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BJJ Drills & Training Routines

Drilling is the fastest way to improve in BJJ. This section provides structured drill progressions for all skill levels.

Repetition builds muscle memory. Drill slowly and correctly before adding speed or resistance.

Solo Drills (No Partner Needed)​

Shrimping — Foundation for escapes and guard retention. Start with basic shrimp (10 each side), progress to double shrimp, shrimp to turtle, reverse shrimp, then shrimp with resistance band.

Bridging — Mount escapes and reversals. Basic bridge (20 reps) → bridge and turn (10 each side) → walking bridge → single leg bridge → partner on top bridge.

Technical Stand-Up — Safe standing from ground. Post hand behind, lift hips, step back with far leg, stand to combat base. 10 reps each side.

Partner Movement Drills​

Guard Retention Drill (3 min) — Top tries to pass around legs to hips, bottom keeps feet facing partner. Progress from 25% to full speed.

Pummeling for Underhooks (2 min) — Stay chest to chest, circle and swim arms, drop level when swimming. Continuous movement.

Flow Rolling — No submissions, constant movement. Start with position changes only, then add sweeps, then submissions without finishing, then catch-and-release.

Position-Specific Drills​

Mount Circuit (3 rounds): Low mount holds (30 sec) → high mount transition (10 reps) → technical mount switches (10 reps) → S-mount entries (5 each side).

Mount Escape Circuit (3 rounds): Bridge and roll (5 each side) → elbow escape (5 each side) → combined escape (5 reps) → flow between escapes (1 min).

Guard Drills: Break posture repeatedly, control one arm, switch hip angles, threaten sweeps without completing (2 min each).

Passing Drills: Torreando circles (30 sec each side, 3 rounds). Pressure pass progression: establish grips → kill hip movement → clear legs → consolidate (10 reps each).

Submission Chain Drilling​

Armbar from Mount (5 reps each side): High mount to armbar → armbar to back take → failed armbar to triangle → flow all three continuously.

Triangle Setup (10 reps from closed guard): Break posture → control one arm → hip out for angle → lock triangle → reset.

Drilling Best Practices​

Progressive resistance: No partner → compliant partner → 25% → 50% → 75% → variable resistance.

Quality over quantity: 10 perfect reps > 100 sloppy reps. Start slow, build speed, focus on details.

Drill to roll ratio: White belt 70/30, blue belt 60/40, purple belt 50/50, brown/black 40/60.

Next Steps​

  1. Choose drills for your level
  2. Practice 15-30 minutes before class
  3. Review Training Methods