Gregoriades - The black belt blueprint : an intelligent approach to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

The Black Belt Blueprint

Copyright 2015 by Nicolas Gregoriades

P ublished: 10th December 2013

ISBN: 978-1-50771-250-4

Publisher: Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood Publications

The righ t of Nicolas Gregoriades to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyrig ht, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprodu ced, stored in retrieval s ystem, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recor ding or otherwise transmitted without writt en permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any form at.

www.jiujitsubrotherhood.com

Dedication

For Marc Barton and Arash Moghaddas

A brother is a friend God gave you; a friend is a brother your heart chose for you.
- Proverb

Contents

Jiu jitsu has been the single biggest influence in my life.

It helped me totally transform my body and my mind. It has taken me all over th e world. Teaching it has fed me and put a roof over my head. It has allowed me to meet so man y talented and interesting people and make hundreds of friends all over the planet.

Im not sure which direction my life would have taken had I not found jiu jitsu, but it has undoubtedly made me the man I am today . I wrote this book because I want others to experience the same life-changing and far-reaching benefits of embracing the jiu jitsu lifestyle that I have.

Jiu jitsu is challenging. Its been estimated that for every 1000 people that try it only 5 or so continue and make it to the black belt. I want to change that. This guide is for those who want to start training but are hesitant for whatever reason. Its also for beginners who are finding the journey overwhelming. And its also for the more advanced students that are attempting to refine their game. It is my hope that this resource will make your experience with jiu jitsu as fun and productive as it can be.

Keep in mind that reading books and watching videos about jiu jitsu is not doing jiu jitsu. Just as you will never learn to swim if you dont get wet, neither will you become a jiu jitsuka if you dont get on the mats and train.

The hardest part of any undertaking is starting. Its committing to that initial action that will be the most daunting and most critical factor on your path to learning anything, jiu jitsu included.

It doesnt matter if you attend an introductory class at one of the huge academies in New York or London, or if you and a buddy get some mats and start training in your garage as long as you take that first step.

One of the beautiful things about the art is that it is always in flux. Everyone has a different experience of it. What I offer you is the knowledge I have gained on my path. It has worked for me, and for many of my students, but it is not necessarily the best way or the only way, but merely a way.

I love hearing from readers and students all over the world, so feel free to email me ( ) with any thoughts, comments or questions you might have. I receive many messages per week so it may take me a while to respond to you, but I will endeavour to do my best.

See you on the mat!

Nicolas Gregoriades

Chiang Mai, Thailand - December 2013

Before You Start

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single s tep. - Lao Tzu

For those of you who have been training jiu jitsu for a while (blue belt or higher), feel free to sk ip to any section you want .

If youre a complete be ginner however, I would strongly advise consuming the information in the sequenc e in which its presented.

Gi ve a man a fish and you feed him for a day - Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. - Anne Isab ella Thackeray Ritchie

Keep an open mind

In jiu jitsu, as with any discipline, the re are several different styles and approaches to the teaching of the art. I am not claiming that my method is the best, only that it has wo rked for me. During your own jiu jitsu journey I implore you to continue questioning. When you dogma tically commit to a belief or method without questioning it, your growth will inevitably come to a hal t.

Become your own teacher

This system la ys the foundation for you to be come your own teacher. It will enable you to take control of your own learning path and not just be a sheep limited to following your instructor or YouTube videos.

We all have different body types and attr ibutes. We also all learn differe ntly. Some of us favour visual learnin g, whereas others might favour a kinesthetic lea rning style and need to physically do something be fore they internalise it. Either wa y, when it comes to learning jiu jitsu, a one size fits all approaches are sev erely lacking.

My system w orks using a heavily concept-based approach and an emphasis on basic movements. T his lays a versatile foundation which allows you to become your own teacher, and also to learn the m ovement patterns of more comple x techniques quickly. This system is outlined further in the next chapter.

M y hope is that, instead of being limit ed to instructors and YouTube videos , this book will give you the tools which free you to learn in whichever w ay suits you best.

You have several options when it comes to mat time, and all hav e their advantages and disadvantages.

Formal Classes at a Club or Academy

Sooner or l ater, if you want the full benefits of the jiu-jitsu lifestyle, you will need to join an academy.

When you find a potential academy, ask if you can wat ch class, or even better, if y ou can take a trial class. Use this time to make an assessment of the club.

Things to consider and notice include the f ollowing:

The Instructor(s)

The most important aspect of any academy is the instruct or. It has been my experience th at the best jiu-jitsu instructors are fr iendly, easy going and humble. They smile a lot and treat their students with honest y and respect.

Be wary of anybody who badmouths his competitors or claims t o be the best for whatever reason. I f someone has truly been practising jiu-jitsu for a long time they should be humble about their skills. If your instructor is a legitimate black belt, he will be clear and open about the lineage of his grade.

The Students

I hav e found that, more often than not , the students are a reflection of the instructor and visa versa. Happy, friendly students usually have happy, fr iendly instructors. Bullying, arrogant instru ctors have similar students.

Level of Professionalism

Although BJJ is a pretty laid back martial art, you should still expec t high levels of professionalism from the academy you choose. Classes should start on time.

Hygiene

In a busy academy , the mats should be cleaned and disinfec ted often, preferably once per day. Dont be afraid to ask about this. Staph infection is not fun.

For a club in your area, see the Recommended Academies section at the end of this book.

Private lessons

Pri vate lessons can be expensive, but if y ou choose a good instructor they will grea tly speed up your progress.

The way to get the most out of pr ivate lessons is to be specific about what you want to learn. Do nt be afraid to ask the instruct or. A good private instructor i s, above all, patient.

If you have the time and energy, a good strategy is also to schedule your privat e lesson directly before or aft er a group class. In that wa y you can use what your instructor showed you in the class against your opponent s, or ask questions about what you learned in the class while it is still fresh in your memory.