Jiu Jitsu Techniques for Beginners: A Detailed Guide
Welcome to the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)! Whether you're just starting out or are curious about this martial art, understanding some fundamental techniques is essential. In this post, we'll dive into the key techniques you should focus on as a white belt, emphasizing critical areas to pay attention to for effective execution. Our focus shall be the elbow escape and the closed guard position, along with some insights into effective strangleholds.
Technique 1: The Elbow Escape
The elbow escape is an indispensable technique in Jiu Jitsu, especially when you find yourself pinned by an opponent. This technique involves using your elbows and hips to create space and reposition your legs to escape from under your opponent.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Positioning Your Elbows and Arms
- Initial Position: Assume you're pinned under your opponent. Your elbows should be close to your body, not flared out. This compact positioning helps you defend against their movements and protect your ribs.
- Frame Across the Hip: Place one forearm across your opponent's hip, creating a frame. This will help you control their lower body movement.
- Inside Knee Frame: Simultaneously, slip your other hand to frame inside their knee, further controlling their lower body.
- Shifting Hips and Turning
- Turn onto Your Side: Begin turning onto one of your sides by pushing against the frames you've established. This shift in position is crucial for creating space.
- Raise Your Foot: Bring the foot of your top leg higher than the knee for better leverage.
- Escape and Re-establish Control
- Shift the Hips: Use the space created to slide your hips out from under your opponent. This movement will help you reclaim a more neutral position.
- Transition to Closed Guard: Finally, bring your legs around your opponent's waist and closed guard position. This sets you up to defend and even counter-attack better.
Critical Areas to Focus On
- Elbow Position: Keeping your elbows close to your body is vital for creating effective frames and protecting against strikes or submissions.
- Hip Movement: Effective hip movement will determine the success of the escape. Practice shifting your hips smoothly and efficiently.
- Framing: Strong frames with your arms across the hip and inside the knee are the keys to controlling your opponent's movements and creating necessary space.
Technique 2: The Closed Guard Position
The closed guard is a fundamental position in Jiu-Jitsu that allows you to control your opponent despite being on your back. It's vital for setting up submissions and sweeps.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Initial Position and Grip
- Closed Guard Setup: Start by wrapping your legs around your opponent's waist. Your ankles should be crossed.
- Break the Grip: If your opponent has grips on your gi or arms, break them. This gives you better control and sets you up for attacks.
- Control Your Opponent’s Upper Body
- Cross Cuff Grip: Take a cross-cuff grip on your opponent’s gi. This involves grabbing the fabric on their sleeve, crossing their arm over their body.
- Move to an Advantageous Position: Use your legs to elevate your hips, making space and extending your opponent. Keep your head higher than theirs.
- Executing Techniques from the Closed Guard
- Get Higher than Your Opponent: Unweight your bottom leg, slide around, and aim to get your chest higher than your opponent’s. This will help in transitioning to more dominant positions, like taking their back.
- Strangulation Setup: From here, you can move into strangulation techniques using the gi lapel.
Critical Areas to Focus On
- Legs and Hips: Your leg strength and hip movement are crucial. Practice squeezing your thighs to keep your closed guard tight.
- Breaking Grips: If you can’t break your opponent’s grips, you’ll struggle to execute other techniques. Focus on practicing grip breaks frequently.
- Maintaining Head Position: Always aim to get your head higher than your opponent’s. This gives you better leverage and control.
The Art of Strangulation with the Gi Lapel
Strangulation techniques are advanced moves that leverage the gi lapel to create intense pressure.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Preparing the Lapel
- Remove Slack: The key to a successful stranglehold is removing slack from the lapel. This ensures it’s tight and effective.
- 2 on 1 Lapel Feed: Use both hands to feed the lapel and create a strong grip.
- Applying the Stranglehold
- Lapels as Murderer's Rope: Treat the lapels like a murderer's rope. Tension is critical.
- Leg Involvement: Utilize your legs to create additional pressure, elevating your hips as you tighten the lapels around your opponent’s neck.
Critical Areas to Focus On
- Tightness: Removing slack is non-negotiable for strangleholds. Practice feeding the lapel with precision and maintaining tight control.
- Leg Pressure: Use your legs, much like in the closed guard, to add pressure and control your opponent.
Conclusion
Mastering these foundational techniques ensures you have a solid base in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Always remember to practice these movements with focus on the critical areas, as they are key to executing each technique effectively. Happy rolling, and see you on the mats!