We recently posted an article on our website talking about a strategy that you can use to improve your Gracie Jiu Jitsu at Scranton MMA. The article can be read here: https://scrantonmma.com/scranton-bjj-training-tips-part-i/
In that article we talk about the importance of training from and working on being stuck in a bad position. We discussed ways you can ‘force’ that to happen in training and even the best times to get that type of work in during your training. Today we are going to flip things around and talk about training from advantageous positions and ways to improve your chances of getting submissions.
Again far too often people just train, roll or spar with no agenda. No specific goal in mind. That is fine and there is nothing wrong with that but if your goals are to improve in BJJ as fast as possible or if you are a competitor then we suggest that every session, every week and every month you have specific goals in mind. Obviously everyone who trains bjj needs to be able to submit an opponent or an assailant. So today we will share some tips on how to greatly improve your effectiveness in that aspect of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Training From Advantageous Positions
The easiest way to add this to your training is to find a partner and just drill. Get to class early or come to an open mat and instead of just sparring drill. Set the drill up where you work to maintain a dominant position or set the drill up where you start in a great position and you can only submit and your partner can only defend. Both are great drills and really go hand in hand. You first need to learn how to maintain the dominant position and then you need to work on being able to finish the submission.
Scranton BJJ Drill Tip
Here is another drill that will really help you submit more people. Set a drill up where one person works on maintaining a dominant position and the other just escaping. In this drill the person maintaining the position can not use their hands. They must maintain the position using their feet, knees, hips, abs, movement, balance, center of gravity or anything else but not their hands. It is a great drill, lots of fun and will really help you in your ability to maintain the position. Additionally it will enable you to free your hands up more and more for the sole purpose of working towards a submission. You will not rely on your hands as much to maintain the position and you will be able to attack more and more.
These tips and drills are great to do with people of different sizes, strength and experience levels. It can really be a lot of fun and you can try some different things out and see how they work. They are great for improving a lot of the mental aspects of brazilian jiu jitsu like dealing with pressure, staying focused, working hard and finding out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Royce Gracie Watching a BJJ Class
I really hope that this gives you some new ideas to work into your training. I know that if you implement these drills and tips you will see improvements. I hope you enjoy them as well but if not I still hope you do them because they will pay off. If you have any questions please ask any one of the Instructors for BJJ at Scranton MMA and they will help you out.