3 Ways to Improve your Jiu-Jitsu at home

         In my opinion, there are three basic activities a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner could be doing outside of scheduled practice hours to help improve their game. The first and probably most obvious is Strength Training. This doesn't necessarily mean going into the gym to do exercises on a machine or training with weights. There is plenty you can do with your body weight and material in your surrounding. For example, you could use a swing set to do a set of pull ups or balance your upper body on the swing to do push ups. There are many different and creative ways you can build your strength. 
         I like to think of Jiu-Jitsu requiring both Basic Strength and Focused Strength. Basic Strength would refer to the general strength training required to keep the body strong enough so you are able to use your technique (people who have previously done competitive sports or go to the gym regularly would already have developed this). Focused Strength refers to developing your strength that would enhance your ability to execute a move. Here are a few examples and exercises of Focused Strength.


Grip Strength Exercises:
- Pull ups on a swing set
- Hold two 10 lb. plates in each hand (don't drop them on your toes!)
- Pull ups using a towel
- Grip racquet ball
Leg Strength Exercises:
- Squats
- Lunges
- Sideways Lunges
- Wall Sits
Core Strength Exercises: 
- Superman Arch (on stomach, lift chest and legs off the floor at the same time)
- Back Bridge
- Trunk Twists
- AB exercises


       The second area you could train is flexibility. Flexibility training is easily overlooked when compared to Strength training activities, but can provide just as much and in some cases even more benefits than Strength training in your Jiu-Jitsu game. In Jiu-Jitsu, just like many other sports, it is important to limber up the muscles in the hips, groin, hamstring, and back. Even some of the biggest Sumo Wrestlers in Japan who weigh over 300 lbs are able to do the splits and touch their foreheads on the ground. Stretching is a great way to start or end the day, throw 5 to 10 minutes of stretching into your morning/evening routine and you will start to see some results. If you are looking for a more intense stretching routine try some cross training workouts with Yoga! 
       The third activity is visualization. Visualization is my favorite way of training. You get to close your eyes, relax, and you don't even have to break a sweat! These days I have to make time to make this happen, but while I was living in Japan I could easily fit it into my weekly routine. While I was in Japan, my commute to the Dojo was about a 20 minute train ride and a 15 minute jog from the train statin to the gym. While I was on the train I would close my eyes, relax and go over the technique we learned from the previous practice session. I would see a person doing the move step by step by step. The best comparison I can think of would be pushing the play and pause button on the remote control.  As I became better at visualizing, I would start to do it while I was jogging to the dojo as well. (Yes, my eyes were open! But my body was relaxed) In many ways this solidified the moves, and reinforced what we were learning. I also felt refreshed at the end, and think visualization took on a form of meditation. 
       Strength, Flexibility, and Visualization are great additions to your Jiu-Jitsu game and daily lifestyle. You don't have to do it all at once, and it doesn't have to be for hours at a time. However, the key to seeing results is consistency. Do it on a daily basis for 5 to 10 minutes and check back in a month to see if you have made any progress. 

Eliot Kelly 

www.edhbjj.com
El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu  

"Positive consistency will make you a Champ! Negative consistency will bring you down. Bring POSITIVE consistency into your life from as many directions as possible."