Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is often referred to as “the gentle art” because there are no strikes thrown. If you’re brand new to BJJ or who have only done a small amount of training, you may have realized how much you have yet to learn.

Mastering all of the techniques and skills of BJJ takes many years. And if you start with a solid foundation of the fundamentals, then you will set yourself up for success later.

To get to know more about the foundational skills of BJJ, take a closer look at these three fundamental concepts: base, posture, and structure.

BASE

In BJJ, base is the platform you create that allows you to apply and take force. The better your base, the harder it is for your opponent to move you around. And, a good base also means that you’re able to move more efficiently and conserve your energy and strength.

POSTURE

Posture refers to the position of your spine. As with base, the better your posture, the greater your ability to create force efficiently. Poor posture happens when your spine is bent, twisted or misaligned. This type of misalignment also increases your risk of injury.

STRUCTURE

Where posture refers to your midline, structure is all about moving your limbs efficiently. In Jiu-Jitsu, this means that rather than muscling through everything (and getting tired quickly), you rely more on the strength of your skeletal structure.

As you learn and begin to practice BJJ skills, you may get stuck on a particular technique. If you’re struggling, then it’s highly likely that there’s something off with your base, posture or structure.

Systems Training Center offers a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program focused on developing technique and athleticism through grappling. We offer Gi BJJ classes which incorporate the use of a Gi and allows the grabbing of the Gi for techniques. We also provide No-Gi classes which require an athletic top and bottom and does not allow grabbing of any articles of clothing. Learn more about each of the Systems Training Center program offerings.