Whether you’re stepping onto the mats for the first time or preparing for your next Jiu Jitsu competition, getting the most out of every training session is one of the fastest ways to improve your Jiu Jitsu skills. Here at Maximillian Jiu Jitsu, one of the leading academies for Jiu Jitsu in Cape Town, Head Coach Jason shares five proven principles that help students progress faster while staying healthy and consistent. 

1. Plan Your Weekly Jiu Jitsu Training 

Having a solid plan is one of the most important first steps you can take to get the most out of your Jiu Jitsu training. Planning your weekly training is extremely helpful in setting you up to reach your goals. It’s a step that’s often overlooked, but a very important one in ensuring continuity and sustainability in your training. 

This is what it could look like in practice: Before each new week, take some time to look at your schedule. Decide how many times you want to train that particular week and which sessions you want to attend. Then put them in your calendar. This will help ensure that you stick to your plan. 

It’s also wise to adjust your plan to your current phase of life. Perhaps you’ve got young kids, or you’re studying or going through a busy time at work. All of these factors need to be considered when planning your training. When you don’t adjust your training accordingly, it can lead to frustration and stagnation. 

Choosing your classes ahead of time helps you to structure your week. Your training sessions become a non-negotiable, especially when life wants to pull you off-course. A clear, realistic training plan tailored to your current phase of life gives you the best chance at maintaining momentum and continuity in your training. 

2. Warm Up Before Every Training Session

According to Head Coach Jason, the number one reason people get injured during Jiu Jitsu training is an inadequate warm-up. Luckily, it is also the most avoidable. 

Sports science confirms this. A recent systematic review found that dynamic, sport-specific warm-ups not only improve performance but also help prepare the body for training and reduce injury risk. 

When you get into the disciplined habit of warming up properly before each training session, you’re making sure your entire body is ready for training and thereby substantially minimising your risk of injury. 

Warming up primes your body for athletic performance and output. Core body temperature rises, ligaments and tendons become more pliable and elastic, and your muscles and muscle groups are activated. You are preparing your body for exertion. Ultimately, this will lead to better performance and output on the mat. 

People who skip over this vital first step end up hurting themselves unnecessarily.  See your warm-up as a non-negotiable first step at the start of every session. This will set you up well for the rest of your training session and also ensure that you can continue training successfully long-term. 

3. Focus Your Training on One Skill at a Time

There are countless aspects to mastering the art of Jiu Jitsu. Simply put, there is just a lot to learn. 

When it comes to mastering this sport, the mistake many students make is to jump right in without a plan, goal or focus. While their enthusiasm may be commendable, it will fizzle out fast if there is no clear goal or learning path. Students tend to get lost and thrown off course when they don’t focus on anything in particular, or try to do too much at once. 

As humans, we generally learn more effectively when we focus our attention on one skill at a time rather than constantly switching between different tasks or techniques. Research from the American Psychological Association suggests that frequent task switching reduces efficiency and increases errors. 

This is why it’s best to choose one aspect of Jiu Jitsu to improve at any given time. When students try to focus on more than one thing at a time, they’ll likely get overwhelmed and learn nothing. 

In Head Coach Jason’s words:

Learn one thing at a time, develop that to a competent level, then focus on another aspect of Jiu Jitsu.

When you focus on one thing, it gives you a clear goal and objective to hold on to. It also creates a clear learning pathway and simplifies the learning process. 

A practice journal can help make your goals real and concrete, and help you track your progress. As you tackle and work on your goals, write them down. Know what you are working towards.

In addition, take some time after each training session to make notes. Pause and consider any standout points. Ask yourself: What have I learned in class today? What was my biggest challenge? What was the area I performed best in? 

Writing things down is an excellent way to strengthen your resolve in following through on your goals. It also helps you to approach your training in a clear, mindful way and facilitates reflection.