Starting jiu jitsu can feel exciting, challenging, and even a little intimidating — especially in a place like San Pedro, where the community is active, diverse, and filled with people eager to learn. Whether you’re stepping onto the mats for fitness, confidence, self-defense, or curiosity, it’s completely normal to feel unsure in the beginning.
The truth is: every beginner makes mistakes. They’re part of the learning process, and correcting them early helps you grow faster, feel more comfortable, and develop the habits that lead to long-term success.
Here are the five most common beginner mistakes we see in San Pedro — and how to fix them.
Mistake #1 — Holding Your Breath Under Pressure
One of the first challenges beginners face is learning how to breathe while training. When people are unsure or overwhelmed, they often tense up and hold their breath, which leads to fast exhaustion and increased stress.
Signs you’re holding your breath include:
- tight shoulders
- early fatigue
- feeling panicked or rushed
- forgetting the technique
Fix:
Practice slow, steady breathing from the moment class begins.
A simple reminder to yourself:
“Relax your shoulders. Breathe. Stay calm.”
With consistent breathing, everything becomes easier.
Mistake #2 — Relying on Strength Instead of Leveraging Technique
Using strength feels natural at first, but it limits your growth. Jiu jitsu is a technique-driven art — and trying to muscle through moves creates frustration and bad habits.
Beginners relying on strength often:
- fatigue quickly
- lose control in transitions
- resist instead of flow
- miss opportunities to learn
Fix:
Focus on positioning, not power.
Smooth, efficient movement is the goal. Ask your coach for help refining your technique — they can show you how to use leverage to move with less effort and more precision.
Mistake #3 — Rolling at 100% Instead of Learning the Pace
Many beginners feel pressure to “win” their early rolls. But this mindset creates unnecessary stress and slows down technical growth.
Rolling too hard too soon often leads to:
- frustration
- difficulty seeing openings
- mental burnout
- avoidable injuries
Fix:
Think of rolling as practice with resistance, not a competition.
Try choosing one focus per round — such as staying calm, working escapes, or applying one technique you learned that day.
Training becomes more productive, and progress becomes clearer.
Mistake #4 — Feeling Self-Conscious About Being New
It’s common for San Pedro beginners to worry about standing out or making mistakes. But jiu jitsu is a supportive environment — your teammates and coaches have all been beginners, too.
Being self-conscious leads to:
- hesitation
- avoiding questions
- holding back during drills
- slower learning
Fix:
Let yourself be a beginner.
Ask questions.
Try new techniques even if they feel awkward.
Every upper belt you see learned jiu jitsu the exact same way: one question, one rep, and one mistake at a time.
Mistake #5 — Expecting Fast, Visible Progress
Early jiu jitsu progress is subtle. Many beginners think they aren’t improving, when in reality, they are — just in ways that are harder to see at first.
Instead of looking for big breakthroughs, look for changes like:
- staying calmer during rolls
- breathing more consistently
- recognizing positions faster
- surviving longer in tough rounds
- feeling less overwhelmed
Fix:
Trust the process.
Progress in jiu jitsu tends to show up suddenly, after weeks of quiet improvement. Consistency is your greatest advantage.
The San Pedro Path to Early Success
Success on the mats comes down to four habits:
- Stay relaxed.
- Ask questions.
- Focus on fundamentals.
- Keep showing up.
At Six Blades San Pedro, beginners thrive because the culture is friendly, patient, and supportive. Mistakes aren’t failures — they’re stepping stones to skill, confidence, and long-term growth.
If you embrace the learning process and give yourself time, your progress will not only be noticeable — it will be meaningful.