Tom DeBlass is an ADCC veteran and a truly fantastic coach, and he recently decided to share ten pieces of advice that every BJJ white belt would benefit from. It’s genuinely difficult to be a beginner in any sport or activity, but even moreso when it’s a combat sport because that generally involves a lot of discomfort during the learning process. The good thing is that once those someone reaches the light at the other side of the tunnel, there really is no going back to that difficult early stage.
Experienced grapplers often complain that they feel as though they’re back to square one, but that’s never really the case. Their skills degrade and peers can continue training to surpass them, but they’re never truly a fresh white belt again. Once grapplers are no longer new white belts, it can actually be hard to remember what it was like to step onto the mats for those first few weeks. The anxiety and fear is often enough to make people stop, and the feeling of not knowing what to do during a roll is frustrating beyond anything else.
It’s nice to see then that Tom DeBlass hasn’t forgotten what being a new white belt is like, as his ten pieces of advice are worth their weight in gold for anyone just starting out. He’s previously been open about safety in the training room and making sure that people give their training partners plenty of time to tap, but most of his recent advice is more focused on how to train with longevity in mind. After all, this sport is a marathon and not a sprint regardless of if you’re a hobbyist or an elite competitor.
Tom DeBlass decided to share his ten pieces of valuable advice for every BJJ white belt out there in a post to his official Instagram account:
