Feeling happy in the academy you train at is not just deepened on how the academy fits you. You also need to fit the Academy, or, better said, fit into the academy. Sometimes it’ll take a bit of work to get there, but in the end, it is all worth it. BJJ should be trained in a positive environment of fun and respect, and that can’t happen unless everyone is on board. That old saying that everyone matters in a BJJ gym is more than true. But it has a lot more to do with just making you feel good – it has to do with making everyone feel like they belong.
Although Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is seen as an individual sport it is actually an aspect of the sport that’s highly debatable. The fact of the matter is you will be alone against your opponent in the battle on the mats. However, you still have your team cheering you, your coach in your corner, etc. Not only that but all the preparations, everything that happens in between fighters, etc has to do with a lot more people than just you. As such, the bond between people in a BJJ gym is something that shouldn’t’ be taken lightly. Students need to be aware of it, and instructors need to let them know what it is that matters.
BJJ Gym Rules That Make All The Difference
If you expect BJJ gym rules to be written on the wall with someone constantly checking if you’re following them all – well, then you should probably leave. That’s not what a BJJ Gym should be about. However, certain academies do have codes of behavior, and yes, they’re sometimes put on the walls for people to see. It is all with a good purpose and pretty much necessary. However, it is those BJJ gym rules that fall under the behavior and etiquette categories that are hard to display in a poster format. And still, they end up being the most important ones.
Things are actually pretty simple. You have the right toe BJJ gym that fits your goals, needs, and character. Some gyms just won’t be a good fit for you. BUT you also have to remember that you too need to fit in an Academy, You can’t expect to be treated like a princess on the mats. Out there, everyone is equal in terms of getting and giving respect and acting in a way that ensures safe and fun training. To that extent, the unwritten stuff is much more impotent in how you integrate into a gym, than the “bow to the empty gym” and say “Oss” a million times type of things.
Use Your Head
It has never been more important than how to use common sense in BJJ. With the Covid-19 pandemic still at large, training a combat sport seems like the one thing you shouldn’t do. And yet, there’s no way to live without it, is there? That said, a great example of common sense would be staying home if you feel, sick, think you’re not well, or have had contact with someone that has, or is suspected of having the virus.
This is just one example of how you can use common sense to abide by BJJ gym rules. Everything else, from not walking on the mats with shoes, to being respectful to others, coming in clean, with washed gear, etc falls under this category. Most of these things will not be written, as they are considered to be something everyone is capable of doing. So, be responsible!
Integrate
Every Academy has a different vibe to it. Some are set up as competitor dens, others are more oriented towards folks who want to train recreationally, and most, are a combination of both. Moreover, you have all the varieties in how people approach teaching, whereat is a Gi or No-GI BJJ gym, etc, etc. Unless there’s something major going on that’s a deal-breaker for you, or you’ve had the misfortune of walking into a McDojo. Apart from that, you’ll need to figure out how the gym works, and do your best to integrate into their modus operandi.
Pay attention to how people interact, how much belt ranks mean, some rolling tendencies and gentlemen agreements between members, etc. Do whatever is the norm, or if you’re unsure, ask about it. Just don’t go about trying to do your own thing, as that won’t help you truly feel the atmosphere of the gym, and might drive you out of a BJJ gym where you might thrive if you just give it a chance.
Have A Purpose
This is another one of those that should go without saying, but then again, most unwritten BJJ gym rules are like that. When you walk into a BJJ gym, your goal might be to become a world-class competitor. That’s beyond cool, and you should pick a gym that fits your needs, and be clear about your goals with your instructors. However, after a few years, those goals might change. Once again, you’ll need to find a way to not just switch your attention, but also communicate with training partners, instructors, etc., what your reason for being on the mats is. This makes it a lot easier for everyone in the BJJ gym to respect your goals and act accordingly when they roll with you.
Follow The Academy’s Code
Of course, as long as you’ve picked an academy that’s a good fit for you, you’ll need to make a sacrifice or two. It may be the playlist that blares from the speaker during rolling, or it may have something to do with the code of conduct your BJJ gym has in place. As long as you enjoy the atmosphere, instructions, progress, etc, following a couple of things that you might not completely agree with, but are important to the academy, is a “sacrifice” worth making?
How To Act Around Instructors
I guess this is one of the BJJ gym things that most people never really figure out. People in Jiu-Jitsu spend so much time training, that very soon, instructors become friends with students, and communication is easy from thereon. The one thing to remember is that instructors, especially in BJJ are not some mythical creatures that you need permission to look at, let alone talk to. They’re happy to communicate and help out with everything and are usually laid back and chill. However, there also has to be a healthy dose of respect, regardless if you’ve just met them, or you’ve been friends for years.
Over the years, I’ve had people come up to me and dares me in any fashion imaginable, and that makes me laugh. Some even ask what kind of a title they should address me with. In my BJJ gym calling me or any of the other instructors by name is more than suitable. Once again, respect at a level that common sense implies is also more than enough, towards both instructors and fellow students.
In Summary
Every BJJ gym has a different take on things, and that’s what makes visiting different ones so fun. However, when it comes to choosing your “resident” academy, you should be comfortable there first. After you make the best choice for you, though, you’ll need to figure out how to integrate into the academy, follow their code, how to interact with instructors and students, and the likes. These are the key thing s you can do to fit into a BJJ gym and call it your home away from home for many years to come.
Academy Kings: Best Practices To Grow Your BJJ Academy Business
The keep it playful approach is something that most people figure out fairly late in BJJ. Usually, it takes 
This is not just technical advice. It has to do with mindset. Whenever you overthink BJJ, think of water turning to ice. It may penetrate through certain things but it will inevitably stop before others. On the other hand, not taking things too seriously 
So, when we go to Jiu-Jitsu and start rolling, or go to a tournament and always have the “you either win or learn” quote as a crutch to lean on, we’re doing everyone a disservice. First of all, we’re not being honest with ourselves, we’re diminishing the impact of our training partners and even opponents, and we degrade the sport as a whole. After all, you don’t watch Gordon Ryan in high-profile matches to see whether he wins or learns, do you? The same goes for watching MMA or other combat sports.
Indoctrinating kids with such a notion is something I’m not even going to touch upon. However, you can’t expect responsible adults if they haven’t been taught to deal with defeat early on even if it is only through video games. Just man (or women) up and face the fact that you will either win a match, or a roll, or an exchange in position sparring, or you’ll lose it. There’s no middle ground, no draws, and certainly no way of winning without the risk of losing. It just makes everything meaningless.
It is simple – if you want to understand BJJ you’ll have to lose. In fact, at a certain point, you’ll need to start rolling with the intention of losing. that won’t mean giving stuff away but rolling in a manner that will allow a technically sound opponent to beat you, even if they’re a lower rank than you. Actually, losing to lower ranks is absolutely crucial if you want to have fun, and actually, learn what BJJ is all about.
Invisible Jiu-Jitsu is about body positioning more than it is about techniques, concepts, or principles. In invisible Jiu-Jitsu, using your body as one unit to achieve offensive or defensive goals is what makes you feel unmovable or inhumanly heavy, depending on the position. It is what makes belt belts feel like brick houses, and apparently gives them psychic abilities in predicting your next move. All of it comes down to body shape and positioning, mostly without much visible movement. Henry Akins is a wizard on that subject, and “Ultimate Armlock Escapes” follows these principles rather than just a bunch of escape techniques. If you have to start somewhere with a Henry Akins DVD, start with this one.
In terms of the closed guard, things like the stack defense posture defense and pushing with the knees that you’ve probably used are still your best options. It is not what you do, it is how you do it and why it works. The answer to both these questions is once again invisible Jiu-Jitsu.
Blood chokes are the choke finishes we’re all after. They are the ones that put people to sleep and represent the most sufficient way of getting a tap. In terms of mechanics, they have to do with closing the arteries on both sides of the neck. That said, there’s something you absolutely have to know about carotid arteries and BJJ strangles. There’s no way you can completely compress both arteries, plain and simple. The most you can do is put enough pressure on them so that they constrict and slow down blood flow. If you know this, then you will also understand that strangles work slowly. In fact, there’s something I like to call the 20-second rule.
Air chokes are what we mean when we say chokes, in a literal sense. They work when there’s pressure on the airway, whether it is at the throat level, or below, directly on the trachea. The goal with an air Jiu-Jitsu choke is to cut off airflow to the lungs. That is a painful affair that has more to do with pain receptors in the neck around the trachea/throat, rather than truly stopping air from reaching the lungs. They work by causing panic and a feeling of claustrophobia on top of the pain, and usually eau7lst in quick taps. An old-school finish of an arm in a Guillotine choke is the perfect example.
The mechanics behind compressions are in placing so much pressure on the chest and /or directly the diaphragm, that they can’t expand properly during inhales. That just means that after every exhale, there’s less space for the lungs to receive air during the inhale, which does mean loss of oxygen in the blood and similar effects to blood/air chokes. In terms of claustrophobia, these types of chokes rank 11 on a scale of 1-10. As brutal and catch-wrestler as they might sound, though, chest compressions are legit ways of finishing chokes.
Finally, you have the dreaded neck crank. Why dreaded? Well, neck cranks were outlawed along with heel hooks and other “dangerous” techniques, and have remained demonized to this day. And yet, they’re a legitimate finish that can be trained safely. Regardless of politics and russets, though, the fact remains that every time you have a choke, you can also finish with a neck crank. From 
For example, if you’re working on a Rear Naked Choke and you can’t get what you’re looking for, there are ways of introducing more of a crank or chest compression into the mix in order to either get a tap because of that or make space to go for the originally intended blood choke finish. A similar thing is a guillotine, where air choking is often an alternative to blood chokes, and chess t compressions play a huge and crucial role in every Guillotine attempt.
Some of the issues people with long hair face in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu include that hair getting everywhere. First of all, it gets in the eyes which not only makes grappling difficult, but it may even end up causing infections in sensitive people. Then, there’s the hair getting caught all the time with unintentional grips, forearms under knees, or other body parts. It is painful, uncomfortable, and definitely does affect the rhythm of the roll, given that whoever is caught won’t be abet to focus on anything else.
In terms of shampoo, if you have long hair, you probably already have your favorite, but going natural is always a good idea when your hair is going to withstand the abuse of Jiu-Jitsu. A conditioner of choice will also come in more than handy. In that sense, if you’re unsure, or have specific hair, talk to your hairdresser to get recommendations.
Before we go on, let’ stake a look at what high and low percentage grappling moves are. The highest percentage BJJ submission is the armbar. It is so widespread, and so reliable that if you’re training BJJ, even just for a week, you’ve either been caught in one or learned a variation of one. Another one of those moves that are high percentage is the rear-naked choke, and heel hooks come in as the highest percentage representative of leg locks.
I wouldn’t necessarily call muscle slicers low percentage grappling moves, but the fact that some work less than others. Going for a calf slicer from the truck is definitely a high percentage option. However, 
The foot choke, popularized by Keenan Cornelius is a nasty way of finishing someone when you have the full guard or an open guard. The mechanics are simple – place the outer edge of the side of your feet on the opponent’s throat. Using both arms, hold both sides of the Gi collar, and extend your leg into their throat, as you pull with both arms. It is a nasty choke that’s not among the best grappling moves in BJJ, but it will help you finish, or at the very least, earn the top position.
Choking someone from the bottom of the mount might not be the first thing on your mind when you find yourself mounted. That is understandable, In fact, there aren’t that many options, You could go for a clinch form bottom mount, Priit Mihkelson style, but that does not give you a submission. Instead, you could opt for an Ezekiel choke, Gi, or NO-Gi. 
One thing to be aware of is that singing up for Jiu-Jitsu is going to change your life., Moreover if you really get into it, which a lot of the people that sign updo, it is going to turn into something you’ll be doing for the rest of your life. That’s a major claim, but after a decade in the sport, I can claim it to be true, given the evidence I’ve seen on the subject. Speaking of something you’ll be doing for a lifetime, it wouldn’t be near as fun if you didn’t feel awesome when doing it, right?
Apart from the obvious training safety concerns, there’s also the way instructors conduct, as well as students. People training Jiu-Jitsu should be safe from prejudice, sexual harassment, or discrimination of any kind. Safety extends to much more than having instructors that follow everything that’s going on and training partners that are not out to “kill you”. In fact, every aspect of feeling safe should be in compliance with your requirement, or you should simply refer to point number one and figure out an academy fit for your BJJ journey.
Another thing you might run into as a BJJ beginner is goals. Most academies really do offer “Jiu-Jitsu for everyone” and will accommodate your training goals, whether they’re competitive or recreational. However, nobody has the right to make you compete, or stop you from competing, depending on what your goals are. You can go on your BJJ journey and earn a black belt without ever stepping foot in a competition. The same is true for wanting to compete. Nobody can hold you back (unless it has to do with your technical and/or mental preparedness for a tournament) and you need to be aware of this. Although this might fall under the right to find an academy that suits you, it does deserve a special mention as one of your most important grappling rights.
When is a women’s only BJJ class a good idea? There are plenty of reasons to have one (or more) in your academy’s schedule. No matter how much we try to be professional about it, mixing men and women won’t always be seen as just sports by everyone involved. I’m not talking about unwanted advances and the likes, but the fact that people are training with someone from the opposite sex means they approach rolls differently. Women, at least those that I’ve spoken to about the subject, hate being treated like their children just because men are stronger. In that sense, a women’s only BJJ class brings about a training atmosphere of equality, in terms of how training partners look at each other.
Training with men means a lot more than just training with people who are stronger. It also means training with a lot of different belts, as BJJ is still a more male-dominated sport. It also provides an opportunity to test out skills against different body types and try and figure out technical ways of 
One option that I’m considering for my academy is to organize a women’s only BJJ class at least once per week, but one that is going to be led by a female instructor as well. On top of it all, allowing the ladies to have an additional open women-only mat seems like a good idea, especially for the competitors. Moreover, it will allow culturally different members to join the gym and advance without religious or philosophical reasons preventing them from enjoying the Gentle Art. It is an experiment that I certainly hope will work, and I’ll most definitely write an update after giving this system a try.
One of the main uses of the BJJ knee on belly position is to hold someone in place while you set up transitions to other 
Namely, if you want to cause people massive amounts of pain, your knee needs to point to the middle of their chest instead of going across their belly. The goal here is to point the knee towards the sternum and place it right below the bone. The goal is to pressure the diaphragm so that breathing becomes labored and difficult,. In other words, it is a form of chest compression. Here’s the key difference compared to the previous variation – you need to lift your butt up. After placing the knee below the sternum, you need to lift your butt off the heel. How high? As far as possible while keeping the knee in place. This will put a lot more pressure on the diaphragm and cause even more pain.