The “White Belt Starter Pack”: 5 Things Every Beginner Does (And How to Fix Them)
If you walked into Gracie Barra San Marcos recently and felt like you had no idea what you were doing, don’t worry. You are right on schedule. The white belt phase is a chaotic, exhausting, and wonderful time of discovery.
However, it is also a time of predictable habits. There are certain things that almost every single white belt does in their first few months. If you catch yourself doing these, don’t panic. Acknowledging them is the first step to evolving your game.
Here are the top 5 classic white belt behaviors we see on the mats, and simple tips on how to grow out of them.
Discover The Best Jiu Jitsu Academy in San Marcos
1. The “Death Grip”
The Habit: You grab your opponent’s collar or sleeve, and you squeeze. Hard. You hold on for dear life, even when the grip isn’t serving a purpose. Two minutes later, your forearms are burning, your fingers are cramping, and you can’t even make a fist to drive home.
The Fix: Relax your hands. A grip is a tool, not a safety blanket. Only squeeze when you are actively pulling, pushing, or controlling. If you aren’t using the grip to do something specific, let it go or hold it loosely like a hook. Your forearms will thank you.
2. The “Bench Press” Escape
The Habit: You are stuck under the mount or side control. Panic sets in. Your instinct takes over, and you try to bench press your opponent off your chest with pure arm strength.
The Reality: If your opponent is skilled or heavier than you, this will never work. You are pitting your weak triceps against their body weight. Plus, extending your arms is practically begging to be armbarred.
The Fix: Use your frames, not your muscles. Keep your elbows glued to your ribs (T-Rex arms) and use your skeletal structure to create space. Escape with your hips (shrimping), not your arms.
3. Holding Your Breath
The Habit: You are rolling, focused intently on not getting tapped. Suddenly, you feel dizzy and exhausted. You realize you haven’t taken a breath in 45 seconds.
The Fix: Breathe with intention. It sounds simple, but it is the hardest thing for beginners to master. When you are in a bad spot, force yourself to take a deep breath through your nose and out through your mouth. Oxygen is fuel. If you stop breathing, your brain stops thinking, and panic takes over.
4. Apologizing for Everything
The Habit: “Sorry I’m heavy.” “Sorry I’m clumsy.” “Sorry I didn’t get that move right.” White belts often feel like a burden to their training partners and apologize constantly during the roll.
The Fix: Stop apologizing and keep working. You are supposed to be heavy; that’s pressure. You are supposed to make mistakes; that’s learning. Unless you accidentally hit someone in the face, you don’t need to apologize. Your training partners are there to help you learn, not to judge you.
5. Trying to Win the Warm-Up
The Habit: The instructor says “go,” and you treat the warm-up drills or light flow rolling like the finals of the World Championship. You are moving at 100mph, hyperventilating, and risking injury to win a drill that has no winner.
The Fix: Slow down. Smooth is fast. The goal of drilling is to build muscle memory, not to beat your partner. If you are using 100% of your speed and strength, you are likely masking bad technique. Slow down to a pace where you can think about every detail of the movement.
Embrace the Process
If you recognized yourself in this list, good! It means you are a normal human being learning a complex martial art. At Gracie Barra San Marcos, we have all been there. The black belts you see on the mats today once had a death grip and tried to bench press their way out of mount.
Discover The Best Jiu Jitsu Academy in San Marcos
Keep showing up, keep laughing at your mistakes, and keep learning. The white belt days don’t last forever, but the lessons you learn here will stick with you for a lifetime.
