I come from weightlifting and did my first bjj lesson last week. Totally was too agressive and used too much power in my first roll. The guy was super chill about it and taught me how to breath and relax. I'm glad he was cool about it and didn't decide to just destroy me in revenge. Awesome humbling experience

I've learned like 95% of problems people have in bjj is ego related

I remember when I was about 3 months into BJJ... We were practicing a Tai Otoshi... We were supposed to go super slow and work through each move, and my partner, a blue belt at the time literally wouldn't let me throw him. When it was time to throw me I would gladly fall and break fall, but he just refused to be thrown. He tried to play it off like "Oh My base is just so strong brah" but I could easily tell he was CLEARLY resisting. It was so comical.

I wrestled from kindergarten through highschool went to states every year, and one of my buddy's asked me to go to his bjj gym. I went, and he told everyone I was a state champ wrestler and it ruined my whole experience. Everyone even the instructor was going 110% with me, and I was like wtf! I went in there knowing nothing about bjj. I wanted to learn, and it was like they wanted to prove something. Of course I don't know what to do when your laying on your back. My whole sport is centered around getting you there. Just a shitty experience.

At my gym, a 4 month no-stripe white belt kept giving all us other white belts advice on everything...it got old quick. We got to sparring and he would stop mid-spar to "correct" our technique, at some points even acting like he was mad at us for not doing a technique correctly? One of the black belts overheard him, came over to him, and told him to stop talking like that during rolls or else he would show him exactly what its like to be disrespected while sparring. I could tell he was really embarrassed, so I felt bad for him but also was thankful for the black belt for shutting him up.

This "dont call upper belts to roll" is some VERY oldschool bullshit. When i started, as long as you weren't THAT white belt, every upper belt would roll a billion times with you.

I am 89 and started my 1st class yesterday. Loved it.

I actually appreciate when they talk me through the moves because I don’t always know what I’m doing and it helps me with my technique

"You're not gonna make many friends jabbing your fingers into peoples bodies in any way." Are we sure about this?

Ironically I find new white belts rolling with new white belts (especially 2 heavyweights) the most exciting rolls to watch. It’s chaotic and you never know what’s going to happen at any given moment.

This was INSANELY helpful. I am only 2 days in and you guys confirmed my mindset of not going crazy or being spastic because I have no idea what I’m doing lol so I appreciate knowing that taking it easy and going slow or matching intensity is the true way of being a beginner student. And it is VERY intimidating seeing a class full of blue belts or knowing one guy is a purple or brown belt. The thought of “trying” to beat them and the result is them just playing with you, making you a fool for thinking you could get the better of them, is very…idk, disheartening or defeating?

1. Don't drive your elbows into your partner's thighs when in closed guard. 1:10 2. Don't grab your partner's fingers to get control. 1:55 3. Don't jab into sensitive areas of your partner's body. 2:30 4. No schoolyard tactics. 3:11 5. No slamming! 3:25 6. Let the instructor be the instructor. You are not. 5:40 7. Don't be stubborn, just tap. 7:25 8. Don't talk people through moves that they're doing on you. 9:50 9. When rolling with smaller people, match their weight and strength. 11:45 10. Don't let beating people get to your head. 14:30 11. Don't try too hard. Match your partner's intensity. 16:50 12. Communicate injuries before rolling. 18:20 13. Don't be afraid to ask upper belts for rolls... 20:00 14... but also be aware of the cultuture of the gym you're training at. 20:10 15. No one is entitled to a roll with you. 21:15

1) Don't oil check 2) Don't grind the nose to finish a RNC 3) Don't bite your partner 4) Don't finger his ear/eyes/nostrils 5) Don't fart on his face to finish an armbar

Your first point was literally the first guard move I was taught

I've definitely been guilty of going too hard. Hadn't realized beforehand that we were supposed to take it easy and just focus on technique.

"Always match their strength, and then do jiu-jitsu with them." Couldn't have put it better myself

some of us are older; I started jiu jitsu at 67 and stopped last year at 69 due to our gym closing with COVID. When I begin soon at 70 I will feel almost like I'm back to ground zero. This video is helpful.

I have a few white belts that have been doing jiu-jitsu for a while that give me pointers. As a beginner I appreciate it but they aren't condescending, it's all about the delivery and intent

"dont call upper belts to roll" is probably the stupidest thing ive ever heard

I remember when I started out I was just rolling slow and steady trying to learn/apply what we learned that day. The guy I was with was spazzing trying to win and be really aggressive. So a higher belt (who was huge) asked to roll with him next and immediately put him in time out and smiled at me the whole time. So great

I don't care if you dig your elbows into my thighs. Complaining about that reminds of when you're a kid playing Tekken and after you win your mate starts bellyaching with the "thats not fair because you did that move, you're not allowed to next time..." nonsense. If they've found something that is making it hard for you to keep your guard then it's on you to stop them from doing it.

If you don’t know what your doing don’t do it harder.

I’m a 17 year old blue and I must say the only reason I have been able to go up a belt quite quickly is from learning techniques from other people apart from just the instructor as often the instructors are mainly focused on their style where if you learn off everyone and if you don’t think something works for you don’t do it so that you can develop your own style

Great points; I’ve been guilty of many of these over the last 12 years of my journey. From a practical viewpoint, I believe a basic “standard ground rules for training/rolling” session should be a basic / annual currency class for every new student up too the blue belt level (as a review).

Great video. You guys should do the black belt version. Because there are huge differences between how some of them carry themselves in gyms.

#8 is hilarious! The "good job bro" with the tap on the back afterwards 🤦🏾‍♂️

Thanks for this, I’m in my second week and am smaller than almost everybody. Sometimes I get folded by people who don’t want to give anything, and other times (usually colored belts or white on the brink of blue) will do exactly what the dude on the left said. They’ll give me openings to find, which sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. But now I know. It’s overall really fun and I’m happy I found it!

I’ve yet to earn any stripes on my white belt; I’ve only been rolling for a couple of months. I’ve done striking for 16 years and understand and appreciate the concept of staying calm and going light to learn. Given the repeated lockdowns, the gym I train at has to keep closing. A blue belt friend from another gym that I used to give private Muay Thai & boxing lessons has been inviting me to do no gi with him at his house. I’ve just chosen to stop training with him. He’s 60 lbs heavier than me and almost 20 years younger (I’m only 150 lbs and in my late 40s) and he has no chill. Never once had I gone hard with him while doing stand up, but he just can’t roll lightly. Even flow rolling lasts less than a few minutes and before we even break a sweat, he’s muscling techniques, breathing hard and cranking subs. I stay going light and ask him to dial it back, but he can’t stay that way for long and gets hyper-aggressive. I like the guy but he sucks to train with.

As a sub-120 pound female, I really appreciate the rule at 11:44. I am strong for my size, but the average dude can still muscle me around, and some do. Thankfully the gym where I train (s/o to Form Jiu Jitsu!) has plenty of guys who are aware of the weight difference and don't just pressure pass and smash me every time. Thanks Keenan for including this unwritten rule! All these rules makes practicing jiu jitsu more enjoyable for everyone :)

I feel like this is a review of all the things dark Keenan loves to do.

Great video. I'm 40 and I started JJ in January of this year (2022). I'm loving it. The academy where I practice has this great environment, this sense of family, where people genuinely care about each other and where egos are not promoted. When a newcomer arrives and its time to roll, usually it's a black belt that will roll first with that new white belt, precisely to teach the basics and make the white belt feel comfortable. The higher belts regularly roll with lower belts and they actively try to teach, and not merely to win. But they also make you progress - they know when to go easy and when to go hard, and they make you roll harder as they see you progress. Then, there is also the "invitation to apply technique", whereby the most graduate belts will "offer" lower belts with opportunities to apply a recently practiced technique during the rolls. Great sport; my only regret is not having started earlier.

Nice advises! Some of these we do even without understanding that they are not good - like using strength against smaller/weaker partners. It is always important to remember that when we spar in the gym it is not about the win but to learn - both of us.

#1 imo! Keep your workout clothes (gi, rashguard, singlet etc...) clean... no one wants to drink your sweat

In other words, go to a Krav Maga class if you want to do Krav Maga.

I'm very new to BJJ but I think I prefer rolling with upper belts over other white belts. When I've rolled with other beginners like myself, I feel like we both learn less since we're both still trying to feel our way through and aren't actually using real techniques on each other/incorporating real techniques properly. I was able to learn moves properly from the upper belts and also got to adjust to the normal resistances I'd be seeing in the future from other practitioners. They're usually friendly enough to show me a new move or something to keep in mind and I think most of them enjoy giving pointers and tips to beginners. I do agree that white belts who only have a few weeks of experience over others should definitely not try to explain things since it does result in flawed understanding. I'm glad I saw this video since I think I could've become one of those wannabe instructors on my own.

This was such a great video! I love the way you talk about consent and about rolling with smaller people in a non-patronizing way. I would take classes from you guys in a heartbeat, and I will keep watching your videos.

This is good stuff. I really like what you said about not being an instructor. I have always felt uncomfortable trying to coach people through the technique and I have found that as a blue belt, white belts overestimate my knowledge of Jiu Jitsu, but I’m still a baby!

Unfortunately, I’ve gotten _worse_ about tapping early as I’ve progressed. “Not This Armbar Lord! NEVER!!!”

Great video!! I see those things happening every week at my studio. Also great to show to the kids class. Thank you for sharing.

BJJ is like having a conversation. First when you meet someone it tends to be rather tepid and there are limits to the language you use and the jokes you make. Once you have built rapport with each other the jokes become more crass and you'll have your own way of communicating without being misunderstood. There are guys I like to roll with HARD and others who I approach more politely.

Also, accept the tips from the darker belts! I’m 14, a grey belt and I’ve sparred against a fair share of black belts and sometimes they go extremely easy on me, or other times they go harder but give me helpful tips as we go. I understand that sparring is to train but I really appreciate when someone with over a decade of experience can give me tips that have helped them. Always be polite to them. Sometimes black belts that you say hello to at the gym but don’t roll with will tell you “You and I are sparring together today.” Simply because they enjoy your presence and see something in you. They will genuinely want to help you if you’re a kind and polite person. Personally speaking, I prefer fighting against people who have been training for over a year just because they understand the rules and terms of respect more.

I definitely have experienced some of these and guilty of committing some of them. Will improve myself and be more aware. Thanks guys 🙏🏼

Not sure about point #6 though. Blue and purple belts have always been very helpful to me and always willing to share knowledge/answer questions/correct me if I'm messing up.

As a new(er) 2-stripe white belt... I gotta say... I think EVERY beginner should have to watch this video. I can't believe how many of these things I've done already or am currently doing. I can't thank y'all enough for posting this up!!! Bravo to you gents for this one! 👏

Wow never heard of adult time out before. Love it. Bringing it to my mats tonight

Great video, sounds like you have a great learning environment in your gym. Our school emphasizes etiquette as well. Oss.

Great video guys - many thanks. Sheds a lot of light on BJJ culture. I've subscribed to the channel and set myself the task of working through all your videos.

Great video, I've been guilty of a few of these but hadn't really noticed how annoying they were until you guys laid it out so clearly... Thanks for the warning!

that's funny, because at my gym the head instructor actually puts us to roll with higher belts from day one exactly because they know what they are doing and can probably defend themselves from any wrong moves white belts could do. And they are encouraged to help us understand the opportunities of submission when we're rolling. It's super cool. We have like 3 or 4 rolls every class with all types of belts and they really help.

I was taught in my first jiu jitsu class last night a guard pass that includes putting pressure on the thighs with your elbows by grabbing the waistband of the pants with one knee in the center of their hips and push away from you to make them release and then pass using a collar grab to turn the opponents head and a sleeve pull straight up in the air to start the turn into side control.

Thank you so much for this video. I went to my first class last week and was wondering about the basic bjj etiquette, the dos and donts. I find myself apologizing a lot during practice as well. I will keep all these tips in mind!

Thanks for this! Just started Jiu Jitsu 2 weeks ago and am slowly learning things!

Supra big thank you!! all your words reach what i live as white belt (+ -25h gi + no gi). I am a French who left to live in Bulgaria without any fighting baggage, the level of my club is very high and it is not easy to navigate between frustration of not knowing how to get out of a firm guard or be the worst in the club even against a combatant 10 years younger than me. I am often afraid of boring them during the fights ... even after 150 / 200h of youtube BJJ videos from X or Y and feeling to know, we feel that we are not taken seriously heheheeh

Otherwise known as “15 unwritten white belt rules that’ll make the upper belts sub you very hard and often instead of telling you the issue because you can’t read their mind and don’t know that you’re doing something wrong.”

Great video; very informative. Thanks for the heads-ups, folks.

Everyone starting jiu jitsu needs to watch this video from start to finish. This is so helpful. Thank you, guys!

This is very good. I’m guilty of some of them, but better late to know than never. Thank God my professor is gracious with me.

#9! As a small guy, I can tell this is completely overlooked sometimes.

I like the way these guys approach BJJ learning.You don't go there to hurt people you go there to learn and share knowledge.

Had a bad roll tonight and this was exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks for taking the time on this.

That no slamming one is true I came from a wrestling-focused MMA gym to a more jiujitsu-focused MMA gym that was bigger and usually when we got caught in a weak triangle in the wrestling gym we would do a little slam (not huge, but lift them a bit off the ground just the get some separation), learned that was a big nono and obviously never did it again in training.

Great video! Especially loved the part about insecure guys breaking down how to do a move with women who was about to submit them!

Awesome video! Lots of help. I’m 4 classes in and definitely doing some of this. Helps me a lot thank you!

Thx for the reminders. As a newb it’s good to know the mind set/rules that help make it good learning environment. Thankfully in our class haven’t had most of these potential problems…

“Thats my gym rival we fight til the death every single time” 😂 ya i have one or two of those buddys at the gym ahaha

oh sh*t I've done that elbow move a lot because another white belt showed it to me

I'm so glad I discovered your channel. Thanks for the help.

Ah, Keenan. I love your videos. I wish this was mandatory viewing for every practitioner.

I was taught to jab my elbow in lol

First time watching a video on this channel, so easy to understand, great attitude, and just overall positive vibes. Subscribing!

Thank you. I needed to hear this I think.

Driving elbows into the thighs to open the guard or upset his hip dynamics was the first thing I was taught 2nd thing was the can opener.

I've been training BJJ since 2002 and I've dug my elbows into my opponents thighs nearly every time I've been in closed guard. Every competition I've been to, when my opponent wants to open my guard, they've dug their thighs into mine. This must be a school specific rule that I've never even heard of before. I've heard all kinds of rules over the years like you can't wear a black gi until you are a black belt, I trained at a school that prohibited its students from getting on a mat unless your were wearing your gi. Example: You couldn't warmup in your gi pants and a rash guard. You need to figure out the rules of each school as you go and be flexible and respectful of others.

This is a fantastic video. Thanks for pointing stuff out that would probably take weeks, months or years to really understand as a white belt. Very much appreciated!

So needed some of these tips- thanks. 🙏

Good rules. As a big guy, I'm very conscious of the whole "don't put all your strength and weight" into it. But as an old/slow guy, occasionally I wouldn't mind it if *everyone* remembered that dominating with physical attributes gets a bit old. I'm not going to get too salty about it but sometimes you get younger/smaller guys who would be the first to complain if I used my full strength and weight, leap around and go 10x as fast as I'm going, back out of my open guard and run around the mats like lunatics, etc. One of my least favorite things is when we're meant to be working open guard is guys who run away so far that I could just stand up... when professor wants us all on the ground, because it's dangerous to have half the class working standup and half working ground in a full class, I can't stand up with you, so you're not achieving anything by disengaging. It's fine when someone uses a little distance to break grips and then comes back in to attack my open guard, but the dudes who run away, circle endlessly... sigh.

Actually thought that was really helpful, will share with my new school and see the consensus. The part about rolling with smaller people, girls and higher belts was something I’ve never thought of, matching intensity makes so much sense when you say it out loud.

Overall a very good video and very well explained too and good examples I liked the video

Awesome video! Thanks so much for this, guys!

One of the more experienced guys slamming me because my triangle was pretty tight was definitely one of my proudest BJJ moments

Some great points . As a bigger guy I think the inverse needs to be said about little guy v big guy dynamics. I've had little dudes throw everything but the kitchen sink at me simple because they think a larger partner is more durable and harder to hurt. A can opener will F you up regardless of size. I've still got a kink in my neck from my white belt days

Great, I started 2 weeks ago, I now understand I know SO LITTLE that I didn't know or do any of these things. I'm just keeping a low radar, thanking the guys for there help and being grateful for their patience. I'm 38 and my body aches.

I LOVE THIS VIDEO AND IT GIVES ME PEACE OF MIND.

We have a serious spazz at our academy, one of the first things my blue belt mentor told me when I first came was "if you are going to roll with that guy over there, be ready to protect yourself" and that stuck with me as a bigger guy (6'4" 280lbs) I knew I NEVER wanted to be that guy who was big and out of control where people were afraid to roll with them.

First of all, thanks for posting. I have tremendous respect for both you guys and I agree with a lot of what you say. I also disagree with some things. I think when it's same sex sparring, people shouldn't have to feel like they need to not use their weight. My instructor who is a tiny world champ said, "If you're big, use your weight - it's up to your partner to figure it out." As a 165 lb female and therefore large but not immense, I have spent a jiujitsu lifetime getting smashed, but I pull with smaller females, even though I like to pass and even though I'm old AF, and that's my way of taking a handicap, but if I sweep them, oh well. Yes I'm going to use my weight. I think it's bad to get into the habit of "being nice" because the way you train is the way you're going to fight. After 12 years of being nice I now have to relearn all my subs to make them all tighter and meaner. On the other hand you literally see 400 lb guys in the corner wondering why nobody wants to train with them. One time I trained with a 300 lb guy, he said he was 310 so probably even more, and I felt sorry for him because everybody was just pretending not to see him, and he laid on me and somehow pulled my other side arm UNDER my body while he was laying on me. I was a purple belt at the time and I don't even think he had a belt or a gi but I tapped. But fundamentally all the tings you said, I can agree or disagree, but I feel like it's really important for instructors to COMMUNICATE in person with their students, especially if there is a problem. If a student comes in all stinky, or with grody nails, that's up to you to deal with, as instructors. Is it an easy conversation to have? No. But who else is going to do it? I come from a traditional martial arts background where you literally said ma'am to higher belts in the locker room even if it was one belt up from you. And if a higher belt said, "Trim your nails," you practically killed yourself getting to the store to buy nail clippers. But I have noticed in jiujitsu when I say, just as a random higher belt, Hey man, you need to trim those nails, or hey man, when was the last time you washed that gi? They act like I'm the asshole because their instructor didn't say anything. Posting videos on KZfaq is not enough and I know men don't like to actually communicate. But if you don't want to do it then assign a purple belt enforcer or something to take the sting out of whatever needs to be said. Like, Hey dude, leave the coaching to Coach. Hey dude, I can loan you a clean gi today but from now on you need to either come in smelling like Bounce or you can rent a clean gi for 10 bucks. Hey dude, the pressure point stuff doesn't fly here. I mean these are conersations that need to be had in person.

These are all very good points. I appreciate this advice so much.

Thank you so much guys! You make it real. As a white belt I recognize 90% of what you talk about. 🙏

You guys literally just described everyone in my former jiu-jitsu dojo, including the instructor. And, since I already had some experience with karate (my main art), aikido, kenjutsu, kung-fu and boxing, I figured out that jiu-jitsu was just too crazy for me and quit, thinking I was too old to accept macho-man ego trips from everyone there while I was being beaten up and not taught the moves. Maybe if I found a dojo where people behaved like you guys I would still be practicing.

I’ve started practicing 2 weeks ago and I’m already guilty of a couple of these. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks lads, this was a very enlightening video.❤

Excellent Video! Applies to every martial art. Should be mandatory viewing. Thanks for sharing Gentlemen!

I am 103 and I'm starting my first BJJ class tomorrow. This video will be very helpful ☺️

Absolutely love these rules! Honestly these can be applied to any martial art, not just jiu jitsu. Bottom line: you’re there to learn, don’t be a bully and don’t hurt people and especially, leave the teaching to the teacher.

Went to my first BJJ class last night completely blind, with some ~intermediate weightlifting experience, and this video is so helpful for knowing what I was doing wrong!

I hope this doesn't sound weird but I found it helped rolling with kids at the gym when trying to find that output sweet spot. I was SO concerned with their safety and experience over my own that it really put me in the right mindset for training rolls. Technique over strength, being as concerned with your partner's safety as you are with your own, if not more.

Great way to describe how to roll with women, thanks for that 👏🏾🙌🏾

just started jiu jitsu and literally everyone of these I needed to learn. I slammed someone in my gym after being slammed, therefore giving me the impression that it was ok. No one but the person I was rolling with said anything about it (including the sensei).

This was really good info. Thank you

Thank you so much for this. I’ve been doing bjj for a few months now and I was never really told these things so the whole time I was just being aggressive during spars due to lack of actual skill. Because of this I unintentionally hurt someone and I feel so bad and stopped going because of it. Because of y’all I know better and I’m gonna start going back. Thank y’all again for this one

Some other ones: 1) trim your finger nails and toenails 2) personal hygiene is important 3) wash your gi