If you’re in one of those sticky situations when you can’t make it to the academy to train, or you simply want to refine your skills, we have the answer for you. Here are 10 simple solo drills you can practice at home. All you will need is a small space and some kind of mat or soft surface and you’re ready to go!
Hip Escapes
This exercise is one of the most fundamental of all BJJ techniques and is for a reason! Hip escapes are simply the exercise of using your hips which is useful in most BJJ techniques and processes. You can do the simple hip escape on the spot, which works as a great warm-up for the remainder of solo drills as it warms up the hips and entire body. Or, for more advanced players, you can practice hip escaping to retain guard by hip escaping to one side and shooting the bottom leg through back into the closed guard position.
Technical Stand-Ups
This one will really get the blood flowing! A technical stand-up is crucial in sparring scenarios when you have to get up quickly while also retaining good posture and defence. The movement of a technical stand-up can also help with a variety of sweeps and reversals.
Break Falls
No matter what you think, break falls are not just for beginners! Break falls need to be used throughout your entire jiujitsu career and so they need to be practiced regularly. A break fall is one of the best solo drills to do at home as it requires very minimal space. You can break fall straight back and also practice break falling on each side. Just make sure you have a quality mat to practice this one on.
Bridges
A bridge is a simple movement and a fundamental one for many techniques in BJJ. The key to doing a bridge correctly is utilising your hamstrings rather than your hips as they are stronger, and this will lift your body off the ground much easier. Engaging your hamstrings during the bridging motion also makes for a great leg workout.
Granby Rolls
Granby rolls will change up your inversion game once you master them. The Granby roll is simply a ‘side’ roll, utilising the area on your neck/higher back region, to carry your body weight and invert. Many beginners find this type of roll difficult, but once learned and practiced regularly, it can be very easy and create a higher range of movement for you during training.
Sit-Outs
Sit-outs are typically a wrestling drill but are very useful in BJJ as well. The movement of a sit-out is implemented in many jiu-jitsu techniques and is also a great workout! Although we usually do sit-outs in combination with bear crawls at Gracie Parramatta, they can easily be done on the spot and are just as effective.
Sprawls
Sprawls are an extremely useful skill to master when it comes to BJJ, especially for competitors. Sprawling is most commonly used in the scenario when your opponent tries to execute a takedown and if done well, a sprawl can counter that and give you the upper hand in the match. Side note: if done repetitively, these are also a killer workout!
If you are interested in trying BJJ, Gracie Parramatta has a variety of classes available on their timetable. Feel free to book via the timetable or call 02 9687 5480 to inquire.
