How to get better at bjj and wrestling by myself?

[rainy]

I started bjj and judo a couple weeks ago, and my friend suggested that I should try to get better at wrestling as well. we rarely have bjj, so most of the time I just try to remember what we had last class. I have judo twice a week, but there is no wrestling where I live. do you guys have any tips on how I can improve by myself? I want to learn how to move in different directions, how to grip fight, and basic fundamentals. When I spar with my friends, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know what to do with my hands. Then I become super defensive, and just run around in circles.

I made a little workout plan with the help of chatgpt (pls dont hate) to do after the gym to improve explosiveness. (tell me if should change something?):

Box Jumps 4x5 – Broad Jumps 4x5 – Bulgarian Bag Swings 4x10 – Power Step-ups (weighted) – 3x6 per leg.

Dead Hangs 3x30-45 sec – heavy farmers carries 3x30 sec – plate pinch holds 3x30 sec.

Wall Takedown Shots 4x10 per leg – Sprawl + Re-shoot Drill 3x6 – Shadow Wrestling (don't even know how) 3x2 minute rounds.

Supine Plate Neck Flexion 3x10 – Neck Isometrics 3x15-20 sec – Leg Raises 3x14.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

how to grip fight, and basic fundamentals.

Try to

- get a grip on your opponent while he hasn't got any grip on you yet.
- get 2 grips on your opponent while he only gets 1 grip on you.
- break your opponent's grip while he has 2 grips on you (this is the most important part of the grip fight).

In wrestling/Judo, 70% effort should be used on the grip fight. Only 30% effort is used for entering and finishing. One Judo coach didn't agree with me on this. He said I was only talking about Olympic level Judo competition.

When you try to get a grip on your opponent, try to grab his wrist first. If he twists his arm to break your wrist grip, you can then move your hand to his elbow. From there, you can control his arm, move to his shoulder/head/waist/knee.

 

[drop bear]

When you spar. Go for stuff.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

When I spar with my friends, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know what to do with my hands. Then I become super defensive, and just run around in circles.

You just started a couple weeks ago. You don't know what you're doing. It'll come.

 

[Buka]

I started bjj and judo a couple weeks ago, and my friend suggested that I should try to get better at wrestling as well. we rarely have bjj, so most of the time I just try to remember what we had last class. I have judo twice a week, but there is no wrestling where I live. do you guys have any tips on how I can improve by myself? I want to learn how to move in different directions, how to grip fight, and basic fundamentals. When I spar with my friends, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, and I don't know what to do with my hands. Then I become super defensive, and just run around in circles.

I made a little workout plan with the help of chatgpt (pls dont hate) to do after the gym to improve explosiveness. (tell me if should change something?):

Box Jumps 4x5 – Broad Jumps 4x5 – Bulgarian Bag Swings 4x10 – Power Step-ups (weighted) – 3x6 per leg.

Dead Hangs 3x30-45 sec – heavy farmers carries 3x30 sec – plate pinch holds 3x30 sec.

Wall Takedown Shots 4x10 per leg – Sprawl + Re-shoot Drill 3x6 – Shadow Wrestling (don't even know how) 3x2 minute rounds.

Supine Plate Neck Flexion 3x10 – Neck Isometrics 3x15-20 sec – Leg Raises 3x14.

Welcome to Martial Talk, Rainy.

Two whole weeks and you haven’t got it down pat yet?

Not to worry, just keep going to class as many times a week as you possibly can.

In the meantime, Google “solo BJJ drills, Google solo Judo drills, and go to class for a a few days a week for a couple, three years to start. Then really start to work hard when you know what it’s all about. It’s the same thing all of us here did.

Ten years down the line you realize what you don’t know and what you have to put a whole lot of work in.

Or you could quit now, say, “Hey, I gave it a shot.” And take up bowling.

Bowling is way cool, by the way.

 

[O'Malley]

Keep showing up and training diligently, that's the cause for 80% of your improvement.

If you want to supplement that training, do some physical conditioning for general athleticism (power, speed, etc.). That will make it easier to focus on learning principles and techniques on the mat, and apply them in sparring (because you won't be gassed out or overpowered, which overloads your mental stack).

Keep it simple and stick to basics, especially in the beginning. If you have good basics, you might get caught once or twice by a guy who knows a fancy move, until you figure out a counter and he never beats you again.

 

[Simfers]

When you spar. Go for stuff.

Lots of really good answers here, but I think this is often very overlooked. You can't know how something works if you never try it, and your coaches can't know what to correct if you don't try stuff out and fail. It's how you learn.

Now, if only I could practice what I preach, LOL.

 

[skribs]

To be a little bit crass, trying to learn martial arts by yourself is a bit like trying to learn kissing by yourself.

If it's not available in your area, then unfortunately you're not going to learn much. But you're already doing BJJ and Judo a few times a week, I'd focus on what you learn in there.

There are specific drills you can do with a grappling dummy (or other simulation), such as practice the steps of techniques or practice movement patterns (such as side control to knee-on-belly to the other side). But for martial arts in general and for grappling especially, it's mat time with a partner under the guidance of a coach that's going to give you the most benefit.

 

[Tigerwarrior]

You will learn the most from a good teacher. But you are at the stage right now where even just a little knowledge will make you better than alot of noobs. Things like learning all the basic positions and their names, think guard, side control, mount, knee on belly, rear mount etc. Once you have the names of the positions that's good because in bjj position before submission. I recommend "mastering ju jitsu by renzo gracie" it will go over the history and mindset and some of the basics. That was the first book on bjj I got for myself when I was a noob. At this point just be a sponge and learn and absorb. By the way I am not an expert or blackbelt in bjj I'm just an advanced noob so a fellow white belt. I also no longer train bjj and train in a different system. There's also other things out there if you don't like to read like videos think roy deans blue belt requirements (the old one. The new one is pricey) or even getting a subscription to gracie combatives at gracie university online. Good luck.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

The following link and video could be useful:

Three Ways to Solo Train Throws | Iain Abernethy

On 08 May, 2020 By Iain AbernethyIn this video we cover three ways you can solo train throws. Obviously, nothing is bette...

iainabernethy.com

 

[isshinryuronin]

But for martial arts in general and for grappling especially, it's mat time with a partner

Yes, you can learn the technique's general movements and even get good at that practicing solo, but to learn how to apply it, you need sparring. In karate you learn how to react and visually read the opponent; his stance, distance, guard, breathing rhythm, weight distribution, etc. and get a metaphorical "feel" of how and when to enter/attack and execute the technique.

In grappling, the "feel" is literal - you are in contact with the opponent and his subtle body motion will be transmitted physically to you; tension, strength, expansion/contraction, direction of pressure, etc. which give clues of how and when to execute.

Such things can only be learned by interacting with an opponent. In karate there is also the experience of seeing attacks come at you and dealing with impact when you block or get hit. In grappling you get the experience dealing with variable resistance and weight. All these things (beyond technique) are at least half, if not more, of combat proficiency. And I agree with skribs that while all this is true of most MA, it's a bit more so in grappling.

 

[skribs]

Yes, you can learn the technique's general movements and even get good at that practicing solo, but to learn how to apply it, you need sparring. In karate you learn how to react and visually read the opponent; his stance, distance, guard, breathing rhythm, weight distribution, etc. and get a metaphorical "feel" of how and when to enter/attack and execute the technique.

In grappling, the "feel" is literal - you are in contact with the opponent and his subtle body motion will be transmitted physically to you; tension, strength, expansion/contraction, direction of pressure, etc. which give clues of how and when to execute.

Such things can only be learned by interacting with an opponent. In karate there is also the experience of seeing attacks come at you and dealing with impact when you block or get hit. In grappling you get the experience dealing with variable resistance and weight. All these things (beyond technique) are at least half, if not more, of combat proficiency. And I agree with skribs that while all this is true of most MA, it's a bit more so in grappling.

It's very difficult to do the BJJ movements without a partner. Often your breakfall with the technique is pulling on your partner for the resistance, or pushing on them (usually their hip) to get your angle.

Imagine trying to learn a karate kata while treading water.