8 Tips For Training Without BJJ Coach

Do you aspire to master BJJ moves? But unfortunately, you cannot afford to hire a coach or can't manage time to attend BJJ training sessions because of your busy schedule. Don't get disappointed, you can master BJJ techniques at the ease of your home without the help of a physical trainer. This article will discuss 8 tips to compete on mats without a BJJ trainer.

The recent years of quarantine also altered the ways of training in martial arts, especially in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, because of its dependence on close physical contact. People started to prefer practicing at their homes in a safe and more comfortable environment.

1. Is it Possible to Learn Jiu-Jitsu Without Any Coach?

Yes! you can train yourself for mats without the assistance of a coach. Now you're wondering how you can master difficult BJJ techniques without any trainer. You just need to follow the road map and tips discussed in this article to become an apex grappler.

2. Do a Solo Drill

Solo drills not only make you a proficient grappler but also build muscle memory, and endurance, and strengthen your muscles; repetition is the key. It's an excellent way to strengthen your grappling skills, endurance, and stamina.

Try to learn and gradually improve your techniques at home by repeatedly practicing the positions, transitions, and submissions until they become part of the muscle and neural memory. Don’t go hard on yourself, take your time and set realistic and short-term goals.

The more spontaneous maneuvers you can execute, the better your ability to execute a fight plan while analyzing the moves of your opponents.

3. Watching Instructional Material

We live in an age of information where everybody has a smartphone, laptop, or PC. Almost the majority have internet access and countless free BJJ courses or tutorials are available online or you can just buy a paid course from your favorite coach. So, BJJ moves and techniques are just a few clicks away and you have lifetime access to all of them.

You just need to browse the step-by-step guide of BJJ moves and techniques and follow the instructions in each tutorial.

4. Visualize BJJ Techniques

Why is visualization important and why does it occupy more space to memorize anything in a short span? The science behind visual content is that the brain absorbs visual information more quickly than any other stimuli. So, when you struggle to memorize difficult BJJ moves and techniques, use visualization. When we are experiencing difficulty while understanding something, the brain is actually taking its time to make space in our long-term memory and make things easy for us in the long run.

5. Watching Tournaments Videos

There are countless videos of BJJ available on the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation) official channel and several other channels. However, different other channels also uploaded national and international tournament fights.

If you are struggling without a BJJ instructor, you must watch international or local tournaments of your favorite fighter, everybody has one, to improve your overall game and execution of moves. This can potentially help you to learn the best tactics and techniques to learn high-level BJJ techniques. 

6. Take Notes

According to research, taking notes helps you retain the information you observe. That’s why it's necessary to take notes to establish new neural pathways in your brain and encode data in such a way that allows it to be retained more effectively in your long-term memory.

Making your notes after watching BJJ tutorials helps you to become a keen learner and a better BJJ practitioner.

7. Maintain Focus

The reality is “If you fail to focus, you cannot perform effectively”. Focus is the best catalyst for embedding and enhancing creativity, memory, problem-solving skills, and decision-making abilities. Your capacity for performance will suffer if you lack good attention.

So, If you wish to become a good grappler by practicing at home, you have to give your maximum attention and focus while practicing BJJ techniques.

8. Powerful BJJ Competition

Rolling with an elite partner is necessary to master the BJJ techniques and test your own skills. Now you are thinking about whom you can practice your grappling moves. So, grappling dummies can come to solve your problem. Dummies assist you in practicing BJJ techniques. Moreover, grappling dummies are designed to assist you in moving better on the ground and improve and sharpen your efficiency.

9. Set Goal

You need to be aware of your weaknesses while practicing Jiu-Jitsu. Remember, you are practicing without any instructor. So, you have to overcome your shortcomings by yourself. As you identify your weak areas that require more time to practice. Now, it's time to set realistic and achievable goals.

10. Equipment you Need to Purchase Before Starting Practice At Home

BJJ practitioners need to purchase some gear and BJJ clothing before starting practice at home. All of this equipment helps you a lot in your solo training.

10.1. Mats

One of the prerequisites for your solo training is a training mat. You want to avoid strain burns from training on carpet or injuring your back on a hard floor.

When you have mats at home, you can roll them out or join them together to start training like you're in class. These mats come with variations in the market. You can just pick one that suits you and your budget.

10.2. Grappling Dummy

Grappling dummies help you in solo training and you can practice all transitions and submissions with them. There are two types of grappling dummies in the market. One comes with limbs and the other with just soft material without limbs.

11. How you Improve Strength for BJJ

BJJ is an extremely physically intensive sport and demands high stamina, endurance, and strength. The best technique to increase your strength for BJJ is to train for several muscle groups. This will help in stimulating the coordinated muscle motions experienced in training and fighting.

Here we will discuss some techniques that can potentially help you in building strength and stamina for BJJ. These moves enable you to become the best grappler while practicing at home.

11.1. Squats

Squats develop the group of muscles necessary for both passing and keeping guard. They help you develop your core and lower back for good posture when defending in guard, as well as your legs for a good base.

11.2. The Plank

If you don't know what a plank is, it's lying in a push-up posture while maintaining your elbows bent. It's that easy. The basic plank is an excellent exercise for building core, shoulder, and back strength.

11.3. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

Jiu-Jitsu requires higher stamina. When it comes to grappling, it's preferable to adopt HIIT techniques that simulate the bursts of power required when rolling.

11.4. Leg Raises

Leg raises exercise provides strength to your abdominal and lower back muscles. These are the most important muscle groups that can potentially prepare you for BJJ competition success.

11.5. Push-Ups

Regular push-ups help you to strengthen your biceps, triceps, forearms, pectorals, and core muscles. The strength of all these muscles contributes to becoming a good grappler.

11.6. Burpees

Burpees are fantastic because they mimic many of the constant up-and-down motions of rolling, sweeping, and establishing the top position. The stamina needed for numerous transitions from a lying down position to a standing posture is precisely the ideal training required for BJJ.

12. BJJ Movements You Can Master Without A Coach

• Breakfall
• Technical Stand Up 
• Shots
• Scoots Sideways
• High Knee Sprawls
• Scoot Forward
• Scoots Backward
• Scoots Sideways
• Imaginary Rope Pulls
• Heel Pushes Back
• Forward Roll
• Backward Roll
• High Kick Sit Outs
• Bridges Side To Side
• Bridges To Knees
• Sit Outs
• Sit Out Arounds
• Push Up Low Sit Throughs
• Egg Beaters
• Hip Ups
• Hip Triangles
• Shin Roll-Ups
• Circle Shrimps
• Half Circle Hops
• Up Downs
• Alligator Push Ups
• Scorpions
• Shin Roll-Up Shots
• Hip Bumps
• S-Turn
• S-Turn Hip Ups
• Compass Drill
• Shrimp In Place
• Granby Rolls
• Half Granby’s
• Side Shrimp Backwards
• Side Shrimp Forward
•  Elbow Drags
•  Seal Walks

13. BJJ Moves that Can be Practiced Better With Dummies

However, some BJJ techniques and moves can be practiced better with a grappling dummy. 

• Change Side
• Roll and Roll
• Scissor Sweep
• Cartwheel
• Knee Slide Pass
• Reverse Kanu Mount
• Violin
• Cross Collar Choke
• Baseball Choke
• Turn Around 1, 2, and 3
• Chimp Pass
• Kimura
• Slide Choke
• Baseball Choke
• Back Step
• Spider
• Omoplata
• Side Mount to North/South
• Side Mount to Mount Variation
• Butterfly Pass
• Americana
• S Mount
• Armbars
• Knee on Belly
• Hip Slide Pass
• Armbars
• Triangles
• Reverse Triangle
• Guard Pass

14. Tips to Learn BJJ Quickly

You quickly learn BJJ techniques at your home by following some tips

• Stay Motivated
• Be Relax During Training
• Be Consistent
• Repeat the Same Techniques to achieve Proficiency
• Fix Your Weaknesses
• Focus on the Basics of BJJ

15. FAQs

15.1. Do I Need a Coach for my first BJJ Tournament?

Yes, you need a helping hand for your first BJJ tournament. However, if you are enthusiastic about BJJ then you can even compete in tournaments by practicing at home.

15.2. Can You Practice BJJ by Yourself?

You can practice BJJ techniques at your home by following the video tutorials on BJJ moves and techniques.

16. Final Note

Not having a BJJ instructor does not mean that you will not become a good grappler and compete in championships. You can practice BJJ techniques and moves at your home as well. You just need to stay consistent with your training schedules.

Photo credit: @Chad The Beast Hardy