What Can I Do to Improve My Jiu Jitsu Outside of the Training Room?
At Oregon Grappling Arts, we strongly believe that the best way to improve your Brazilian jiu jitsu is to emphasize consistency in your training and to train as much as your physical capabilities and other obligations and priorities allow (check out our post about how often to train here). That said, ambitious BJJ students and students who don’t get as much mat time as they’d like often ask us how to improve their jiu jitsu outside of the training room. While nothing beats time on the mats, here are a few recommendations we have for making progress outside of your jiu jitsu gym.
Find a training partner to work with outside of class times. If you’re unable to make it to jiu jitsu class because of scheduling issues or you’re just looking for extra practice, you might consider getting some home mats and a drilling partner. Home mats come in a variety of styles and price ranges, many of which can be broken down and stowed away when not in use. At OGA, we find drilling jiu jitsu techniques (practicing the moves with no or little resistance) to be critical for skill development in most students. Newer students would do well to get more repetitions of moves learned in class. Intermediate and advanced students should be able to identify and fill in knowledge gaps in their jiu jitsu with the help of their coaches at OGA or with recourse to the vast body of BJJ instructional content now available. Just ask around at the gym to find a team mate who wants extra practice and can work with your schedule.
Watch BJJ matches or instructional videos. Nowadays we are fortunate to have so many resources available for learning technique, including streaming services for watching live jiu jitsu events, instructional videos from the best grapplers in the world, and free content on Youtube and other social media platforms. Whether you can’t make it to the gym or you need a recovery day, you can still keep your mind active by watching jiu jitsu. You could even go a step further and perform mental repetitions of the techniques you watch. However, we encourage our students to be critical of online instructional content. While there is a fair amount of quality content available, much of it is also gimmicky, low-percentage, or just plain incorrect technical instruction that will not work in world-class competition. When choosing online instructional content, consider the instructor’s coaching or competitive accolades. Highly-decorated athletes (IBJJF adult world or ADCC medalists, for example) or coaches of highly-decorated athletes are more likely to be reliable sources of technical jiu jitsu instruction. If you’re interested in studying online material, but you’re unsure where to start or who to watch, don’t hesitate to ask the coaches at OGA for recommendations.
Start a strength and conditioning program. Many grapplers find that resistance training improves their performance on the mats and helps maintain their bodies against the stresses of jiu jitsu training. Starting a strength program could be as minimalistic as needed to fit within the confines of your budget. If you’re short on time and don’t want to spend money, your program might be as simple as home or outdoor workouts that include exercises such as pushups, planks, jogging, sprinting, doing pull ups at the park, et cetera. You might also look into getting weights or strength training equipment for your home, or getting a membership at a commercial fitness gym. There are many fitness gyms in the area spanning a wide spectrum of membership costs and operating hours, including 24-hour facilities. While building skills is your top priority for improving your jiu jitsu, resistance training is an excellent supplement that you can do on your own time.
Do solo drills. Newer students in particular may find it useful to work on the core movements of jiu jitsu, all of which can be done without a partner. Examples include shrimping and reverse shrimping; forward, backward, and granby rolling; heisting; and bridging. Students with takedown knowledge can add sprawling and practicing their shots. John Danaher, one of the most renowned nogi BJJ coaches in the world, has a completely free solo drills instructional available on BJJ Fanatics.
-OGA Staff
At OGA, we offer gi and nogi jiu jitsu classes in Northeast Portland six days per week. You can find our schedule here. Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of your coaches at OGA if you have any questions about training outside of regularly scheduled practices.
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