4 ways to get better at BJJ (off the mats!)

You can do a lot to improve your performance in jiu-jitsu and accelerate your learning.

This article will teach you the best methods to improve your jiu-jitsu off the mats.

Method 1. Take Notes After Class: Active Recall

Taking notes after you train is a hack to supercharging your jiu-jitsu learning.

But you're probably doing it wrong.

The reason for taking notes is not so that you have a notebook full of techniques you've done in class, which will probably be thrown in a drawer and forgotten.

It's for Active Recall.

In his book Limitless, Jim Kwik describes Active Recall as:

"...a process through which you review material and then immediately check to determine how much of it you've remembered."

 In a jiu-jitsu context, this means writing down as much as you can remember of the techniques from class, paying particular attention to the three to four key details.

You can take this process further by following up with your coach during the next class regarding the details you need help remembering. I have done this many times over the years.

And it goes something like this:

"Hey Coach, in the last class, you taught opening closed guard by standing up. I couldn't remember the key detail after taking the sleeve grip. Can you remind me?"

Then, update your notes.

Notetaking has the added benefit of forcing you to pay attention to the critical details during class. If you know you have to write it down afterwards, you're more likely to ask questions if you're uncertain and retain the information.

Studies have shown that optimal learning occurs when forced recall or Active Recall is involved. Recalling is vital to memory formation.

How to Take Jiu-Jitsu Notes

Here's my notetaking process; it takes a maximum of 5-10 minutes to complete:

1. Write out the techniques in the order they were shown. Dot points or flow arrows "->" are best.
2. Emphasise the 3-4 main details and use brevity and shorthand; we're not writing an essay.
3. Write out where you got stuck during your rolls. For example, if you were submitted using the same technique two or three times, write it down.
4. Write down what you did well during your rolls. Did you finally hit that sub you've been hunting? Write it down. Did you pass your best training partner's guard? Excellent, write down what happened.
5. Briefly read back what you wrote down.

Method 2. Follow a Strength & Conditioning Program

Strength training improves your performance and reduces your risk of injury.

If you had to fight an exact clone of yourself, but the clone had a 25% strength & power increase, who do you think would win?

Strength is your ability to exert maximal force.

Power is your ability to exert maximal force in as little time or with as much speed as possible.

As a grappler, you need both.

In the article' 5 Things I Did To Get STRONG for BJJ' I discuss the five best strategies you can implement right now to start getting strong for BJJ.

Here's a quick summary:

1. Lift weights 2-3 times per week
2. Focus on compound lifts
3. Core, grip carry & rotation
4. Explosive power training
5. RPE and Wave Loading

However, improved performance is not the only reason to lift weights.

BJJ has a high injury rate; the number one way to reduce your risk of injury is to lift weights for your sport.

Sport-specific strength training can decrease your risk of injury by at least 40%, enabling you to spend more time on the mats and improve faster in the long run.

To find the best training program to suit your goals and for the ultimate grappling performance and injury reduction, click here.

Method 3. Mobility Training: A Jiu-Jitsu-Specific Mobility Routine

Improving your mobility for BJJ will give you two things.

First, it'll improve your jiu-jitsu gas tank.

Your gas tank (or your "mat fitness") is your ability to sustain high-level output during sparring.

Your jiu-jitsu gas tank has three components:

1. Technique efficiency
2. Movement efficiency
3. Cardiovascular fitness

Movement efficiency is the ability to move your body through space effortlessly and achieve the positions required by jiu-jitsu techniques.

Secondly, improving your mobility will unlock techniques and otherwise unavailable positions.

Recently, I worked with Chad, a highly motivated white belt whose mobility was so bad that he could barely lock up a triangle.

We focused on knees-to-chest mobility and strengthened his hip flexor, hip capsule, and hamstrings.

This mobility-focused strength training changed Chad's game. In his words, "I'm now locking up triangles, baby!"

To get started, I recommend the 30-Day Jiu-Jitsu Mobility Challenge here. But to really accelerate your improvement, get your hands on the BJJ Move training program.

Method 4. Study Match Footage & Instructionals

Studying match footage of the highest levels of competition, especially IBJJF Worlds and ADCC, along with instructionals (if you have the means), will significantly improve your jiu-jitsu.

But you could be doing it wrong.

There's a difference between watching something for entertainment and studying to learn.

When most people watch match footage or instructionals, they approach it with an entertainment mindset.

This method is not only ineffective but a massive waste of time.

I've trained with people who are "technique collectors." They can reference techniques shown in many different instructionals from their favourite grapplers but can not do any of them effectively.

For a solution, I'll turn to John Danaher, the greatest BJJ coach in the world and a prolific producer of world-class instructionals.

I attended a seminar at the beginning of 2023 with John Danaher. He was asked about the most effective way to study from instructionals, and he suggested this process:

• Watch the content until you learn something new.
• Then, stop the video, note the new technique, attempt to implement it consistently in your training, and return to the instructional if you get stuck.
• You should only move on to more of the instructional once you've successfully implemented the previous technique.

When watching match footage, my method is to look for common trends among the most successful grapplers or common issues or mistakes.

For example, during the 2024 ADCC Oceania Trials, I noticed a common theme: people getting stuck in body triangles, so I studied the best body triangle escapes and taught them in my classes.

This method is more advanced and requires jiu-jitsu pattern recognition that may be beyond a beginner's understanding and skill level, but try your best.

Closing Thoughts

The best way to improve your jiu-jitsu is to train more jiu-jitsu.

But you can only do so much training a week before you start getting diminishing returns.

Or you could be restricted by time or physical recovery restraints.

Regardless, if you implement these four strategies consistently, the returns will compound, and you'll see much faster improvement on the mats.