Where to start?!?

[Jason.S]

With no access to a Jiu Jitsu coach I thought MTS might be a great way to start to build a basic skill set and then continue to improve until I can get close to somewhere to learn in person.

Watching MTS I just get completely lost amongst the complicated series of moves. I know there is a technique guide but that doesn't help the beginner - or me at least.

I love it, of course, but I don't think a beginner like me will get a whole lot out of this. Any suggestions or is it a case of money better spent elsewhere. Watching these it feels like I have no chance to pick up basic skills.

Regards

[Joshua Jarboe]

Man, no BJJ near you huh?

Judo?

Wrestling?

[Robbie Carter]

If there isn't a school near you that works for you, try finding someone that might be interested in trying it with you and then going through things. Maybe 1 person turns into 2, that turns to 3, etc. and before you know it, you have your own little mini-gym.

Personally, I love MTS, but I use it to supplement my training at my gym. Basically, I use it to work on the parts of my game that I'm focusing on while still learning our curriculum. This might not be the best route for you as a true beginner because it’s information overload (I actually posted something about having this same problem)

I guess it comes down to how much knowledge you have on BJJ, if you understand the fundamentals like the positions (Full Guard, ½ guard, side control, mount, etc.) and the general concepts behind them (passing, establishing position, looking for submissions, etc.) then you might be able to make it work, but I would say MTS is more of a supplement for the intermediate to advanced JJ player. There are still tons of techniques that go way over my head. But, I’ve also found that if you ask this forum a question you’ll get amazing responses that truly help you with whatever you’re running into. This is the best BJJ forum on the internet I’ve found. (I’ve been on the Underground, Redditt, Bullshido, etc.)

[MartyHapkido]

As someone who got into BJJ with little grappling experience I'd say Mastering the Rubber Guard + Mastering the Twister (DVD or book) are your best bets. Find someone who wants to learn with you and practice both that and basic positions (there's tons of material on youtube). Once you start to feel comfortable add in the 10th Planet warmups and the MTS.

[Eddie Bravo]

Learning Jiu Jitsu on your own can be VERY difficult, or not too difficult at all. It depends on your ability to emulate what you see combined with your problem solving skills. Get on YouTube and watch adcc, adcc and Polaris matches, listen to the commentators closely. After about 20 matches you should get a basic idea of what's going on. From there, study the parts you understand the most in depth, like full guard for instance. After that, pick another part you understand like passing for instance. Look for material on that and study. And so on and so on. Good luck!