Nathaniel Kountouris
BJJ Beginners and Advanced
Experience/Qualifications
• Brown belt
Background
Nate is a Grappling/Jiu-Jitsu coach at Jungle Brothers. He has more than a decade of experience in the game, is an avid competitor and passionate coach.
His focus is on developing a strong team with a structured, personalised syllabus which aims to realise the potential of anyone interested in learning the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Nate's Faqs
It really depends on how fast you want to get better and what your lifestyle permits, but a simple rule of thumb is to train 3 times a week
From the friends you make to the skill set you learn there are so many things that make it addictive. BJJ can make the smallest person in the room the most intimidating and the scariest person in the room the most humble. The main regret I find people saying about BJJ is that they didn’t start it sooner.
While there are some extra considerations to make when starting a contact sport like BJJ at a later stage in life, this should by no means stop anyone from doing it. I have met people throughout my journey who took up the sport at all different ages, each having their own journey. I truly believe there is no age limit for learning. Learning should be every human's lifelong endeavour.
BJJ is the acronym for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an adapted form of Ju Jutsu, an ancient Japanese system of combat. While BJJ is just an offshoot of this older form of combat, it's safe to say it is now one of the most widely known martial arts around the globe. As such it is often referred to as simply Jiu Jitsu, or BJJ.
Strive for technical perfection first. Do not use strength (although you will want to). That can come later. It’s also important to give yourself time. BJJ is an incredibly technical art which requires consistency and dedication. If you approach it from a long term perspective it will reward you. If you expect to master it within a couple of months, you will be disappointed.
The best thing for me is the feeling of knowing that I’m developing my mind and my body at the same time. There is a great confidence which comes from learning an art that enables me to protect myself. It’s also seriously fun
It took me -7 years to receive my brown belt. This is about the average timeframe to get to brown belt. That said my jiu jitsu is anything but ‘average’ 🙂
Trying not to tell everyone about it.
In seriousness, one of the hardest things about BJJ is the frustration that occurs while travelling along the path of learning. It’s not always easy and there are times when it feels like nothing is working for you. This happens at all levels of the game and the more experienced you are, the better you can deal with the frustration when it pops up. It’s important to remember that this is part of learning something challenging, and is ultimately an essential part of the process.