Desire to Learn and Enthusiasm to Teach

Once you get the BJJ bug, it becomes one of the most important things in your life.  Ever since I started back in 2002, I've been enamored with the sport.  The number of techniques and how to perform them is infinite.  There is a huge camaraderie aspect that comes with learning BJJ, the people you train with becomes your family.  A burning desire to learn ignites a desire to teach as well.  When you see your training partner doing a technique incorrectly, you WANT to go over there and correct him.  It's fascinating and amazing all at the same time.  There are instances where this becomes dangerous.  When a more experienced student attempts to teach a more inexperienced student a technique that they are not fully familiar with cultivates bad technique, habits, mindset, etc...  I see it all the time, I see white belts trying to help other white belts with a technique, but 99% of the time, their technique is off.  I like the enthusiasm, but the harsh reality is, it can stunt the growth of the recipient or in extreme cases can result in injury.  Our school has a policy that nobody under 2 stripes can roll (I don't entirely agree with it, but that's another blog post), and the most frustrating thing is to see white belts who don't/can't roll try and correct other white belts on how to perform a technique.  It is not their place to give that type of advice.  BJJ is not a martial art of katas.  Doing a move 10,000 times against a non-resisting individual does not equate to being able to perform it with resistance. So my advice to white belts or even some blue belts, if you are not fully understanding a move or technique, if you personally have not hit the move during a live roll, please ask a higher belt to show exactly what the proper technique is.  I have seen some very dangerous situations where one white belt was showing another what he thought was an ankle lock and in reality was a heel hook, I have see other white belts discouraging others of certain techniques because he personally felt they were "dirty", it's not their place to enact any knowledge to other people who are barely below their own skill level.

Leave the teaching to the upper belts, there's plenty of time to teach once you yourself obtain a higher rank.