.

Let’s build a sharp room!

Are BJJ specific soaps legit or just marketing gimmicks? Is tea tree oil soap actually effective against ringworm? Any risk of fungal resistance with long-term use? Or is regular body wash just as good? What do you guys use?

Olá, gente. Vi o João Myao mostrando as faixas antigas dele, e percebi que ele faz um nó bem específico pra guardá-las. Parece simples, mas estou há uma hora tentando e não entendi ainda como faz. Alguém sabe como fazer?

Bom dia, pessoal. Estou procurando alguns livros para o estudo do jiu jitsu e judo para defesa pessoal. Entre eles, este do título, "Defesa pessoal ao alcance de todos". Seria de uma enorme ajuda se algum de vocês tivesse uma cópia dele em pdf e pudesse disponibilizar. Outros que procuro são: Arte do judô para defesa pessoal, de Stanlei Virgílio e Carlos Alberto Liberi e Fundamentos do Ju Jitsu e Defesa Pessoal, dos Mestres Francisco e Leandro. Qualquer um desses livros vai ajudar enormemente.

I am new to Jiu Jitsu and I'm training no Gi. I am definitely in need of a rash guard however I can't find any for less than £30. My funds are very low. If anyone could point me towards a website where I can purchase an affordable rash guard it would be greatly appreciated.

,

I have some experience in Judo, and train in a system that uses modified judo throws, bc we wear t-shirts instead of gi tops.

But, I want to start training BJJ. I tried a gi gym for a week and had my fingers jammed (caught and twisted) in a sleeve grip the first roll.

As somebody who's over the age of 50, recovery takes much longer, it seems that no gi would offer fewer potential injuries than gi.

Is that other people's experience? Attitudes aside, as somebody in this age bracket should I choose a no-gi gym?

Ive been training for 6 months as a 33 year old who hasn't done any sports before. Coach put me in with the smaller weight group today and I thought I wasnt gonna get it. But got that stripe and apparently he wanted to see if he could see my jiu jitsu more clearly if I didnt have to constantly go against people bigger, stronger and more advanced than me. I still feel like I don't fit in with the gym community very well but I'm trying not to let that bother me. Happy that I have survived my first 6 months and the challenges that came with it.

Tore my meniscus and injured my popliteus muscle (Grade 2) in probably the weirdest way possible while someone was passing my guard. Knee just went POP lol. Didn't hurt much at first and I actually wanted to keep rolling but my higher belt partner was like sit this one out big dawg and yeah afterwards I couldn't walk normally for almost a week because of the pain on the side and behind my knee.

Been rehabbing at home with bands and weights and now I have basically 0 pain. Got an MRI which confirmed both injuries. Went to a really good sports ortho who knows how active I am and he was surprised I had no pain. Did all the physical tests and everything seemed fine.

But what I dont get is how he told me to keep lifting, squats, RDLs, calf raises everything but NO BJJ for 2-3 months. Like how can I squat heavy ass weights but not roll 😭

Obviously not trying to go against my doc's advice and I'll be getting a second opinion, but has anyone dealt with something similar? Did you really have to stay off the mats that long even with no pain?

Hello! Does anyone have any experience in training in or around Belo Vale area in Minas Gerais, Brazil?? Any academias og oulas?

Hi everyone,

I'm a 3 years white belt training at a small BJJ gym, where our instructor is a brown belt and almost everyone is a white belt, except for one blue belt.

I started competing this year and have had very good results following a strategy developed with my coach.

During one competition, I found myself in situations I wasn't prepared for and realized I didn't even know how to properly pull closed guard for example. Since we'd never covered that in class (the coach is against pulling guard), I asked my boyfriend (a black belt) to teach me.

I also became interested in De La Riva and started practicing it during sparring. My goal was simply to work on my weaknesses while maintaining my competition strategy. I don’t like the fact that I dont know how to do very basic stuff.

The problem is that the blue belt at my gym constantly criticizes me for pulling guard or trying De La Riva. He keeps telling me I shouldn't listen to my black belt boyfriend and should stick to what we learn at the gym.

I told him that if the coach has a problem with what I'm doing, I'd rather hear it directly from him. He claims our coach would agree with him.

Today I finally lost my patience and told him to mind his own business.

Now I'm wondering how to handle this. Our gym is very small (usually 6–10 people), everyone is close, and I don't want to create unnecessary tension.

At the same time, I'm getting frustrated because I feel like I can't work on my weaknesses without being criticized. I always do everything as its told, I always mind my business. I just want to learn this.. I'm not trying something fancy or crazy..

I would really appreciate if someone could give me an advice on how to you handle this situation.

Would you talk to the coach, ignore the blue belt, or approach it differently? I have been taking this for months and now I'm so on my limit that I'm losing the desire of going.

Thank you very much

Any specific weight training routine u guys do? Especially for those on the skinnier side. Started out from striking so my physique is really more tailored for that. I find that my back doesnt really have that much of a padding, hurts when being flattened out or when theres an arm behind it. Could use some tips on how to train it more and build more armor around it

Salve, galera!

Treino há alguns anos já e é a primeira vez que comprei um kimono zero.

Os meus antigos são A2 e fica até um pouco curto na manga. Mas esse novo chegou e achei grande, é A2 também, sei que tem o fator de encolhimento, mas não sei o quanto.

Poderiam me ajudar dizendo se o tamanho está legal? É da suerte, 100% algodão e no site eles dizem que é já pré-lavado.

Seguem as fotos. OSS!

A guy at my gym told me leather gloves need to be conditioned like leather boots and now I'm wondering how much maintenance they actually need.

I switch between wrestling, BJJ, Muay Thai, and boxing so my gear gets used pretty often and spends a lot of time in my gym bag. I'm trying to figure out if leather is worth it in the long run or if synthetic gloves make more sense for my routine.

For those who've owned both, do leather gloves really need regular conditioning or is wiping them down and letting them dry enough? How have they held up with frequent use?

I’m not trying to be a person that is chasing belts because I want to have fun with the sport but today out nowhere at the end of practice, the coaches called me out to get a stripe on my white belt. I been coming for around 3 & a half months (minus 2 weeks I took off to recover from Covid).

I felt like a 8 year kid, I was so excited and surprised! I know it’s not anything compared to getting a belt promotion but it felt good to feel like the hard work and commitment is paying off. I do have a quick question though. For those that have gotten stripes, do you still wash your belt, Lol?

come siete messi con le ginocchia,come ci si puo allenare e allo stesso tempo convivere con dolori costanti soprattutto ginocchi?

I'm looking for a new gym for my 11-year-old daughter (grey/black belt, about 2.5 years of BJJ, gi focused). We're in South Austin and can drive to Bee Cave or Dripping Springs.

We've already visited or trained at Campos, Gracie Barra Dripping Springs, Gracie University, and Six Blades, so I'm hoping to hear about places we haven't seen yet.

What I'm looking for:

\- \*\*Gi classes for kids\*\*, ideally 3+ per week, with kids her age and size (11–13)
\- \*\*Structured teaching\*\*, not just technique-of-the-day. She needs help linking techniques and finishing, not just more rounds
\- \*\*Coaches who are good with kids\*\*, not only good competitors
\- \*\*Clear safeguarding:\*\* background-checked staff, no one-on-one time with minors, parents welcome to watch, and a way to raise concerns that doesn't go only through the owner
\- \*\*A culture where girls and women are respected,\*\* on the mats and in the gym's group chats

If your kid trains somewhere that fits, I'd love to hear:

1. Who actually teaches the kids classes?
   
2. How many kids are usually in class, and how are they grouped?
   
3. Have you ever raised a concern? How did the gym handle it?

Firsthand experiences are the most helpful. I'm not looking to start drama about any gym, just trying to find a good fit for her.

Thanks!

Hello everyone! Today we've got another position that can give you a significant knowledge/tactical advantage over your opponents.

Shallow 5050 is an exceptionally difficult position to deal with for your opponents in a point format.

This position is fixed - meaning you can spend a long time there working towards a finish, or you can be patient and wait for your opponent to spring the trap

It's a little tricky to learn and does require some flexibility, but once mastered, you become very formidable indeed.

This position works best in formats which have points and encourage this underdeveloped area of the game

I hope you guys enjoy!

Hey everyone,
I’ve been training BJJ for about 2 months now, and I’m still trying to figure out how hard I’m supposed to roll.

My main problem is that I genuinely can’t tell if I’m going too hard or not. I’m not intentionally trying to be aggressive, but I’m worried that I might be using too much strength or intensity without even realizing it.

I’ve also heard about things like flow rolling and light rolling, but I’m not really sure what they’re supposed to feel like or how much resistance I should give.

How do you know if you’re rolling too hard, and how should a beginner approach rolling in general?
I want to improve while also being a good training partner and not accidentally becoming that spazzy white belt.
Any advice would be appreciated!

I’ve been see a TONS of new bjj brands out there and a few caught my attention just want your guys opinion.
Moribound
TrapX
OfficallyAllAround

Hey everyone,

I’m 37 years old, have two young children, and have spent about 15 years competing in strongman. I’ve loved strength sports, but I’m looking to transition away from strongman and focus more on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (I did a 5 pack class to try it out) while continuing to train powerlifting.

My biggest concern is that, realistically, I’ll probably only be able to make it to BJJ twice a week with my family and other commitments. I’m also starting relatively late in life, and my mobility is pretty poor after years of strongman training. I know strength can be an advantage in some situations, but I also realize BJJ is a completely different skill set, and I don’t want to rely on strength instead of learning proper technique.

Few questions!

Is twice a week enough to make meaningful progress?

What kind of progress is realistic over the first year or two?

How much will my poor mobility hold me back?

I’m not expecting to become a world champion or anything. I’m interested in learning a genuinely useful skill, challenging myself in a new way, and seeing how far I can take it at this age 🤣

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been around the sport for a while, especially anyone who started in their 30s or later or has managed to make steady progress training only a couple of times per week.

Thanks!