I am also a lifelong martial arts enthusiast who found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1999. This project began when two smart, hardworking students asked me similar questions about what were basic technique combinations that typically flowed from one to another. I was truly surprised that the guys did not know the answers to the question they had asked and felt like I failed them as a teacher. Both were d
iligent students who consistently trained 2-3x a week. Both competed only occasionally but always medaled. Both were tough blue belts. And while they had drastically different “games” both were really smart guys. Time and Sheer Volume
I realized that a big part of the problem was that there is just SO MUCH to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. There are so many positions, strategies, tactics and techniques. Additionally those all change somewhat (or drastically) when we change the context. Are we studying a position from the perspective of Gi, No Gi, Self Defense or MMA to name a few? One of the strengths of Jiu-Jitsu is its versatility. It’s relevant in in so many circumstances. But that can also be a hindrance to the average student. I was an addict. For almost two decades I spent every vacation day traveling to a BJJ instructor. I spent much more than I could justify on books and tapes and would often spend my weekends traveling to instructors within a few hours’ drive to pursue Jiu-Jitsu. It’s challenging to take those experiences and condense them in the few hours that I’d get to have with my average student. The average student often has a spouse/significant other, children, a career and/or school obligations that keep them from training every day. But with all that the question still persisted: How do I keep my students from having significant gaps in their education? I came up with two answers
Make a BJJ version of the Shaolin Temple and make my students renounce the world. Or…
Make a YouTube page that students could visit at their own leisure and study techniques, positions and concepts at times that best suited them. Eventually I received so many kind messages and topic requests from people online that BJJBasics.Com was born. I remembered what it was like not having a teacher right there guiding you every step of the way. It was many years of training and struggle before I met my professor. I hope this site will be a continued resource for my students as well as for those of you who are on the path but don’t have a guide directly by your side. Enjoy the journey, train hard and please contact me with any questions you might have. Wishing you the best,
-Ante
