Stable, resilient knees are vital for injury prevention and pain-free BJJ.
Knee injuries are one of the most common in the sport of jiu jitsu, so dedicating time to knee health is a valuable use of your time.
I tore both meniscus and battled chronic knee pain for years before finding smart ways to strengthen and fortify my knees.
You could spend hours sifting through the endless knee prehab drills online, but I prefer to use high-value, minimalist moves that provide multiple qualities that I’ll need on the mat.
Things like strength, stability, mobility, and integration, which is exactly what the following exercises will deliver.
But first, let’s understand how to build resilient knees for jiu jitsu
Where To Start For Knee Resilience
Most people look directly to the knee joint when trying to build resilience or to eliminate pain. But the knee is part of a system that includes the foot, ankle, and hip.
So, it’s important to look at the entire system when addressing chronic pain, or attempting to build more durable joints.
If I could go back before my injuries, I would focus on three things to prevent against knee pain and injury.
First, building better hip mobility and position of the pelvis.
An issue at the hip could result in unwanted stress down the chain, and force structures like your knee to bear forces it isn’t meant to handle.
If your hip is restricted or can’t access its full range, the knee or low back will likely take up the slack. I spend time first with breathing drills to create space and better position of the pelvis before any other exercises or mobilizations.
Second, getting the foot and hip to work better together.
Your feet need to pronate and supinate in order to move force up the leg into the proper working muscles. If there is an issue with the foot, like you can’t pronate correctly, many times your hip won’t function properly either. Standing drills will help the foot and hip work together.
Third, building functional resilience around the knee with smart exercises, like the ones we’ll explore now.
1. Standing Hip Circle Series
I learned this series from the American legend, Steve Maxwell and it has helped a ton with single leg stability and hip mobility.
At first glance, it looks like the moving leg is doing all of the work, but just one round of these and you’ll quickly know better.
Because the posting leg must stabilize for so long while the other hip is working, you build tremendous stability in your ankle, hip, and knee.
Remember, knee resilience is the result of an ankle and hip that can work together. This series provides that.
Plus, the working leg is gaining mobility with the different articulations of the femur in the socket. This is similar to controlled articular rotations, but more dynamic.
This will build endurance in the posting leg, especially in the muscles on the front of the shin and outer glutes.
I do this one a few times a week as a warm up and activation drill.
Start with 10 reps of each movement in each direction, working up to 20 for each.
2. Hindu Squats
View this post on Instagram
Hindu Squats are an old school exercise that martial artists have been using for centuries to prepare their bodies for combat.
The old legend is that new Judokas needed to perform 500 of these before they were allowed on the mat to train.
This exercise puts a significant stress on the muscles around the knee, fortifying them with each rep.
Plus, you’ll develop calf, foot, hip, and lower back strength and resilience too.
I always hit a few sets before BJJ and shoot for sets of 25-50 in my workouts.
Try adding super slow reps and isometric holds for even more benefits.
3. Hunter Squats
View this post on Instagram
Hunter Squats provide a similar effect to Hindu Squats, but focus on single leg strength.
You can also load the Hunter Squat with weight like a kettlebell or club for added strength and size.
This move strengthens your legs, core, and spine, while improving the mobility of your foot, ankle, and hip.
This is the ultimate knee resilient combo, as it accomplishes most of what you need for functional knee durability.
After warming up with the Hip Circle Series and Hindu Squats, I do a few sets of Hunter Squats loaded with a kettlebell or club.
Use more weight with less reps to build strength and less weight with higher reps for muscle and strength endurance.
Final Thoughts
The combination of dynamic movement and leg attacks in grappling makes the knee a vulnerable area that needs attention.
The unfortunate truth is that the longer you spend on the mats, the more likely you will get injured.
I tore my right knee at purple belt, then the left 2 years later at brown.
I now spend time each week making sure my hips have fill access to their range of motion, my feet are functioning properly with the ground and the hip above, and I’m not wasting time with ineffective exercises.
Add these simple, by effective exercises to build resilience in your knees, and remain on the mat for years, ideally, pain-free.
WHENEVER YOU’RE READY, THERE ARE 3 WAYS I CAN HELP YOU:
1. Start improving your BJJ durability and performance with the new Foundations of Rotational Strength.
2. Fortify your body for BJJ with this free course on the Grappler’s Get Up.
3. Join the free weekly newsletter here.
