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IS JIU JITSU A GOOD WORKOUT

By Benjamin Strusnik, August 25, 2022

The art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has become one of the premier combat sports systems across the globe. The ferocious and dynamic Martial Art is sweeping the nation, as many BJJ fan favourites have been starring on the world stage. Nowadays the art has seen a broad range of exceptional athletes achieve monumental feats, as tournaments like the Abu Dhabi Combat Club, and the IBJJF World Championships, are fast becoming the pinnacle of combat sports. Many high level athletes can attest to how good a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu workout can be, as they all train extensively in all forms of the combat.

What This Article Covers:

There are many different types of jiu jitsu exercises that can work out a practitioner's body extensively. There are many functional strength and conditioning, and cardio based workouts that are specifically designed to help athletes develop functional advantages for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Students will often combine all of these elements, as they look to advance through the belt ranking system, by excelling in all forms of a training regime. The BJJ itself can be a rigorous workout, as long as the practitioner uses the mats, and their training partners the right way. Being honest with yourself, and getting out what you put into training, is the common factor that determines failure or success.

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WHAT DOES BJJ INVOLVE

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu incorporates a dynamic series of transitional components that starts with good footwork in the standing position. Two combatants will attempt to gain control through the use of grips, and balance, in order to get their opponent down to the mat. Once the fight has hit the ground, both combatants will fight for control by using a complex series of positional controls that include the mount, side control, back control, and the guard. Competitors will utilise transitions that include various sweeping techniques, which is where a student will secure control over an opponent that is on top of them, as they look to succeed in moving them and getting them onto their backs. Guard passes are another transitional aspect, that happens as a top player attempts to escape from an opponent's guard, and looks to pass it in an attempt to secure control positions.

A BJJ fight will usually range anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, depending on what organisation or academy a student competes through. Athletes must embody a range of extremely fast paced, and highly intense aspects of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fight, as this art is not for the faint hearted. Although training for bjj competition can be heavily focused on the points system, the more traditional BJJ fighter is looking to win by submission. The traditional BJJ athlete can utilise a wide variety of different submissions, these range from arm locks, leg locks, and various choke holds that can be secured with and without the GI, making this grappling art one of the deadliest forms of combat in the world today.

IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS IN BJJ TRAINING

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors run a smooth training session, as most of these training sessions incorporate a different variety of functional movements, all of which are specifically related to BJJ. All training starts off with dynamic based stretching, which can be jogging around the mat, or standing in a circle, twisting from side to side. Once an athlete has achieved a slight warm up in their body, they can move into some more static types of stretching that will help improve a student's flexibility for bjj. At this point in the BJJ training session comes what some beginners describe as grueling, while other high level athletes will use this as a way to sharpen their skills. Students will need to perform different movement drills, as every technique is specifically designed to help each different aspect of the Jiu Jitsu repertoire. These styles of warm ups incorporate movements like bear crawls, crocodile walks, sit throughs, backwards rolls, forwards rolls, break falls, and sprawls.

After all the students are warmed up, instructors can opt to add extra drills like utilising sweeping and passing games, takedown games, wrestling games, or guard retention games. These types of drills can incredibly enhance an athlete's ability to become proficient in many of the technical aspects of BJJ. After this comes one of the most important parts of the training session, which is learning different techniques. Students will benefit from this part of the session, as this is the time they will expand their knowledge, and slowly practise each specific movement. After this part of the night comes probably the most important, which is the final rolling session. This is considered as a vital part of BJJ training, as it can be used as a way for students to battle test all of the techniques they know, in a real life combative situation. Battle testing an athletes game style is how they will improve their flow chains, and correct any of the aspects that they are lacking in their repertoire.

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HOW TO MAXIMISE BJJ TRAINING

Athletes these days will always look for a way to maximise their chances at becoming better at BJJ. There are many different ways that an athlete can go about this, as one of the simplest ways is to just keep showing up at training, and putting in an extensive amount of work. Spending a lot of time practising techniques and rolling on the mats, will only benefit an athlete for the long term. The key component to doing this is to not waste their time on the mats, as the most efficient way to train must be developed. This includes spending significant time learning maneuvers, and engaging in repetition of the movement. This is how a student will master the move, and explore other variations, and ways to defend the maneuver. Is important to ask questions, like does jiu jitsu build muscle, because seeking clarification about all of the intricacies involved in BJJ, is crucial to the development of any athlete.

Sometimes the best route to take in maximising a student's BJJ, is to partner up with other high level training partners. This is a valuable resource and should be taken by athletes at every available opportunity. Sometimes when an athlete teams up with another beginner it can become a game of frustration, as both parties can be clumsy and fail to achieve the goal. Pairing up with a higher belted athlete in the academy, will often lead to a smoother series of technical repetition. Higher level athletes are always able to run practitioners through the technique, as well as add their own insights into its development. They can also answer any questions, and add various different concepts, which will give the athlete a greater chance at improving their overall skill.

CAN ATHLETES OVERTRAIN IN BJJ

Athletes can commonly overtrain trying to improve their skill set in BJJ. Watching many of the high level superstars take the stage in some of the most prestigious grappling tournaments in the world, has its downfalls. Students can sometimes make the mistake of comparing themselves to some of these international stars, which can lead to athletes biting off more than they can chew. Some of the most formidable grapplers in the world put in an extensive amount of hours into their training, but in a lot of cases these types of athletes are full time grapplers. These days a lot of BJJ practitioners still work 9 to 5 jobs, so trying to put in the same amount of work into all aspects of BJJ can be detrimental. Being honest with yourself is one of the hardest, but best decisions an athlete can make, as only then they will be able to find out exactly what their limitations are.

Sometimes when students push too hard they are putting themselves at genuine risk of injury. Some students may be training four nights a week at their BJJ Academy, plus trying to add strength and conditioning, mobility workouts, extensive cardio sessions, and bjj core workouts to their extremely full schedule. This kind of training can force a student to be overloaded, as it is taking on too much at once. This will not only leave an athlete energy depleted, but it can stress out the muscles and the joints, as well as create too much stress for the mind of a student. The best thing an athlete can do is take their time and build layers to their game slowly. This is the only way for an athlete to achieve proper functionality within their own body's conditioning.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF CONDITIONING FOR BJJ

There is a significant importance in bulletproofing a students body, as some of the best exercises for bjj conditioning will help an athlete tremendously. Even though adding too many layers to a student's game can prove costly, it is important to add some layers to that training. Using various BJJ conditioning aspects will help students become stronger, fitter, and more agile versions of themself. If a student does this correctly, then they will be able to maximise their potential, and achieve many of the goals in their Martial Arts career. Improving conditioning will help students compete for longer and train harder, as the levels of optimisation will rise significantly.

Different styles of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu conditioning are floating around all over the internet. These days many high profile athletes market their style of training, which gives a student the opportunity at finding the best workout regime to fit their lifestyle. One of the best forms of conditioning that a grappler can use is a bjj kettlebell workout, as this form of conditioning is extremely compact, and has a multitude of different exercises that can be performed, with just one kettlebell. The amount of high level, and high intensity workouts that can be achieved are incredible, as the kettlebell workout incorporates movements like deadlifts, presses, squats, lunges, and Turkish get ups, just to name a few. It would be extremely advantageous for BJJ athletes to use different types of functional conditioning to directly impact, and enhance many of their technical capabilities.

THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING IN BJJ

There are numerous benefits attached to training in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The physical benefits are insurmountable as many unfit and overweight people come into the sport only to find themself gaining functional fitness, and losing significant amounts of weight. Many people have come into a BJJ academy only to significantly increase their health and fitness, as little as a month later. Many people come from all walks of life to try their hand at this calm but deadly grappling art. The testimonials attached to BJJ are widespread, as many people can attest to how BJJ has helped them. Not only is BJJ an extremely reputable combat sport, but it is also taught as a self defense component. The benefit of learning a form of hand to hand combat that actually works is extremely valuable to the wider community.

Sometimes students will join BJJ academies purely for the camaraderie, and the friendship, as this can be what inspires some students. All anybody is truly looking for is connection, so for students to join up with a BJJ academy, they will seriously find some good people involved. The community of BJJ practitioners are incredibly encouraging, as they look to guide and inspire all of their students to greatness. One of the goals of a BJJ instructor is to help their students achieve success, this includes on a competitive, and self defense level. An even more important goal than competitive success, is human improvement, as instructors will look to help their students become pillars of the community, and better versions of themselves. Achieving this feat would help a student gain a significant level of confidence, and self worth, which translates into the student learning the ability to be masterful within the art of BJJ.

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Training in BJJ will give significant advantages for people that are suffering from different forms of mental health issues. This ranges from people suffering from physical and mental abuse, all the way to the other end of the spectrum, of people suffering from different forms of autism. Training in this art can give all these types of people significant stress relief, and a form of combat that can help defend their life. The clinical and repetitive side of BJJ, can also help maximise the learning efficiency of someone that has autism including children. Training in BJJ gives these people direction, and a sense of self worth, as most of them will excel in this form of Martial Arts. BJJ is not necessarily about having superhuman abilities, instead it is about working hard to achieve the goal. Most athletes that just dedicate themselves, will find that BJJ can be one of the most rewarding, and fulfilling systems of combat to learn in the world of Martial Arts.

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