Craig Jones - Power Ride
Recommended for intermediate and advanced practitioners who want to up their game—especially in pinning and control.
Introduction
Embarking on a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) journey is an exhilarating endeavor, filled with endless possibilities and rewarding challenges. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, the quest for improvement and mastery is a continuous pursuit. To help you navigate this dynamic martial art and accelerate your progress, we present a comprehensive guide to top tips for developing your BJJ skills.
In this article, we'll delve into the core elements that contribute to a successful BJJ practice. From consistent training and building a strategic game to utilizing instructionals and setting training objectives, each tip is designed to enhance your growth on the mat. We'll also explore the benefits of competing, the importance of note-taking, and smart approaches to injury prevention.
With a combination of practical advice, personal insights, and a dash of motivation, this guide aims to empower you in your BJJ journey. Let's dive in and discover how you can take your open guard, sweeps, submissions, and overall performance to new heights. Embrace the challenges, embrace the possibilities, and let your BJJ skills flourish.
1. Mat Time
There is no substitute for mat time. Consistency is the key to progress in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training sessions—especially sparring—should be the foundation of your development. Strive to be consistent and make training a priority.
For recreational athletes, I recommend aiming for at least three sessions per week to maintain momentum and see noticeable improvements. Life's demands may occasionally interfere, but you'd be surprised how much you can push through. Even with a full-time job, a small child, and a lengthy commute, I managed to make it to the academy three times a week.
2. Build Your Game
Rather than collecting random techniques, focus on building your own game. Watch out for the adrenaline rush of “Instagram techniques.” Instead of just learning moves here and there, connect them into meaningful sequences.
Of course, in the beginning, “throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks” is a good approach—you can’t really know what suits your style until you experiment. But as you progress, focus on building solutions for the common problems you encounter in sparring.
For example, let’s say you choose the over-under pass as one of your main passing options, but notice that some opponents sweep you easily. The problem isn’t with the over-under itself—the solution may be to clear the grip on your left leg. Once corrected, your game grows stronger, piece by piece.
Take control of your development by carefully selecting techniques that complement your style and connect with each other. It’s about shaping your approach so your techniques work together harmoniously, allowing you to flow more effortlessly during rolls.
3. Watch Instructionals
Instructional videos are a treasure trove of knowledge, but the key is to be selective.
- Match your stage – Beginner, intermediate, or advanced?
- Fit your current training context – Gi, no-gi, or MMA?
- Instructor style – Do their techniques and teaching methods suit you? For example, if you’re a smaller grappler, a smaller instructor likely solved similar problems you face. On the other hand, if you have little patience for extreme detail, John Danaher may not be your best fit.
- Your development goals – Which holes in your game are you trying to fix?
- Time investment – Be honest. If you won’t watch a 20-hour instructional, admit it and choose something shorter. Remember: watching also requires practice. You can’t digest 10 hours of material in 10 hours and expect to apply it.
In my experience, watching five Faria instructionals in two days brought far less value than watching one Faria instructional over two weeks. Absorption takes time.
If time or motivation is limited, here’s a tip that worked for me: set a daily limit of 15 minutes. Even if you stop mid-sentence, commit to that. It’s better to absorb gradually than to overwhelm yourself with too much at once.
4. Set Training Objectives
Identify specific areas of improvement and set training objectives to address them. For instance, if you struggle with armbars from the back, dedicate an entire sparring session solely to attempting and refining that technique. Do it even at your detriment at the moment.
By focusing your efforts and repetitions on a particular skill, you’ll gradually overcome the challenge and see tangible progress. Keep your objectives private, then surprise your training partners with your newfound proficiency.
5. Make Yourself Comfortable
Don’t exhaust your energy before your opponent does. Find a balance between engagement and preserving strength.
Being trapped in mount is already precarious—but if you’re completely drained, it’s catastrophic. Avoid this by not overcommitting early on. Stay composed, make yourself comfortable in bad positions, and work your way out gradually.
The same principle applies when you’re in a dominant position. Don’t rush your attacks; focus on creating a solid foundation and build your offense step by step.
6. Participate in Competitions
Competing in BJJ tournaments is an essential part of development. The atmosphere and pressure of official matches provide a unique experience that accelerates your growth. Competitions challenge you mentally and physically, allowing you to refine your techniques under realistic conditions.
Embrace the opportunity to test yourself and grow as a practitioner.
7. Make Notes
Take the time to jot down your challenges, principles, and noteworthy techniques. These notes serve as valuable references, ensuring that important concepts and details aren’t forgotten—whether from training or from reflections after sparring.
Whether it’s troubleshooting a position or adding a detail to a technique, keeping notes enhances your understanding and supports future learning.
8. Avoid Injuries With a Smart Approach
This ties closely to mat time but deserves its own section. Injury prevention should always be a priority.
Adopt a smart approach that minimizes risk. Avoid behaviors that increase the chance of injury, such as reckless sparring or skipping proper warm-ups and stretching. Listen to your body, know your limits, and prioritize safety to ensure longevity and continuous progress.
9. Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Although I’ve emphasized building your game, stay open to new approaches. You may be an over-under master, but perhaps you want to try another pressure pass or explore a completely different style. Treat it as play—a side quest that complements your main game.
When you learn new things, you also learn how to stop them. This enriches your movement vocabulary and gives you more options when you need them.
For example, I primarily like to control the upper body and pressure pass. But I found Craig Jones’ Power Ride—a pass more focused on pinning the legs—very helpful. It gave me other options and complemented my game greatly.
Sometimes, simply playing and relaxing on the mats is what elevates the experience. It can lead you to solutions you didn’t even know you had in you.
Conclusion
By implementing these strategies into your BJJ journey, you’ll optimize your learning, enhance your skills, and minimize setbacks. Stay disciplined, embrace challenges, and strive for constant improvement in both technique and mindset.
Would you like me to also shorten it into a blog-ready article (clean subheadings, tighter flow, ~1,200 words max), or do you prefer to keep this detailed, almost book-like version?
