Three Areas of Jiu Jitsu to Concentrate On , Monday, March 22, 2010 at 7:07 PM, in

If you enjoy grappling then you will end up competing in a BJJ tournament. But what moves are the techniques are best for tournaments and which should one concentrate on as a beginner?
I will give you a list first of what I have learned to concentrate on and then I'll tell you why. Understand first that this is what has worked for me, and this is defiantly not the first draft of the list. I learn something new from each tournament and then I learn to concentrate on it.
What Jiu Jitsu moves to concentrate on:
1. Takedowns
2. Proper positions and an escape from each position
3. A submission move from each position.
Why takedowns first? Because matches start standing up! Iif you aren't comfortable on your feet then you will probably start every match down two points and worse in a bad position.
Next positions and escapes. When I started BJJ, I tried learning only submissions. I had heard about how BJ Penn had practiced each move he learned hundreds of times before he learned the next move so that's what I did. I bought a grappling dummy and drilled the kimora, armbar, and chokes. And then I went to my first tournament and got caught in a triangle choke in less than 45 seconds!
The lesson I learned was position before submission! Learn positions first! So I started practicing the correct base in each position and focused on escapes from every position. That brings me to my next lesson learned.
At one of my next tournaments I got to the semi finals and went against a guy who scored a takedown on me and immediately went to north south position. I had never worked a north south escape so he just sat on top of me because he didn't know what to do either! I lost but I learned to practice an escape from every position! That way you at least have some idea of what to do.
In fact the first tournament I won, I used only stand up and guard passing (position escapes). Believe it or not these two techniques drilled heavily will allow for you to come out victorious in most beginner to intermediate tournaments.
Lastly, a lesson Jiu Jitsu moves has just recently learned. Learn a submission from every position. Why? Because winning by points wears you out! If you can submit someone in 2 minutes vice out pointing them in 5 minutes you won't be as tired for your next grappling match!