The Checklist: Specific Moves to Learn Before Reaching BJJ Black Belt

 Earning a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt is a remarkable accomplishment, and it requires a well-rounded skill set that extends beyond fundamental techniques. As you progress on your journey to black belt, mastering specific moves becomes paramount to becoming a skilled and versatile practitioner. In this checklist, we'll explore some key moves to focus on, including takedowns and leg locks, which are essential components of a BJJ black belt's arsenal.

1. Takedowns: The Gateway to Dominance

Takedowns are the starting point of any BJJ match. As you advance toward black belt, it is crucial to master a variety of takedowns to dictate the course of the match. Key takedowns to learn include:

• Double Leg Takedown: A powerful move involving securing both legs of your opponent and driving them to the ground.
• Single Leg Takedown: Involves targeting and controlling one leg of your opponent to take them down to the mat.
• Knee Tap: A quick takedown that involves tapping your opponent's knee to destabilize their balance and bring them to the ground.
• Osoto Gari (Major Outer Reaping): A Judo takedown that uses a sweeping leg motion to bring your opponent down.

Mastering takedowns not only allows you to control the flow of the match but also gives you the advantage of starting in a dominant position on the ground.

2. Leg Locks: Expanding Your Arsenal

Leg locks are a vital component of a BJJ black belt's repertoire. As you progress, learning leg locks becomes essential to complement your ground game. Key leg locks to focus on include:

• Straight Ankle Lock: A basic leg lock that applies pressure to your opponent's ankle joint.
• Kneebar: Involves hyperextending your opponent's knee joint by controlling their leg.
• Heel Hook: A submission that targets your opponent's heel and applies torque to the knee joint.
• Toe Hold: Applies pressure to the opponent's ankle and foot, creating immense discomfort and potential submission.

While leg locks can be highly effective, it's important to approach them with caution and prioritize safety during training. Leg locks, when applied improperly, can lead to serious injuries.

3. Guard Retention and Sweeps: Staying One Step Ahead

As you near black belt level, developing strong guard retention and sweep techniques is essential. These moves allow you to nullify your opponent's advances and regain control of the match. Key guard retention and sweep techniques include:

• Granby Roll: A move used to escape from bottom side control and recover to a defensive position.
• Scissor Sweep: A classic sweep from the closed guard that involves using your legs to off-balance your opponent and take the top position.
• Butterfly Guard Hook Sweep: A sweep from the butterfly guard position, used to unbalance your opponent and take them to the ground.

By mastering guard retention and sweeps, you can turn the tables on your opponents and maintain an offensive edge throughout the match.

Conclusion: The Journey to Black Belt Mastery

Reaching BJJ black belt level requires honing a diverse skill set that encompasses takedowns, leg locks, guard retention, and sweeps. As you progress on your journey, focus on mastering these specific moves to complement your foundational techniques. Remember that becoming a BJJ black belt isn't just about collecting techniques but also understanding the principles behind them. Embrace the learning process, train consistently, and continue to challenge yourself to become a well-rounded BJJ practitioner on your path to black belt mastery.

7 Things to do to Gain Your Blue Belt! (Checklist)

Your Checklist to gain your Brazilia Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt:

1. Learn a Take Down!!  - doesnt matter which one it is. Just try to learn one that you feel most comfortable with and just go for it!

2. Learn One Pass - ideally you should have several types of guard passes that you can chain together to develop a complete passing game but at the white belt level, after a few months of learning and drilling the different passes, choose one and be relentless about going for it. 

3. Learn a Sweep - as a brazilian jiu jitsu player you need to be able to work off your back. I would learn and try to drill several sweeps from the closed guard, half guard and any other guard you feel comfortable but at the end of the day you need a GO-TO move. My preference would be the butterfly guard sweep or the classical half guard underhook sweep. 

4. Submission - try learning one basic submission to attack. I recommend either the arm bar or the triangle. Both are available from top and bottom. Both take years to really master but you can use these basic attacks at any level. 

5. Go to a Seminar - you want to get your belt but you really have not seen any BJJ until you have gone to a seminar, preferably with one of the top instructors or competitors. You will find seminars everywhere on the internet. Pick one and try it out. It would give you a second perspective and its a lot of fun if you go with your team for a few hours to learn something different. 

I strongly recommend seminar of more classical jiu jitsu guys especially and white and blue belt levels. 

6. Private Lesson - an excellent way to make progress is to take private lessons. At the end of the day it is for you to actually make notes and ask the questions. if you ask the good questions, you will get the information from your instructor that you need to make progress. Take a private lesson every month or two and you will be a much better brazilian jiu jitsu player. 

7. Compete! So you want your next belt huh? well you need to deserve it! you may have been training for a year or two but only in competition can you really find out where you are on the food chain. Compete as much as you can at white belt, gain confidence and it will be a matter of time before your instructor just hands to you that long awaited blue belt

I would say that typically it should take at least 2 years to gain a blue belt training at least 3-4 times per week (consistently) but the reality is that if you actually want to get good at this sport you need to train as much as you can.