BJJ Solo Drills That Are Fun And Work
The path to failure is paved with excuses. The path to success is paved with practice. Don’t let time away from the mat — whether it is because of Coronavirus, work, or injuries — destroy your progress. You are only limited by your imagination in ways that you can train and improve. Learn these drills and techniques from Zenyo Jiu Jitsu in Baltimore and keep moving ahead.
You can do these bjj solo drills at home, at the park or anywhere: No partner needed! These drills are fun and practical. Watch the video below to learn Jiu Jitsu practice tips by black belt John David Emmett of Zenyo Jiu Jitsu in Baltimore. Develop your movement, coordination, strength and technique outside of the gym. All you need is a stick!
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Sticks have been used in martial arts for centuries. When I first started training, I used to practice stick fighting in an Arnis class I attended for two years. Sticks are dangerous and effective as a weapon. They are little used as training tools, however. It wasn’t until Coronavirus closed down our Jiu Jitsu gym in Baltimore for several months that I started to think about ways to train outside of the gym. During that time, I reworked our curriculum to focus primarily on skills as opposed to techniques. Then I realized that practicing with a stick works great for what I consider essential Jiu Jitsu skills for my students in Baltimore. It’s also lots of fun and inspires learning through play.
In the Youtube video that follows, I cover these skills in detail and show how you can use the stick to practice with as a partner.
Seven Jiu Jitsu Skills Every Student Needs To Master
- Strike
- Block
- Trip
- Grab
- Transition
- Get Up
- Submit
Check out the blooper at 2:15. Haha.
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1. Strike
Striking is an essential element in Jiu Jitsu. Modern sport Jiu Jitsu has removed the focus from striking but training in how to strike is critical for self-defense. In the video, I cover how hitting with a closed fist can hurt or injure your hand. Using an open palm is a safer way to strike. Even better, elbows and knees are very strong weapons. Training with a stick is great way for you to practice BJJ drills that don’t require a partner.
2. Block
Blocking is even more important than striking in self-defense. You can win a fight without landing a strike. That is probably not the case with blocking. Skill in blocking can turn a potentially disastrous situation into next to nothing. There are two ways to block, against a strike and a grab. The basic block for a punch is to cover the head with your hands and use your forearms as protection against blows to the face. To defend against a grab, you want to get both hands together and in front of the neck to push away. Use your arms to help drive your hips back as you push into the ground with your legs.
3. Trip
Knowing how to set up a trip is a quick way to get to the ground and gain control. There are four basic ways to trip in Jiu Jitsu. They are using your own leg to trip inside or outside your opponent’s leg. With two legs, there are same-side trips and cross-side trips. Using the stick provides a great way to practice all the variations of trips. When you start drilling, you want to go slow and work to be as smooth as possible. Remember, you are working to build neural connections that take time and practice to develop.
4. Grab
The stick is limited in its ability to simulate a partner, which can limit the ways you grab. Just like there are four trips, there are also four grabs. You can grab the leg, torso, shoulder or head. They are all grabbed the same way, with a cross-wrist position using a monkey grip (no thumbs.) In your drills with the stick, practice testing your grip strength. You can really squeeze and try to bend the stick in these solo drills.
5. Transition
Transitions in Jiu Jitsu are some of the most fun parts of training. They are fun with the stick, too. The basic idea of the transition is knowing how to cover over the center line of your partner or opponent. There are three lines to cross over: at the feet, stomach and head. In the BJJ Solo Drills Video On Youtube, I add also how to hop over the center line.
6. Get Up
Knowing how to get up from being knocked down on the ground to back up on your feet can save your life. This is the most important skill in Jiu Jitsu. This skill is so important that it should be practiced in some way every single class — really every single day. Variations of a get up from the floor have enormous benefits in martial arts and life. One study determined that the ability to get up skillfully from the ground is a predictor of longevity and wellness.
7. Submit
Using a stick to practice submissions is a great way to learn the basics and develop your isometric strength. The great thing about using a stick for your Jiu Jitsu drills is that, within reason, you can use a maximum amount of force and tension. You don’t have to worry about hurting your partner. You can also get in a lot of reps — and speed up your learning — since a stick doesn’t get tired of getting bent and choked.
Click Infographic To Share And Download “Seven Essential Skills For Jiu Jitsu” By Zenyo Jiu Jitsu
Keep Working To Improve Your Jiu Jitsu And Health
I hope you enjoy these Jiu Jitsu drills. Let me know in the comments what you think and any ideas your have about adding them to your training. Let’s keep going. That’s all there is to do. Here’s to good health and training.
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