One-handed chokes are superior.

There are many reasons why this is true, but the three I’ll detail in this article are enough to make any submission grappler reconsider a preference for two-handed chokes.

One-handed chokes in action. Some examples in sparring sessions and in competition.

Let’s kick things off with reason #3.

Did you survive your first day of training? How was it?

Many people walk away from their first day of training somewhat bewildered. There was so much to learn, and it felt like drinking from a fire hose. It’s made even more challenging if you’re a little out of shape.

If that sounds like you, don’t worry about it! It will get better. This article is going to help prepare you for day two of training and make sure you continue down the right path.

Day two of training should focus on two things: people and drills. Let’s explore these two a little further starting with the people focus.

Did you take notes in school? I’m guessing you answered “yes”. If you answered “no”, I imagine school was very difficult for you. The reason why is because it’s hard to learn anything but the simplest of tasks without jotting down a few notes.

You see, taking notes is an essential tool for everyone trying to learn something new.

Taking notes isn’t just for the classroom. It's an essential part of your BJJ training. There are at least three great reasons why you should absolutely be taking notes or logging your BJJ training. Let’s explore these reasons starting with number 3 on the list, remembering more of your training session.

"I wish I would have known that before I started!"          

Beginning any new sport or athletic endeavor can be pretty overwhelming. There's so much to learn and oftentimes people don't know where to look for answers. This is especially true in BJJ.

"I wish I would have known that before I started!"

I've heard new students to BJJ express sentiments just like this hundreds of times before. Well, I've heard enough. This resource is for every new BJJ student that wants to be prepared for their first day of training.

​Focus on mastering techniques that are suited to your body, your size, and your ability.

          Jiu Jitsu techniques are fun to learn and drill. They range from the really simple to the complex and flashy - but, which techniques should you spend your time mastering? This is an important question because we only have a finite amount of time to drill. We need to ensure we spend that time wisely.

          New BJJ practitioners often make the mistake of just trying to copy the “playbook” of their instructor. This is a bad idea most of the time. Your instructor didn’t just copy his instructor, and neither should you. In fact, you shouldn’t copy any single person’s playbook. What works for them may not work at all for you. And what you excel at, they may struggle with.

So, what should you do?

          Balance, Pressure, and Leverage (BPL) are your keys to success in BJJ. You must learn how to manage your BPL in every phase and possible position. By effectively managing your Balance, Pressure, and Leverage and undermining the BPL of your opponent, you will progress from phase one to phase four of the ideal BJJ fight flow and be victorious. Let’s explore these three concepts in greater detail, starting with balance. 

         In an ideal world, we're always winning and always on top - but this isn't an ideal world. Everyone that trains Jiu Jitsu faces adversity. We all need to learn how to deal with it and overcome it. That's where the "BJJ Hierarchy of Needs" comes in. The model is simple - make sure your lower needs are met prior to advancing up the ladder!  

         This hierarchy has similarities with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – there are five levels in both and needs at lower levels should be met prior to needs at higher levels. Unlike Maslow’s hierarchy, the BJJ hierarchy of needs is a prescriptive approach to BJJ and submission grappling.

         The BJJ Hierarchy of Needs (HON) is useful at every stage of a BJJ match in describing what you need to do next, based upon what need is not being totally met. If a need is already being met, move on to meeting the next higher need. Keep reading to see more about how to use the HON model; we’ll go through it need by need to detail how to successfully use it.

          Jiu Jitsu is more than a collection of submissions. It was designed to be a comprehensive fighting art. People new to the art often get confused with what they see as endless options. They know they want the fight on the ground, but they don’t think it matters how it gets there. They don't know if they should learn takedowns, wait to get taken down themselves, or just flop on their back and pull guard. This is unfortunate because there is absolutely a preferred strategy and ideal path for BJJ practitioners.

There are four phases in the ideal flow of a Jiu Jitsu fight - this is true in a sport BJJ, self-defense, or MMA context.

         To move from one phase to the next, techniques are employed. Understanding these four phases and how to drive the fight from phase 1 to 4 is critical. I’ll detail these 4 phases next and then describe the 4 logical paths to get from phase 1 to phase 4

The bottom line:    

You must study outside the academy if you want to progress as fast as possible.

          Many people believe you’ll learn everything you need to know by just showing up to BJJ class regularly. They believe that regular class attendance is the key to progression. This line of thinking is not 100% correct. Regular attendance is important, but it’s not the only thing you need to do. I’ve seen many people attend class regularly for years and make literally no progress during that time. The reason why is twofold. First, they have the wrong mentality about Jiu Jitsu. And second, they don’t study or learn about Jiu Jitsu off the mats. Let’s explore these points further.