1. Relying Purely on Strength and Muscle

This is the most universal white belt tendency. When facing resistance during live sparring (rolling), the white belt’s technical understanding evaporates, and they revert to their most basic survival instinct: using strength. They try to bench press their way out of a pin or squeeze a submission with brute force, instead of using leverage.

The Fix: The Principle of Least Effort

Focus on the “Principle of Least Effort.” If a move requires you to strain, you are doing it incorrectly. Start BJJ training teaches that leverage is the core of the art. When you feel the urge to push or pull hard, pause for a split second and ask: “Is there a smaller movement, a hip shift, or a better grip that would solve this problem with less energy?” Embracing this challenge is how you transition from an athletic grappler to a technical one.

2. Holding Their Breath (The Panic Response)

When a white belt gets stuck in a bad position—like under the mount or side control—the immediate mental response is panic. This panic is often accompanied by holding the breath. This depletes oxygen rapidly, floods the body with lactic acid, and makes thinking clearly virtually impossible.

The Fix: Practice Conscious Exhalation

As soon as you find yourself pinned, force yourself to exhale and take three slow, deep breaths. Make the goal of the position surviving and breathing, not escaping immediately. BJJ is a cardiovascular and mental marathon. Maintaining proper breathing control is crucial for stress management and is a fundamental skill taught at every level of our Adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programs.

3. Having Non-Existent Posture and Base

Many beginners lack a strong sense of posture (when standing or in the guard) and base (when on top or passing). This makes them easy targets for sweeps, submissions, and breakdowns.

• Bad Posture: When in the closed guard, the white belt often rounds their back and extends their arms, making them vulnerable to chokes and armbars.

• Bad Base: When passing, they often stand straight up or place their knees too far apart, making them easy to sweep.

The Fix: Drill the Fundamentals

Spend dedicated time every class drilling simple movements like the Hip Escape (Shrimping), bridging, and maintaining perfect back alignment. Your posture is your first line of defense. Remember that advanced BJJ is simply mastering the fundamentals to an advanced degree. Focus on structure over speed.

4. Tapping Too Late (The Ego Problem)

A common and dangerous white belt mistake is confusing tapping with failure. Driven by ego or competitive spirit, beginners often hold out too long in submissions, risking injury to their joints or even choking unconscious. This is a massive safety issue that affects the whole academy.

The Fix: Tap Early, Learn More

View the tap as a tool for communication and learning, not surrender. It signals the end of the round and allows you to reset and immediately ask, “What detail did I miss that allowed that submission to happen?” Tapping early ensures you stay healthy and can come back to the mats tomorrow. Safety is the priority in all our self-defense classes and training sessions.

5. Chasing Complex Techniques Too Early

The white belt often gets distracted by flashy, high-level techniques seen in professional competitions—flying armbars, jumping triangles, or complex leg entries. They try to execute these before mastering basic positional control. The result is usually getting swept and giving up dominant position.

The Fix: Focus on Simple Sequences

Commit to mastering only 2 or 3 fundamental movements per major position:

• From Closed Guard: One sweep and one submission (e.g., Americana).

• From Side Control Bottom: One primary escape (e.g., Hip Escape and Regain Guard).

By keeping it simple, you build consistency and efficiency. The blue belt is earned through the flawless execution of simple moves, not the poor execution of complex ones. This is the core philosophy taught by our expert BJJ coaching.

6. Being Unaware of Etiquette and Space

The BJJ environment has a strict set of etiquette rules that a white belt is still learning to navigate. Beginners often make social or safety mistakes simply because they don’t know the rules.

• Walking Off the Mat: Stepping off the mat barefoot and immediately stepping back on, tracking germs.

• Interrupting Rolls: Accidentally crashing into other pairs while rolling.

• Not Asking Permission: Failing to ask the instructor for permission to leave the mat or adjust their belt.

The Fix: Observe and Ask

Learn to observe the higher belts and mirror their behavior. Always wear flip-flops when off the mat, and never hesitate to bow when entering or leaving the training area. If you are rolling near another pair, freeze the roll and move to an open space. Embracing Jiu-Jitsu etiquette shows respect for the art and your peers.

7. Overthinking the Roll Instead of Feeling the Pressure

Beginners often try to mentally calculate every move, leading to slow, jerky reactions. The higher belts move based on feeling the pressure and weight distribution, allowing for instantaneous, fluid responses.

The Fix: Embrace the Chaos

Accept that for the first six months, your role is primarily to survive, feel the opponent’s weight, and expose your weak spots. Don’t worry about submitting your partner. Focus entirely on where they are placing their weight and what grip they are using. This process of exposure is how your body learns the language of BJJ subconsciously.