In Part 1 I gave the first 5 biggest tips for BJJ performance from the first season of the Order & Progress Podcast. I explained how valuable it is to interview coaches and athletes who have dedicated their lives to combat sports. The experience and knowledge they have accumulated is invaluable.
We heard from elite level black belts, All-American wrestlers, and certified strength coaches who spend every day in the trenches with professional grapplers and fighters.
If you haven’t read part 1, make sure to start there because we’ll build on some of that knowledge here in part 2.
So let’s get to to it. Here are the next 5 tips for BJJ performance.
6. Strength plus technique is king.
The first tip in the series was “Strength is the best quality a grappler can train.” This hold true, but if strength was the only thing that mattered in jiu-jitsu and fighting, then the world’s strongest man would be world champion every year.
And that’s nowhere near the case. Ultra-strong man and BJJ competitor Chad Wesley Smith who owns a 900+ pound squat, 550+ lb bench, and 800+ lb deadlift has been known to do very well in BJJ competition, but he’s not a sure thing on top of the podium by any means. That’s why strength PLUS technique is king.
Let’s say you have all the best technique in the world but you’re 2 feet tall and weaker than a new born baby calf. I’d say you have no shot against a heavyweight white belt with some wrestling experience. That’s because strength, size, and power does have value on the mat.
But…
Your focus should always be technique. Strength will only get you so far. You can’t go winning a world championship bench pressing opponents out of side control and deadlifting your way out of submissions.
However…
If you had black belt level technique combined with elite level strength, you’d be no easy day for anyone. Strength and force are needed to apply techniques at times. Gordon Ryan is a great example of superior technique combined with brutal strength and size. Undoubtedly, that combination has made him the best grappler on the planet…at any weight class.
Plus, your bones and tendons will be more resilient and less prone to injury, giving you more time on the mat to improve your technique.
Bottom line, focus on technique, add strength training to become unstoppable.
7. Training your feet will help your jiu-jitsu.
It’s been widely known that jiu-jitsu athletes neglect training their feet and calves. Maybe its the fact that roughly half the time, at least while playing guard, you’re not on your feet. Or because unlike the traditional sports like football and basketball, there is very little running, cutting, and pivoting in jiu-jitsu.
However, adding lower leg training to your routine will dramatically help with your performance. Coach Ben Z explained in episode 8 how important foot training is to generate force when wrestling or playing from the top position.
I went on to explain how training your feet will help with injury prevention, especially now that the game has placed an emphasis on leg locks and lower body submissions. The ability to flex your foot with strength and endurance will serve you well defending heel hooks and ankle locks.
Plus, lower leg training helps stabilize the knees and hips. Add simple calf and foot work to your training to benefit your game.
8. Going vegetarian won’t hurt your performance.
In episode 9 we heard from BJJ world champion Lucas Barbosa, who was a few months in to a vegetarian diet. He explained how he felt lighter and full of energy with little to no negative side effects from cutting out meat.
There have been multiple MMA fighters who tout the benefits of the vegan lifestyle for their training and performance. And although I haven’t done any research on the matter, reputable and successful athletes have shown success, empirically at least, while cutting out meat.
We are constantly bombarded with ads for protein supplements and the need to get excessive amounts of protein and BCAAs in order to ensure muscle gain and performance optimization. But if you’ve ever come off supplements for a month then you know you don’t whither away like a pumpkin in November without the extra supps.
Don’t get it wrong, protein and BCAAs ARE necessary for optimal performance. They just don’t need to come from animals, and they don’t need to be used in excess to get you where you want to be.
9. Swelling is necessary for healing, but try to flush it out to heal quicker.
We heard from Dr Kickass in episode 10, aka Mike Piekarski, a doctor who specializes in combat sports injuries. He explained the importance of swelling and inflammation in the healing process. He also explained why using ice on an injury may not be exactly the best method for recovery.
Instead, he explained how circulating blood to the injury and flushing out the inflammation is a better method for recovering faster from an injury.
There is a reason why an area swells after an injury. Important chemicals are sent to the site to start the healing process. However, there is reason to believe that flushing these chemicals from the injury site will help speed up the healing process.
He recommends using ice more to manage pain in the hours after an injury, then moving to compression and pain-free motion in the days following that.
10. Proper nutrition and sleep is the best supplement / recovery for grapplers.
I asked every single guest what their favorite supplement was and overwhelmingly, they responded sleep and good nutrition. There is no silver bullet when it comes to supplements for grappling. Nothing you can take will dramatically make you better, faster, and stronger, legally of course.
The best recipe is to give your body what it needs to recover and perform through a good diet void of excess sugars, alcohol and processed foods. Vegetables, lean meats, and plenty of water are your best bet.
And if you’ve every trained multiple sessions a day, or trained in a tough camp for a big tournament, then you know your body wants sleep. It craves those valuable hours of uninterrupted rest where it can repair and recover. Don’t neglect it with too much screen time, an irregular sleep schedule, and too little time in bed.
Quick takeaway, eat your veggies and take naps for better performance on the mat.
So there you have it, the 10 best tips from 10 episodes of the podcast. We are gearing up for season 2 where we’ll connect with 10 more athletes and coaches to bring you more wisdom from the mats and under the bar. If you have someone you want to see on the show, just send us a message on Instagram.
Until then, train hard, train smart.
