The only advice I am qualified to give

The general consensus on the blog-a-forumsphere is that after learning 1 technique, you are a full fledged internet adviser on all that is Jiu Jitsu. I have only been at this 2 short months, and have only scratched the surface of this massive, lifelong chess game that is Jiu Jitsu. I am in no position to tell someone what they need to do to be successful. As soon as I seem to think I am getting too big for my britches, an 18 year old day 1 student with a wrestling background, becomes 1 camera phone short of a Youtube sensation with the number of submissions he got me into in 4 short minutes of rolling(true story).  But there is 1 piece of advice I feel that I am qualified to give.

3 weeks ago, my gym added a Foundations course to their BJJ schedule. I didn't find  out about it until earlier this week, and today was my first class. During a typical "normal" class, we learn 2 or 3 techniques, that include a handful of variations. Those techniques will start in a certain position and will either be the result of a counter to an opponent's action, or a specific action I take that will eventually lead to a submission.  It's a dance. Step 1, 2, 3, 4, submission.  The foundations class, however, does not look at the the series of moves to complete the dance. Rather, it analyzes each move independently. It ensures that you know all of your options from a specific position. It helps you understand what your goals are. 

During today's class, for example, we focused on side control. We discussed ways to hold the position, transition, defend, and sweep.  Where in a previous normal class, we learned  an armlock from side control, we didn't discuss getting to that position, holding it, and how to be successful at it. We merely learned that if we happen to magically appear in side control, and your opponent happens to reach for your wrist that is controlling his neck, you can do very specific movements, and maybe achieve a submission. While that is great for someone who has a few hundred hours of training under their belt, and would like to add just 1 more move to their arsenal, the new guy's find themselves at a huge disadvantage. Sure as a noob, your loving the fact that you just learned that cool new kimura, but if you factor in the % of opportunities that will present themselves to use that one move, and the use-it-or-lose-it rule that decreases our chances of executing it effectively as we let our muscle memory fade over time, you realize that you could have gotten more bang for your buck if you spent that time learning that new fan-geld trick, learning some fundamentals instead. 

Every Fundamentals class will focus on a position, and not a technique.  You will find yourself in someone's guard all the time. Understanding what your primary 3 roles are as well as what your opponent's primary roles are, will go a lot further than wishing your opponent does the one thing that will maybe allow you to try to put them in an americana. As a defender, you learn how not to lose that guard. How to position yourself in a way that limits your opponent's opportunities, and puts you in a position to become an aggressor. Fundamentals are the key to success for any new Jiu Jitsu student. Sure I still plan on attending regular classes (there is currently only 1 Fundamentals class offered), but I have every intention of attending Fundamentals, until my fundamentals become second nature. And I would advise every single other noob to do the same.