柔 · yawara
Notes from the mat.
I started jiu-jitsu, and I am bad at it. This is where I write down what I am learning while it is still new enough to see clearly.
Begin here
Seven posts, in order, for your first weeks on the mat.
- Your first jiu-jitsu class: what actually happens A play-by-play of a first BJJ class from someone who just had one. What to expect, what nobody tells you, and the one thing to remember.
- What to wear to your first jiu-jitsu class No, you do not need a gi yet. What to actually wear to a trial BJJ class, what a gi is, and what to buy only after you commit.
- How to tie your jiu-jitsu belt (and why it keeps coming off) The standard way to tie a BJJ belt, step by step in plain words, why it unties itself mid-roll, and why nobody minds.
The name
柔, yawara, is the old Japanese word for the gentle art, older than judo. This site walks the small path of learning it from zero.