From BJJ Zero To BJJ Hero

First and foremost, how to train safely in BJJ! Even whilst training solo, if drills and movements are done incorrectly, there is a risk of injury. This section will give you the tools to protect yourself from such common injuries.

BJJ is a contact sport therefore injury is a risk, a risk that can be reduced when the correct measures are taken. This section covers some common areas and positions where injuries can occur and the measures you can take to prevent them.

Rolling
Possibly one of the first movement drills you will train in BJJ is rolling, be it forwards, backwards or other variations. The biggest risk associated with rolling, is rolling in a way that puts pressure on the neck and spine. In the video attached, you will see how to roll forwards and backwards with the shoulders being the primary parts of the body that are in contact with the mat, taking the load.

This translates into live sparring, as there will be many occasions where you may roll into a position that requires you to have prior knowledge of head placement and which parts of the body should be in contact with the mat.

Intelligent strength and conditioning can be a way of preventing injury. As you progress, neck strength can be a useful attribute, something that is often overlooked and something we will cover in a later module.

Key Notes

· Avoid Rolling over your neck

· Roll over your shoulders

· Understand your head placement as you roll

Gi Gripping
Perhaps applying more to gi rather than nogi, grips and the way we grip is important to prevent damage to finger joints and maintain a strong grip. In the video, you will see the primary grips that we use, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and common mistakes that may lead to injury.

Types of grip – Key notes

- 4 Finger/ Pocket Grip

Strength: All round strong grip for sleeves, lapels, pant legs etc.

Weakness: Potential digit trauma when a grip is broken.

H&S: Never grip the inside of the sleeve. This leads to potential finger trapping and twisting as the opponents moves away. Also, know when to release: when an opponent is setup for a strong grip break, sometimes it’s better to release on your terms rather than wait for the grip to be broken.

- Pistol Grip

Strength: Utilised mainly from Guard, a strong grip that has lower chance of digit trauma

Weakness: Slower to setup and perhaps not as strong as the 4 finger grip.

H&S: Always keep the thumb tucked in to prevent the thumb catching on material causing it to bend backwards.

-Gable Grip

Strength: Strong Grip when utilised in particular positions with low chance of digit trauma

Weakness: Depends on positioning

H&S: Keep you thumbs glued to your hands rather than interlocking thumbs. A common mistake which can lead to thumb damage.

Foot Positioning

A note for when you are in someone’s guard. There are different schools of thought on positioning of the foot, some liking to sit on the feet with the instep in contact with the mat, others with balls of the toes on the mat. At B4L we tend to encourage the person on top to be on the balls of the feet. As you can see in the video, this allows your foot to simply rock backwards without damaging the ankle or knee should you be swept.
Not only this, but it also allows you to react quicker should the opponent's guard open, i.e. stand up to guard pass, combat base or to disengage entirely.

If you are new to Jiu Jitsu, a "drill" is a movement or series of movements that you repeat for a set number of repetitions or time period. These are designed to warm the body up, develop motor skills and develop muscle memory. Quite often with newcomers, we say that you are almost learning to walk again, except on the mats. This first batch of drills are the first step in learning how to move on the mats.

You will see from these drills there is a big emphasis on using the hips. In JIu-Jitsu, movement and co-ordination with the hips is massive. Its required no matter what position you are in. It can make a 75KG athlete feel like a 95KG athlete if they're in a dominant position or be the difference in executing an escape from an inferior position.

If the movements don't come straight away, don't panic, it can take several weeks to get some of the drills smooth and everyone learns at a different pace.

Keep us updated on your progress! Video your drills and follow - tag on instagram @bjjsnc and have to chance to win 1 month FREE VIP online coaching!

Let's Practice! :)

Your ready to go Strength and Conditioning gym based program for ULTIMATE performance. Energy system specific conditioning for BJJ athletes to get the most out of yourself!

This is a downloadable BJJ and energy system specific strength and conditioning gym based plan. In this program everything is well explained to successfully complete it! It is not only suitable for beginners but for those too who want to take their training routine to the next level and have never supplemented BJJ with sport specific performance workout. This will make a huge difference on the matt to shine and last when others fall. All set, reps and rests are scientific based to get you to your peak performance in BJJ. Please note this is not instead of your BJJ workouts, as to be good at BJJ you need to

supplement your BJJ training not replacing it. The exercises were chosen to get the best out of BJJ athletes, YOU!

Warm up, cool down and injury prevention work is also included in the program, and I highly recommend not to skip those exercises as they will benefit you on the matt and Long-term!

People train for all different reasons: self defence, fitness, the social aspect etc. With a long competition history and team days to competitions all over the UK, If you are looking to compete, we can help you prepare.

There are many different organisations that run competitions with different rulesets however, the typical ruleset that most will follow, and certainly perhaps the first a newcomer will encounter will be the rule set by the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation).

The full ruleset can be found on the IBJJF website. This can be a little daunting at first glance, so this video aims to breakdown some of the key points.

This video covers the first key base positions you will learn in JiuJitsu along with the main aims in each of these positions from both the offensive and defensive perspective. Of course there are many more, but we will start with these foundational positions.

Mount Position
Offensive key points:

• Keep you hips heavy.

• keep a wide base with your arms ready to actively post as the opponent moves.

• Understand there are different positions within mount eg surfing mount, low mount and high mount.

Defensive Key Points:

• Keep your elbows tucked so that your arms cannot be isolated for locks.

• protect your neck from chokes.

• beware of the back take when attempting to escape.

Closed Guard
Offensive key points:

• Your main goal here is to pass the guard. The first step of this is to open the guard.

• Good posture is key. Straight back and frame with your arms onto the opponent.

• Don't put your hands on the mat, it will give your opponent opportunities for control.

• Keep on your toes (from a H&S point of view and to aid reaction time).

Defensive key points:

• Control your opponents posture.

• Dominate the grips.

• Keep your hips active, make angles to aid sweeps and submissions.

• Open your guard on your terms, not your opponents.

Side Control
Offensive Key points:

• Keep heavy. As a general rule, the less of your boy that is in contact with the mat, the heavier you will feel to your opponent.

• Keep a part of your body (hips, arm, knee etc) on the opponents hips.

• Your opponents hips or shoulders (or both) should be flat on the mat.

• Be dynamic, be prepared to shift position (eg mount, knee on belly, north south) if your opponent is taking steps to escape.

Defensive key points:

• Keep your elbows tucked to prevent an arm being isolated.

• Get to your side (looking towards your opponent) to take the pressure off.

• Never turn your back by rolling away.

• Hip escape to make space

Back Control
Offensive key points:

• Never cross your feet.

• Seatbelt grip for a strong control.

• Isolate your opponents arm with your leg to open up attacking opportunities.

• Utilise a large array of chokes with little threat of counter attack.

Defensive key points:

• Keep your shoulders shrugged high and chin tucked to protect your neck.

• Keep your elbows tucked to prevent the armbar.

• Look to bridge backwards and turn towards your opponent, using the mat to "peel" them off.

• If your opponent is looking to choke, bridge the way there choking arm is punching and turn in towards them.

Training some of your weaknesses is not appealing to most, but it may be essential. Flexibility is a key attribute and something that is underestimated by many people. Combined with general strength training, It can prevent you from injuries and also can be used to your advantage in many positions within Jiu Jitsu. Test whether there is tightness in your hips, ankles, hamstrings or shoulders, then you are ready to start your stretching routine.

Never Skip stretching! :)

Top  mount position attacks and defenses.

americana, americana to armlock, Ezikiel choke

Americana lock is one of the first basics arm lock attacks from the mount position that most people learn at the beginning of their BJJ journey. It is applied in an L shape or in an angle of 90 degrees using the two arm fight one system - making this position being an easy to apply but very effective if applied in the correct way.

However occasionally it can be predictable. This is when the Americana to armlock comes. Americana to armlock transition or progression is a very good option when you try to apply the Americana and your opponent predicted tour step. This is when you can suddenly switch to an arm lock crossing the arm and attempt submission without the other person expecting it.

Ezekiel choke: This move is most commonly set up from a mount position, as it is one of basic chokes for beginners and it consists of applying the choke while using the sleeve of your own kimono and sliding the blade of your hand around the neck. This submission can also be applied without a GI using just your arms and the blade of your hands. However if the technique is not applied properly it can be harmful.

In this video we will not only go through these moves in detail but show you the safe and the most effective ways applying them in the right time with the right technique!

The bottom mount position is a very common position that beginners end up in very often. This position is very uncomfortable to be in. It is a defensive position, which means the person on the top has the advantage over the person in the bottom. So this means holding the top mount for 3 seconds scores 4 points in a competition for no surprise. That's why we try to prevent and avoid to be in the bottom.

However you can NOT attack from the bottom Mount position, there are many ways you can reverse it!

So in this video you will learn some ways to reverse the position like bridging, hip escape and to recover the half or full guard!

You have learned quite a few drills by now, but was it enough? Not in our opinion. There is always room to progress and we always make it more challenging more interesting and READY TO GO!

A long-term balanced training program does not only consists of sweaty, hard-core workouts. It's the balance between that and all the rest of the work that can benefit you as a BJJ athlete. This means working on your weaknesses and keeping yourself injury free so you can keep training while aiming for your best BJJ self! Also if you are planning to get a rubber guard or various stretchy, fancy moves and techniques, you will need to dedicate some time to stretch those muscles. Even how much stretching you require can depend on your BJJ style the game style you do. Guard players normally require more flexibility work too, but as human beings we are prone to injuries it always a good choice to implement it into your routine no matter what!

The importance of alternating low, medium and high stressor days are extreme! This is one of the reasons why we keep including drills into your weekly routine! Do not take them for GRANTED!

Drills can help you to remember the techniques that you learned previously and also to execute them the right way. They can help to improve your coordination, speed, create muscle memory and to refine your technique while working on your cardio too.

Everyone from white to all others belt colors can benefit to include drills into their routine. This can be done as a warm up or in case of injury when you are unable to roll. But also when your plan has a low stressor day(less intense) to complete, or you just feel that you need to give a break to your body but do not want to lose the flow just do drills . These can practiced on your own, with a partner and some of them can be done at home too. This is why we keep including drills to your weekly routine! Do not take them for GRANTED!

Eureka! All the drills that you have learned previously will make sense now. You going to learn how to implement the drills into you BJJ Game and take advantage of them!

Eureka! All the drills that you have learned previously will make sense now. You going to learn how to implement the drills into you BJJ Game and take advantage of them! In BJJ you need to find a way to minimize your opponent’s chances of scoring a submission; elbows in and frame, keep posture, prevent choke etc.. Then, figure out what your escape should use, and then to start working your way out. BJJ is a ground game. It is the vital to learn how to move your body in a correct way to avoid injuries and to make your game flow. Implementing the drills in to your game will help you to have a better understanding of your own body, to find your own 'type' of game and to take advantage of it on the ground. Let's see how the hip escape, rolling on the shoulder , changing base will look like while rolling!

In this video we are going into details about it and show you techniques that will help you take control in your fights!

Closed guard(full guard) is a position where you prevent the opponent to stand up or move away. From these positions there are attacks such as arm locks, chokes with using your kimono or your legs to apply, sweeps and so on. The main goal in a ground fight is is to apply the submissions and make your opponent give up the fight! The attacks are taking place from a closed guard are very effective for submissions. In case you are inside the closed guard you have to try to open it to progress the fight further. There are two main ways to guard pass:

• standing up

• on the ground.

In this video we are going into details about closed guard and show techniques like armbar , hip bump sweep, kimura, triangle choke, OmoPlata!

#BJJPROGRESS

The benefits from partners drill is that you can have someone to motivate you, a partner to share a common interest with and learn new things or progress forward TOGETHER! This makes it even more fun! Even BJJ is about hard training, dedication and commitment we need to try and enjoy the journey too, it is more than important to have fun at the same time!

Another person can also help you to correct your technique! as you can challenge your training partner and he/she can challenge you is a big chance you to get very close to the stimulus you will experience in a real fight!

IN this video you can roll on the shoulders with the help of the wall or a partner, scissor on the wall or with your training buddy, roll to the side on he shoulder with the help of your partner ,side roll with skipping in circles - it's like a game! So much fun!

I remember us recording this video we couldn't stop smiling and laughing especially when your partner makes it harder for you to do the drill! :D

Complete this short workout that can help you keep injuries away. In BJJ when trying to submit someone we are extending their joints as long as they tap. Mobility work occures in the joints. This is why this workout is so specific to a BJJ ATHLETE!

While flexibility is:

• lengthening short and tight muscles

• injury prevention

  
  

Mobility is:

• movement based approach

• short and tight muscles

• soft tissue restriction

• joint capsule restriction

• motor control problems

• joint range of motion, dysfunction

• neural dynamic issues

In this video we will go through some mobility work! Enjoy it to the fullest !

We made them more dynamic more challenging in a way that requires all the skills that you learnt from the previous weeks. The shoulder movements, hips and your coordination and core strength

The final week of the course has arrived, but the drills don't stop! We made them more dynamic more challenging in a way that requires all the skills that you learnt from the previous weeks. The shoulder movements, hips and your coordination and core strength. If you find the previous ones still difficult, don't give up, keep practicing. This course is yours to take with you and bring the techniques out whenever you need! These drills are more game specific for muscle memory so the moves can become your second nature like a 180 degree hip drill, hip shift with finishing triangle drill, setting up for an armlock. Let's GOOO!

Closed Guard armbar drill, From armbar to triangle, drill to improve your OmoPlata, Tripod Sweep, Rolling over the shoulder with partner

Let's get the side control into practice! Why is this a good position? From side control you can attack, recover the guard or even reverse the position, while fighting from the bottom position. You can get into this position after a take down or passing the guard and from there you can progress the fight going to the mount or taking the back or there are many options. Some that we are going through in this video are:

Bottom Position

• Hip escape from side control

• Wizard Grip Side control escape

• Ghost Escape

Attacks

• Top position : North-South with Armbar

• North-South with Kimura

• Knee on belly to armbar,

• Choke

This is a position that you 'Il love! Well in case you take someone's back! However you may hate it if someone takes yours. If you take someones back you are in a massive advantage as this position wiIl make your opponent very venerable to submissions. and there are so many option out there from this position. In case you are on the other way the you Il need to protect yourself all the time hidden your arms and be aware of the chokes applied with or without

Fuel in Motion nutrition guide is different to others. Why? Because you can combine the food groups by choosing what you fancy on the day. This plan is flexible not strict but effective to fuel you to your PEAK! It is easy to fail on a boring diet that does not even consider the food your love, is boring and it makes you starving. This is nothing like that! While you learn portion control and combining nutrients we made sure to fuel your workout needs as an Athlete. Download and read your nutrition advice and ENJOY YOUR MEALS!

Congratulations for completing your BJJ and SnC course! I hope you enjoyed this journey and got the most out of the videos, the nutrition plan and the coaching program. Keep up the good work, and hope to work with you again very soon!