How Often Should One Train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? (Based on 10 years experience)

What better way to answer the question of how often should one train in BJJ than to consult someone who has already been there, done that, and is well-versed in BJJ?

With decades of experience in BJJ, it is recommended for newbies to train a minimum of 3 times a week, 1 on technique, 1 on movement without resistance, and 1 on proper sparring.

I posed this question to a close friend of mine who has over a decade of experience in BJJ and has a great passion for the art itself and his response was clear, concise, and direct:

“Building a strong foundation is very important because without that, whatever else you learn, will not be able to grow and you will find yourself In frustrating learning situations repeatedly.

I recommend newbies train for a minimum of three times a week. One session should be focused purely on technique training to actually learn the proper technique that is being taught and to drill it repeatedly to have a direct understanding of how to apply it. The second session should be dedicated to flow rolling and this is where you go through the movements without resistance, like a dance flow. Finally, the third session should focus on proper sparring. The importance of proper sparring cannot be stressed enough and in this session, you train with an actively resisting opponent with varying levels of resistance, to apply what you have been taught in real life.

I mentioned varying levels of resistance and that is important because I have seen some who train with a partner with an extreme level of resistance and as a newbie, that affects your technique application. Proper resistance through a partner is vital because, without this component in training, you will never know how well or poorly you understand the techniques and simply you have no idea how you will fare in real life.”

To add on, a newbie must be able to sustain the frequency of training consistently over a significant period, at the bare minimum for at least a year. As opposed to signing up for numerous classes and attending daily for a short while before dropping out entirely due to having a wrong mindset. Have you been feeling unmotivated and unable to progress in your training? You can read our post about losing interest in training. 

BJJ is different from other forms of martial arts as there is a huge emphasis on working the floor and using one’s entire body in grappling situations and technique execution. As a result, even for those who have trained in other styles such as boxing, rolling on the mat for the first time can be a humbling experience when our weaknesses and shortcomings are displayed. And that too is another beauty of BJJ, the areas one needs to improve cannot be hidden and there’s no ‘pretending that you sort of know it’. It's either you understand and know how to apply it or you do not.

There are two main types of BJJ: no-gi and gi. No gi means without clothing. Gi stands for gi or gym clothes. In both styles, students wear protective gear during sparring matches.

With any exercise, one should not overdo it or else risk injury. To ensure that one reaps all the health and fitness benefits associated with this martial art, it is important to understand how often one should train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Here's what one needs to know about frequency and intensity when it comes to training in BJJ.

We have already discussed the potential pitfalls a student aspiring to learn martial art has to avoid in a previous article as well as the right mindset one should possess before even stepping into actual training. Hence here, we will go into the frequency of BJJ training that would be ideal for a newbie to make solid and consistent progress. Note that I did not use the word ‘fast’ or ‘quick’ because training with those expectations can potentially lead to frustration and disillusionment quickly. Let us not add further problems to the cup we are trying to empty!

If a student can see that in a positive light and is eager to correct his weaknesses and hone his strengths while keeping his ego in check at all times, the path ahead looks incredible! 

Are you looking for a challenge in your jiu-jitsu training? Showing off tricky submissions can be an impressive feat, but some are more difficult than others and you can find the most difficult submissions to pull off.