I have a little collection of them that has helped me tremendously both as practitioner and coach. I usually start people out with something simple like "head over hip" and then just keep reminding them about it for the next 10-20 years.

Here is a class I taught on beginner concepts (for all levels): https://www.youtube.com/w[...]Oznf6T9B8I

Hahaha, I feel ya there. Thanks!

Balance from guard be it top or bottom. Instead of trying to go over several techniques simply getting them to understand basic balance which consists of:
- Posture
- Posts
- Weight Distribution

Step 1 of a sweep is to control your opponent's posture. Then post, then attack the weight distribution.
Same thing for defending getting yourself swept when passing someone's guard you prioritize maintaining your posture and control of your posts and weight distribution.

A scissor sweep or push scissor sweep is a great example of this.Then you can start showing them how to attack their opponent's balance with options depending upon how the opponent's defend almost like in striking combos but balance attack combo's.
For Ex: All the below will assume a reverse collar grip so you can push and pull easily.
#1. A standard scissor sweep if the opponent puts their weight ontop of you.
#2. A push scissor sweep kicking out the knee if their weight is not ontop of you and then you can create distance just push the knee out.
#3. If they defend #1 then #2. and step their foot forward you can go straight into an ankle pick.
#4. If they don't step a foot forward then you can collar drag while pushing the opposite knee out. Whatever knee they have weight on.
#5. And if the opponent stands up a simple hook sweep (tripod sweep)

The goal of this isn't to go exactly 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 but to be constantly looking for where your opponent's weight is at and attacking their weight distribution. Always trying to attack the weight distribution. And in order to do this you also must control the posture and post on the side your attacking at the same time so conceptually you stop worrying about technique A or B. or 1 or 2. It's I just need to do this concept which consist of these 3 things.


If someone needs to get better at escaping mount or side control its much easier to just explain to them that all your doing is creating space and attacking weight distribution and then your doing those things back and forth while also then either creating distance or frames after the attempts of creating space or attacking weight distribution.
- Create space or attack your opponent's weight distribution
- Create more distance and a frame.
And then finally you start to combine those 2 main attacks and the 2 follow ups and then combing all 4 things together back and forth.
- How you actually escape isn't all that important it's that your able to keep moving. They could just end up turtling and getting their back taken and then defending there back and then ending up in closed guard and then trying to open closed guard and start passing the guard. Doesn't have to be a perfect create space get your knees in and back to a bottom closed guard.


Almost all of jiu-jitsu is just understanding balance and how to create and manage space and then every submission finish is basically the removal of space that is more about the set up than the actual technique that is applied.


And everyone also needs a strong neutral position which can be any guard or standing. That they can work towards or fall back to like a video game controller being able to move around in all directions from that position and then slowly create a spider web of techniques around that neutral position.

Think Street.
Train Sport.
Practice Art.

(obviously I will unpack it a bit. But that's what BJJ can be and that's what sets up the best learning curve.)

I believe understanding that when you have some one in your guard you are just upside down in mount, so the submissions you can do from mount are applicable. Likewise if you are in guard or mounted you should not be attempting submissions that extend your arms.

That's a good one!

That's a new one. That makes sense...your mindset when you're training and what you're training for is such a big deal.

Wow! That's a lot, haha. Thanks for sharing.

I agree and I'm glad you used the phrase "weight distribution". I think the word "balance" gets throw around a lot, and maybe they are synonymous or it's just easier to say, but I don't think a lot of lower belts understand that distinction.

“Pace your breathing.” Never gets old. With real early beginners that’s all I tell them during rolls

Thanks! This actually took me forever to realize.

yea balance isn't just weight distribution, its the combination of that + maintaining your posture and control of your posts and general movements, but the weight distribution part is the finale what people are actually going for so making that part the most important is key. Always knowing where you can shift each part of your body that has weight connected to something be it the ground or someone else.

You have to always have control of your weight distribution. Main reason I hate a heavy pressure offense and go for the more flowly movement style of offensive control where I control where my opponent can move while still being able to move myself at all times instead of trying to entirely stop my opponents movements and limiting my own at the same time.

Also a good one. There are always those guys or gals that just can't seem to not nearly hyperventilate regardless of their level of effort haha

This is just plain wrong. Gravity and pressure make these non equivalent. They are the same only in SPACE :D

Also check out Wim Deputter's King's Gambit and Queen's Gambit

https://www.youtube.com/w[...]mGFPiYNNNc

For me personally, with being a beginner too. I found that concepts worked best. For example my academy follows Chris Paines and he talks about concepts rather than actual movements and the most valuable lesson that improved my being submitted rate drastically was thst of don't let your opponent control between the arm pit and knee or behind the knee and thigh. When I looked at this when I have been submitted or tried to submit

The most often given advice for newbies recently by me: focus on the base level. A complete beginner can hang with a blue belt if they just focus on one single task that allows the survival of the round. They will get better as they get comfortable and start to work from there. So far some excellent results in training.

Cross chokes, arm bars, triangle, etc…. All available from mount or guard. You are being to literal.

Start from bottom is my advice. How to retain guard, escape pins and bad positions etc. Then you can learn to attack, and last: to throw. If you want to learn takedowns before, join judo or wrestling at the side.

But the mechanics and considerations about the attacks are fundamentally different.

Chokes, arm bars, triangles are also available from the back and side. So yes, you can learn the technique from one place and other place is going to be easier.

I'd say the equivalence only works if people don't know how to behave inside the closed guard :)

"Face your fears" is what I tell beginners when they keep giving up their back.

The most important concept for beginners, at least in my book, is the understanding of constantly moving up the positional hierarchy. New jiujiteiros don't usually have a lot of success landing submissions, and it can be even tougher for them if they don't understand that your standard subs don't work from bottom top mount, for example.

In competition bjj, improving your position begets points. I've had a number of brand new beginners win their divisions simply by moving up the positional ladder, failing on a submission when they get to top or back mount, and then doing it all over again.

In an altercation, improving your position begets the ability to avoid getting hit: it's pretty difficult to receive any damage from a strike from an attacker when they're in bottom side control, bottom top mount or back mount. The achievement of these positions gives the victim the option of applying more dangerous strikes, or if it's not appropriate (like with a "drunk uncle" scenario) then you can choose just to pin and control your assailant.

Even if you're all about "sub only, bro", I think it's rare that anyone submits anybody without first attaining a dominant position, leg locks and buggy chokes excluded lol. But in the case of the former, you still have to find a way to control your opponent's body in order to lock their leg in some sort of way.

I've got to where I will just turtle out of bottom side control or mount and let someone have my back if they can take it before I get my guard back or stand up.

Just seems so much easier to just turtle out of every position. And then I can also work on back defense if they manage to take my back and then if I fall into closed guard on the escape I can then work on escaping closed guard, then passing instead of just going from bottom to guard to top side I can go from bottom to turtle to back defense to closed guard to 1/2 guard to passing then to top side. My excuse for being lazy anyways.

What is a "Bottom Top Mount"?

Again, "Face your fears" is what I tell BEGINNERS when they keep giving up their back." I wouldn't advise a beginner to give up their back as their first option.

Should go with saying that your options from any position should increase with more experience. Based on your profile, you've been training for going on 4 years with 76+ competition matches. You are not a beginner.

It's when someone has top mount on you.

I thought that is just what you called bottom mount.

Don't try to strangle me when you're in my guard.

I'll have to say I understand what he means. High guard, high mount, angles, limb isolation, a lot of similarities. Yes, slightly different dynamic when gravity is involved.

Serious question for you, and not some passive way of telling you your wrong...

Do you think that's a concept or a piece of positional technique?

Could be both...definitely curious to get the beginner point of view.

I 100% get what you mean, and draw the same similarities in my mind.