3 Biggest Jiu-Jitsu Sins

 

Whether you are new to the mats or a true seasoned veteran, you have undoubtedly come across people commit what would best be called Jiu-Jitsu sins.  And it seems to be the same issues that come up no matter what gym you attend.

Every gym has at least one of these people.  It’s almost inevitable.  And if you are brand new to the mats, then I’m confident that you will have a run in with one of these folks at one point or another.

So no matter what reason you came to the page, go forward armed with the knowledge of how to not commit these Jiu-Jitsu sins.

 

If You Say You’re Going to Go Light… Actually Go Light

 

There you are, in a sea of Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, enjoying yourself on the mats.  A stranger approaches and asks if you fancy a “roll”.

As a contender yourself, you oblige.  They proceed to tell you a story about how they’re hurt or really tired, so this will be a lighter roll for them.  “Sounds good to me”, you say cheerfully.

You slap hands and get started.  Your opponent then decides to CHARGE YOU LIKE A RHINO and blast a double leg the second your hands separate from the fist bump.

“Surely, that was a misunderstanding”, you hope to yourself.  But it wasn’t.  The offender grips you like the Worlds Strongest man in the Hercules Hold event.  They smash you like a car crushing machine during a demo. Then they proceed to FORCEFULLY pass and get themselves to a better position, where they then heavily breathe their hot breath on you.

They continue to aggressively smash and control you as you come to the slow realization that they are a giant a-hole.  By this point though, you either have to turn it up yourself or let yourself get tapped so that you can reset and return the favor to this S.O.B.

Don’t be that person.  No-one likes that person.

 

 

Wash your Gi (And Rash Guards)

 

 

Maybe people can be better about sharing this.  I’ll say it here so that there isn’t any confusion.

You should wash your Gi after every training session.

It may seem like a lot, I know.  You may think that you didn’t sweat that much and that your clothes don’t need a wash.   While that may occasionally be true, think of which person you would rather be.  The one who took a short amount of time to wash their stuff, or the one who didn’t and no-one wants to roll with because of your stank.

If your too late and your stuff is stinky? Distilled white vinegar.  Add it to the laundry or just soak your stuff in it with some water.  Then proceed to wash as normal. Feeling fancy?  Grab some Odoban Odor Eliminator to give yourself that extra fresh smell.

And last, but certainly not least…

 

Don’t Rip Submissions

 

 

The other two Jiu-Jitsu sins are bad.  Really bad.  If you’ve been through it, you understand.  That being said, this last one is possibly the worst.

Sparring in your gym is where most Jiu-Jitsu injuries occur, and a sizeable portion of those are during submissions.  Check out my other post, “Best Ways to Prevent Injury in Jiu-Jitsu” if you want to dive into that more.

Interestingly, white and blue belts get injured more in training, while higher belts have a higher injury rate in competition.  It’s because newer belts want to get the submission, so they tend to crank to finish it rather than using proper technique.

I know people want to tap the higher belt.  And I know they also want to make their submission look good.  But it’s VERY important that you don’t hurt your partners.  Possibly more than anything else.

So don’t rip submissions.  Wash your stuff.  And do what you say you are going to.  Everyone will thank you.

 

If there’s any I missed, leave a comment below!