3 mistakes almost every white belt makes
Last updated October 18, 2026 · 0:37
Everyone makes these in their first year. None of them mean you are bad at BJJ, only that you are new.
The three mistakes
- Muscling through everything. If your grip shakes and your face turns red, you are missing a detail. Slow down and find the angle.
- Death grips. Holding the gi with both hands for the whole round burns out your forearms in a couple of minutes. Take a grip when it sets something up, then let it go.
- Hunting the submission from a bad spot. Position first, then the finish. Subs come more often from positions you actually control.
The video ends on the most useful habit of all: compare yourself to last month, not to the blue belt smashing everyone, and write down your taps so you can see it. The full list, with three more, is in common white belt mistakes and how to fix them.
What's said in the video
Three mistakes almost every white belt makes.
One. Muscling through everything. If your grip shakes and your face turns red, you are missing a detail.
Two. Death gripping the gi. Grips should turn on and off, or your forearms are gone in two minutes.
Three. Hunting the submission from a bad spot. Position first, then the finish.
And compare yourself to last month, not to the blue belt smashing everyone. Log your taps after each round.
BJJ Counter. Free, at bjjcounter.com.
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