5 Things to Make Your BJJ Better Now!

5 Things to Make Your BJJ Better Now!

A couple weeks ago, after a morning class we recorded an episode of Beauty and the Gi Podcast.  Sometimes we know ahead of time what we are going to talk about and sometimes it’s a surprise to both of us!  This time Jen asked me what are 5 things that I can do right now to improve my Jiu Jitsu.  This was my answer –

1. Eat right for your body –

This doesn’t mean that you have to “diet”.  It means that you eat things that make you feel good when you train and not that make you feel sick.  Make sure you are getting enough protein.  Protein is something that will help your muscles heal after a tough training session.  I know I can’t eat Thai food before I train because it makes me sick to my stomach when we start rolling.  Know what is good for your body and eat accordingly.

2. Be Hydrated

Hydration really starts in the days leading up to training.  It’s hard to hydrate enough for training tonight if I didn’t hydrate yesterday.  In other words make sure each day you are drinking enough water.  A good suggestion is to add some Jocko Hydrate or LMNT salt packets to your hydration habits.  One a day will help you a lot.  Don’t only drink those though because if you are only drinking them they can lead to kidney stones.

3. Do the warm-ups.

I don’t care if you are a purple belt, warmups are still important.  It’s not just about practicing movements (which is helpful) it’s about getting your body warm for class and getting you in the right mindset to learn.

4. Take Notes

Take notes on the moves you learn in class as well as notes on who you roll with; what issues are you running into; what are you trying that isn’t working; that kind of thing.  I still go back and look at my notes from classes, seminars, and camps.  Sometimes I use them for my own training and sometimes I use them for teaching.  I can tell you that the people that take notes tend to progress much faster than those that do not.

5. Roll with Intention

Know who you want to roll with.  Choose some hard rounds, choose a round or two that you can work things you aren’t as good at.  Use your gameplan.  This should be written down so that if during a roll you forget what you are supposed to do when you get to mount, you can look at your written gameplan and make adjustments for the next round.  If you are about to compete, count the points as you are rolling.  Know if you are down.  Know if you need to get a submission in the last 30 seconds or if you should just hold position.  Keep in mind that if you are always waiting for what the other person is going to do, you will always be a step behind.

I hope you found this helpful!  Just 5 quick points about how to make your BJJ better now.