BJJ Rolling Guide for Beginners

heel hooks/kneebars are illegal with a gi

in no gi they're fair game.
 
I would add that they shouldn't be playing guard versus people who started the same time as them. Usually you see two guys just sitting in guard for five minutes straight because the guy holding the guard knows 1-2 submissions which isn't enough to create something from, and the guy who wants to break the guard has been taught 1-2 shitty guardbreakers i.e the "rub their nerve" which is some retarded shit to ever teach someone at all.

It is just a stupid waste of time to not let go of your guard and try to grow as a fighter, instead of trying to tap 3 times less. You obviously don't have to open it on purpose but risk that armbar or triangle, you will learn a lot more from that than from just sitting there like a tool.

This doesn't apply to when you spar against more experienced people as then you won't keep your guard anyhow and you'll learn how to defend real guard breakers.
 
So here's one I've never really quite understood. How much pressure to use in knee on belly? My instructor puts most of his weight on his based out foot and , it seems, only enough weight on his knee to keep me in place. Some of the blues and purples though clearly view my torso as an inconvenient impediment between their knee and the floor and treat it as such. Is there any convention here?
 
Whats funny to me is its not the white belts or newbs that do these things to me its always new purple belts or upper blues...
 
MrCreosote said:
So here's one I've never really quite understood. How much pressure to use in knee on belly? My instructor puts most of his weight on his based out foot and , it seems, only enough weight on his knee to keep me in place. Some of the blues and purples though clearly view my torso as an inconvenient impediment between their knee and the floor and treat it as such. Is there any convention here?
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Basically if you are rolling close to 100% then 100% of the pressure is okay, if you are rolling 50% then around 50% is okay.

Though if you are rolling 50% and you get knee-on-belly'd and don't want to get it off of you, then it is okay for them to gradually go up to 100% until you give up opportunities for them by reacting to it.

A lot of people ruin the rolls by not reacting to things like that when you flowroll/roll lighter. If you don't then you set yourself up for inconvenient things like that.
 
Lol I could've used this earlier. When I just started, I did a Coleman-esque neck crank on my partner. Needless to say, I was pretty embarassed and kind of ashamed.
 
td82394 said:
Lol I could've used this earlier. When I just started, I did a Coleman-esque neck crank on my partner. Needless to say, I was pretty embarassed and kind of ashamed.
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:icon_chee I think we all did shit wrong. People started using leg-locks and wrist-locks on me, I was like wth is this, they are jealous. Then I realized I was rolling 100%, obviously all proud about how I "almost never lost".
 
MrCreosote said:
So here's one I've never really quite understood. How much pressure to use in knee on belly? My instructor puts most of his weight on his based out foot and , it seems, only enough weight on his knee to keep me in place. Some of the blues and purples though clearly view my torso as an inconvenient impediment between their knee and the floor and treat it as such. Is there any convention here?
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knee on the belly is actually a shin across on the belly. most of the weigh would be on the foot and enough to pin uke. there should be no gap between your feet and his belly.

I do not see the need to put your knee on someone torso just to create discomfort.
 
I seriously think that beginners shouldn't be doing submissions. How many times have you seen white belts desperately holding onto some futile submission attempt? It's dangerous, a waste of time, and it's not really jiu-jitsu. They should be focusing on movement. Sweeps, passes, escapes, and holding position. That's what makes jiu-jitsu different from "grappling." The submissions are gravy. I would have progressed faster if I didn't do submissions for at least a year when I started.
 
Good thread, as a newbie I definitely struggle with going 50% where required, but will make an effort.
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P.s. regarding only doing subs after several years I agree that the majority of my mat time should be dedicated to sweeps, passes etc but think you have to teach us newbies everything, especially when you spend most of your first 6 months on the bottom anyway there is plenty of time to practise your escapes etc. Also with the biggest problem in bjj being people dropping out in the first 6-12 months I dont disagree that they should be more focussed on sweeps but i think by not letting them learn subs this problem would be much worse. Anyway, this is not really related to the original post.
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Balto said:
Choke/neck crank combinations (some guillotines, some arm triangles, head squeezing, etc.)
Hard crossfacing (pushing directly on your partner's face)
Choking the jaw/face (applying a choke over top of your partner's tucked chin)
Smothering (using your body or gi to obstruct your partner's breathing)
Pressure points (digging elbows into the thigh, digging knuckles into the ribs, etc.)

If you are unsure about anything discussed above, ask the instructor for clarification. If that is not possible at the time, just relax and flow with your partner.

Above all, try to learn and have fun.
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I totally agree with this one and I wish other people in my gym did too. The only thing is this was the first Guard Pass my coach taught us but I never use it... My thighs are pretty much used to it meaning it hurts but I don't bruise anymore lol...

Nice advise BALTO I hope some of these guys retain this information and use these common courtesies more often in the gym..... Makes rolling a hell of a lot more enjoyable.
 
Great post TS, wish someone had posted this in my gym. My first day of rolling i told my i opponent i knew nothing, and he told me just to attempt submissions i had seen others do. I immediately applied a Mark Kerr -esque neck crank and was given a speech on the softness of bjj, instead of them telling my why neck cranks are a bad idea.
 
Totally disagree with smothering. I'm out of shape right now, and I use it to my advantage when I get to half guard by plopping my belly down over my opponents mouth and nose until he allows me to get my leg out. Works every time.
 
dig420 said:
Totally disagree with smothering. I'm out of shape right now, and I use it to my advantage when I get to half guard by plopping my belly down over my opponents mouth and nose until he allows me to get my leg out. Works every time.
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If you are the "big guy" at your gym then it is the most retarded thing I ever heard, but if you are skinny and got a very good technique to always succeed at choking them like that then it is a good idea.
 
Good guide.

I wish there was a similar guide at my judo club. There was an MMA guy last week who was much bigger and stronger than me, which isn't a problem. But he went 110% during nagewaza and newaza randori, really agressive. He seemed to know what he was doing but I was covered in scratches and brusies after class.

It's training ffs :)

Don't know if it's been added but I hate it when new guys "make-up" submissions by awkwardly forcing your limbs into painful but not tap-worthy positions. One rule should be to only use legitimate submissions. Although, they're beginners so it's easier said than done. Nearly got cauli once cos a guy scissored my head with his legs lol.

Also - stalemates. I've been in situations in BJJ where I'm on top against much stronger new guys and they hold on to one of my arms like a death grip and refuse to let go. Sometimes it may be due to my oWn poor technique but sometimes I have ask them to let go because neither of us are gaining anything from it.
 
Lasse said:
If you are the "big guy" at your gym then it is the most retarded thing I ever heard, but if you are skinny and got a very good technique to always succeed at choking them like that then it is a good idea.
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I just grab them by the back of the head and pull them into my flab, then bury their whole head in my gut until they suffocate. It's an irresistible technique, I plan to use it in MMA.
 
quick question can i throw my gi in the dryer???
 
^you can, if you want it to shrink. i never dry mine. i can wear an a3 and never dry it, or buy a4 and dry it to fit. just gotta figure out whats right for you.
 
Actually, I just came in here to give Balto a heartfelt thanks for really stepping up in this forum and doing something meaningful.

Well done sir!!!
 
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