Question for the BJJ guys

Buka

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When you join a jits school, if there isn't a beginners class, you usually just join in with whatever basic is being taught in the class that night. That's pretty standard for any dojo,, regardless of style, at least in my experience.

My question - Say you were going to teach your nephew, or your friend's kid, and you were going to do it at home. You have mats and anything else you might need. What is the very first thing you teach them? Where would you start? Base? Mount? Escape mount? Shrimping? Defending the mount? Warm up exercises? (if so, particular ones?) Breakfall? Mount, then guard?

I know everything depends on how easily the student picks things up, but say they're just an average Joe. It occurred to me that I've never asked this of a Jits instructor, and I can't remember what it was we first did when we first started jits training. I'm really curious. Thanks for the help. (God knows I need it)
 

Tony Dismukes

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When you join a jits school, if there isn't a beginners class, you usually just join in with whatever basic is being taught in the class that night. That's pretty standard for any dojo,, regardless of style, at least in my experience.

My question - Say you were going to teach your nephew, or your friend's kid, and you were going to do it at home. You have mats and anything else you might need. What is the very first thing you teach them? Where would you start? Base? Mount? Escape mount? Shrimping? Defending the mount? Warm up exercises? (if so, particular ones?) Breakfall? Mount, then guard?

I know everything depends on how easily the student picks things up, but say they're just an average Joe. It occurred to me that I've never asked this of a Jits instructor, and I can't remember what it was we first did when we first started jits training. I'm really curious. Thanks for the help. (God knows I need it)

I tend to have a self-defense focus, so when I start with beginners, my first lesson is usually 1) control the distance (while standing) 2) clinch vs punches 3) basic takedown. (I'll cover a basic breakfall to go with the takedown.)

After that I go into mount escapes, basic punch defense from the guard, technical stand up, controlling top position from mount and side mount, a few simple sweeps, and a few simple submissions. After that we can start going into more positions, guard passing, and so on.
 
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Buka

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When my classes start again about second week of November, I can ask the BJJ guys?
Sure. Thanks, bro, I can use all the help I can get.
 

jezr74

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Stephen Kesting has an introduction guide. I've heard him mentioned a few times here. So checked out his site and downloaded the guide, helped me with the terminology used in posts.

If you would like a copy of it without having to go via sign up, PM me you details to send to.
 

hoshin1600

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I have only done a little ground work at the Joe Lauzon camp with his instructor. I remember doing a lot of "swimming" drills. Also lots of positioning drills going from side mount to full mount, back to side controll to north, south ect.
 
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Buka

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I tend to have a self-defense focus, so when I start with beginners, my first lesson is usually 1) control the distance (while standing) 2) clinch vs punches 3) basic takedown. (I'll cover a basic breakfall to go with the takedown.)

After that I go into mount escapes, basic punch defense from the guard, technical stand up, controlling top position from mount and side mount, a few simple sweeps, and a few simple submissions. After that we can start going into more positions, guard passing, and so on.

I like your idea of stand-up first, not because I'm a striker but because self defense usually starts with two or more folks standing.
I really like the idea of punch defense from the guard. Are you talking closed guard, or all guards?
What do you mean by "technical stand up"?
What's the first submission you usually work on with newbies?
Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. And I only have a hundred or so more questions. :)
Which basic take down do you start with, Tony?
 
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Buka

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I have only done a little ground work at the Joe Lauzon camp with his instructor. I remember doing a lot of "swimming" drills. Also lots of positioning drills going from side mount to full mount, back to side controll to north, south ect.

I'm a big fan of Joe Lauzon, seems like a class act. I was one of the judges for some of his early MMA fights when he started. You could tell he was going places.
Was it a beginners group, or did you just jump in with the others? Must of been fun either way.
 

Transk53

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When you join a jits school, if there isn't a beginners class, you usually just join in with whatever basic is being taught in the class that night. That's pretty standard for any dojo,, regardless of style, at least in my experience.

My question - Say you were going to teach your nephew, or your friend's kid, and you were going to do it at home. You have mats and anything else you might need. What is the very first thing you teach them? Where would you start? Base? Mount? Escape mount? Shrimping? Defending the mount? Warm up exercises? (if so, particular ones?) Breakfall? Mount, then guard?

I know everything depends on how easily the student picks things up, but say they're just an average Joe. It occurred to me that I've never asked this of a Jits instructor, and I can't remember what it was we first did when we first started jits training. I'm really curious. Thanks for the help. (God knows I need it)

Hey, why should I wait, nothing preventing me from popping down there. I'll take note of the post and go ask them. I have two instructors to speak to (with permission ofc) and a bunch of other guys. May even let me watch a sesh, so yeah I will do what I can Buka :)
 

Tony Dismukes

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I like your idea of stand-up first, not because I'm a striker but because self defense usually starts with two or more folks standing.
I really like the idea of punch defense from the guard. Are you talking closed guard, or all guards?
I start with closed guard because it's the easiest for beginners to defend punches from.

What do you mean by "technical stand up"?

Technical Standup


What's the first submission you usually work on with newbies?

I typically start with the Americana, Kimura, Rear Naked Choke, and Guillotine. They're relatively simple, high percentage, and they don't put you at much risk of giving up position.

Off-topic: I just noticed in your profile that you study the AMOK! system. Do you know Tim Anderson by any chance?
 

Brian R. VanCise

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I usually start with the idea of getting people to relax in grappling. First off I work some breakfalls then into scissor sweep and push sweep from the guard to the mount. Bump and Roll from the mount with a transition to half mount and an armbar. Then onto how to do an armbar against someone resisting and or grabbing their arm and several ways to circumvent that. Then defense for the armbar both early and late game. Which typically gets us back in the guard and then I go into guard passes to crossbody or side control and then the hip switch to the mount and knee driven method to the mount. Then I introduce a bent arm lock from the mount and the defense against it. At some point I work in striking from the mount and taking the back when they roll over or turtle and then the rear naked choke as well as several defenses against the rear naked choke. Lots of relaxation and making sure guy's are just loose and working their technique and not muscling things.
 

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Buka

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Off-topic: I just noticed in your profile that you study the AMOK! system. Do you know Tim Anderson by any chance?

I'm not sure. My retention of names isn't what it used to be. Is he from New England?
 
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Buka

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Back to the original OP "Where would you start if teaching a first day person."

So, you would start standing up as well? (I'm finding this fascinating) Thanks for the input.
 
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Tony Dismukes

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Back to the original OP "Where would you start if teaching a first day person."

So, you would start standing up as well? (I'm finding this fascinating) Thanks for the input.

Yeah, I really dislike the way many BJJ schools start beginners out on the ground working guard passes and the like. It removes the entire combative context of the art. If I'm teaching, we start standing.
 
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Buka

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He's in Virginia now, but he lived in Maine for a while. Trained under Tom Sotis.

If he was in Maine anytime from 2003 on, he's probably carved my butt up at some point. I never went "down" to Maine for any knife training, but Tom always had groups get together here in Mass and in Rhode Island (Tom's in Cumberland, R.I), and the people were from all over the place. Tom Sotis travels more than any Martial Artist I've ever known. He must have more frequent flyer miles than the presidents of the airlines. Him and my buddy Shawn Graham go to Thailand every year for a couple weeks, they go to Amsterdam every year for a week or two, Tom goes to South Africa about as often as I go to the store. (All trips are for training or teaching) I keep planning to go, but I've been saying that for ten years. It's either a money or a time issue....or maybe I'm just lazy.

Tom's a great guy to train with, I think you would enjoy him. He's far more intellectual than most, and he's more open to other methods of doing things than probably anyone I've met. And he's got seriously scary green eyes. (really) :)
 

Hanzou

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Back to the original OP "Where would you start if teaching a first day person."

So, you would start standing up as well? (I'm finding this fascinating) Thanks for the input.

Yep. :)

I train under Relson Gracie. He's pretty old school, so the first stuff we learned was standing (takedowns).

Tony is correct. It's pretty crazy how there are Bjj blackbelts out there with zero stand up ability.
 

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