Stay a Beginner

When I was competing in Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing, coaches would say over and over again “you can never exhaust the basics”. At conferences I would see beginners attending advanced workshops in the hopes of improving their dancing without realizing that the best dancers were actually going back to beginner classes. Why? To work on their basics. “Don’t focus on extravagant moves until your basics are clean. Solid technique wins over flashy moves”. I took their advice and it served me well. Regularly drilling basic techniques is what will get you to the top in any practice.

Another advice I brought to my Jiu-Jitsu is something I learned as a yoga teacher. Regardless of how long you’ve been training, arrive to every class as a beginner. What that means is you train your mind to stay hungry and ready to absorb the knowledge offered even if you already know what is being taught. Each teacher adds something of themselves into what they teach and for that reason alone, no matter how many times you’ve seen a move, there will be something new to learn, particular to that teacher. It could be a small detail that gives you an advantage. Avoid a slippery slope thinking, “I already know this. I’ve done it a million times.” A dismissive attitude closes up your mind and takes you out of learning mode. It will be difficult to retain anything from class with such mentality.

Jiu-Jitsu is a life long practice. If we manage to stay open minded we will continuously learn, and in that sense, live in the sponge-like learning mindset of a beginner.

If you are just starting out on your Jiu-Jitsu journey, this is the issue for you. If you are a seasoned Jiujiteira, this is also the issue for you. Girls in Gis, the premier organization that has been supporting women in Jiu-Jitsu for over a decade, has put together a straightforward Beginner’s Guide to BJJ packed with great advice. This is the roadmap every Jiujiteira needs! Rush to page 12 to read it.

Before you dive into this issue, take a moment to admire our beautiful cover photo by the talented photographer of the Jiu-Jitsu stars, Blanca Marisa Garcia. The cover features Gabrielle McComb versus Amanda “Tubby” Alequin at Pan Championship 2020. An exciting match that McComb won albeit Alequin’s superb performance. The match displays excellent technique and artistry by both competitors that will inspire you to ’embrace the suck’ and keep training. You can watch the video by scanning this QR code with your phone’s camera.

Happy reading! Oss.

– Evelyn Sutton