The most important skill you can acquire in Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a skill any white belt can master — and it’s important that you do so early. In order to tell you about this pre-eminent skill, I want to tell you about the time a white belt almost choked me unconscious.

This was about five years ago. We had been working a guillotine choke with the arm inside. Even while drilling with no resistance, he wasn’t able to make the choke work. I offered some advice, and he’d get closer, but it just wasn’t getting there. This happens — it’s why drilling is important, so we can work out the kinks.

Class ended and sparring began. I was sparring with the same white belt, and as his partner, I kept trying to feed him the choke we’d been trying to get during class. Each time, he’d get a few details … but then make a mistake and lose it. This happened maybe three times until he finally grabbed the lock and adjusted it properly. I waited, and when he definitely had it, I tapped him proudly on the shoulder.

He didn’t let go.  Read more about The Most Important BJJ Skill That Any White Belt Can Master …