In Jiu Jitsu, chokes are still very much the king of techniques. There are some tough people that can power out of certain submissions, but with chokes, it is harder to power out, due to the fact that a good choke only takes a matter of seconds to put someone into unconsciousness. Some of the […]

With submission wrestling, it is up to the wrestler to choose what gear to wear. In any session, you will see some wrestlers wearing shorts, while others wear spats. Some wear spats under shorts. What’s the right gear to wear? Both have their advantages and disadvantages to better serve certain style of players. It all […]

Bernardo Faria is one of the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors in the world. A constant force in some of the most prestigious competitions, Bernardo has proven that he has a heavily perfected game for Jiu Jitsu. Faria’s game can work for anyone, but can especially work for older grapplers. The concepts and positions that […]

So you have decided to start MMA training. Maybe you’re doing it for a fun hobby, to get in shape or perhaps you want to become a fighter. Either way, MMA training needs to be done correctly. There are many things one can do to properly train in MMA, but here are five things you […]

People often wonder what kind of conditioning exercises should be used to prepare for Jiu Jitsu tournaments. There is a lot of varying opinions on what kind of conditioning is correct for the sport. Jiu Jitsu exercises need to focus on two things, cardio and working against muscle fatigue. Someone does not need to do […]

The age old style vs style debates... which is better Judo Vs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and why?  Most of the style debates have ended due to MMA, but what is the king of all grappling styles, Jiu-Jitsu or Judo?

A lot of people have strong feelings about training gi or no gi. I have heard many purists express a certain disdain for people who train only no gi, only to lose to those people in no gi competition. On the other hand, the vast majority of winners of major tournaments train in the gi, […]

Having tough and unbreakable grips is one of the keys to having top notch Jiu Jitsu. When a Jiu Jitsu fighter has a strong gripping game, it makes domination of an opponent that much more possible. Grips are used in finishing submissions, passing the guard and controlling of an opponent. In other words, they are […]

Go with the flow is a term you will hear a lot during training in Jiu Jitsu. It is because a great Jiu Jitsu fighter will be able to flow in his/her movements and techniques. Some people do not understand how they will learn how to flow. There are ways to learn how to flow […]

 

Very often we hear tell of this always within reach, but never actually attainable “grind”.  We are told to embrace it, we are told to savor it, and the best of us strive for it on a day to day basis.  The grind is important to sports in general, but holds a special place in one on one combat, including but not limited to grappling and jiu jitsu.

“The grind” refers to the inherent suffering and literal grind of training.  In grappling it literally refers to the sensation of the mat rubbing against you, your gi rubbing against you, and of course person’s pressure and intensity grinding on you.  The grind hurts.  The grind is uncomfortable.  And the reality is that the grind is what is required to really be able to say that you put hard work in.

The grind can mean different things to different people.  It can be reflected in how a person drills or in how they roll.  It can show up in who you choose as your training partners.  Here is a hint: if you want to embrace the grind, always seek someone out who gives you no quarter, someone who forces you to work.  If your training partner is too much better than you, you will not be able to really put in work on the right level, if they are not even close to as good as you, you will not really have a challenge.  For this reason, when it comes to “The grind” it may be best to choose people just above your skill level.

To take it a step further, who you train with is not as important as HOW you train.  If you sit out between rounds, you are not embracing the grind, if you show up late and leave early you are not embracing the grind.  However if you are present and working the entire training session you are on your way.  And it is not easy.  You have to push and motivate yourself on days that you do not feel like it.

Another crucial aspect of The Grind is your willingness to put it on the line should the opportunity present itself.  Competition is not necessary to excel in jiu jitsu, but short of using your jiu jitsu in a fight (MMA or street) it is very likely the best way to test and push yourself and really see how your jiu jitsu stacks up against that of others.  It also teaches you how you react to a level of stress that is unavailable to you in the comfort and confines of your gym.

There are three major aspects of being a successful grappler: technique, physical prowess (speed, flexibility and strength) and toughness.  If you are technical but very weak and weak minded/not tough, your technique will likely fail you.  Technique is a must for toughness and physical prowess to play a roll, but once your technique is up to par, toughness is the most important aspect.  And the only way to develop toughness is through the grind.

But how does “The Grind” develop toughness?  It is similar to a Muay Thai fighter conditioning their shins.  We gradually callous our minds to the point at which bad positions and situations do not evoke terror.  We become capable of maintaining our composure regardless of where we may wind up, and thus are able to mount intelligent defenses and even attacks from positions and situations that before would have left us clueless and ineffective.

The only way to really become excellent at jiu jitsu or grappling in general is the grind.  There are people who can make it all the way to black belt without ever truly embracing the grind, but those people will never make it to the podium, and those people are not really experiencing everything jiu jitsu has to offer.  The best way to know that you have experienced and embraced the grind is when everything else in life seems easy in comparison to your training sessions.  If you reach that level, you are embracing it and you will see benefits from it.

Check out this video in which Bernardo Faria talks about the work he has put in to reach his significant accomplishments.

https://youtu.be/wSWeZNPnyyg

From the first day that we start learning jiu jitsu, we are also taught that the ego is toxic.  We are taught to abandon our pride, and that we either win or we learn.  From the first day that we start learning jiu jitsu, we are misled to some degree.  The ego is crucial to […]

Rolling against bigger opponents in Jiu Jitsu can be a real eye opener, but absolutely essential. It doesn’t matter if it is rolling in class, or in an absolute division in a tournament. Sometimes people have unrealistic ideas on how good they are, until they run into someone that is bigger, taller and heavier than […]

What’s the most important skill set to develop as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner?  What separates people who know moves from people who know how to execute them?  There is one simple yet extremely difficult notion that determines the quality of a jiujiteiro and that notion is timing. This is best developed through live rolling and […]

Want a training tip to help you improve quickly and effectively?  Put yourself in bad positions while rolling with training partners of equal or higher level to yourself. Very often I see people trying to “win”.  They roll in such a way that they emphasize their strengths out of fear of “losing” even in the […]

They say that 3% of the population is naturally gifted and can get good at jiu jitsu very quickly and use those skills to win tournaments and be awesome.  The other 97% aren’t so lucky and have to work to get there.  There is however a special secret to getting good at jiu jitsu: mat […]