BJJ Drills for Top and Bottom

Drilling…We might love to hate it, or hate to love it.

Let’s be honest guys, drilling BJJ techniques is not easy. Most of the time, it’s much easier, not to mention more fun, to just roll live with our fellow students.

However, the reality is, we aren’t going to fine tune our BJJ skills with just rolling live all the time. We NEED drilling to be integrated into our training. Drilling our techniques is what sharpens our skills. It helps us make leaps and bounds and progress in our BJJ skills.

Drilling does not have to be boring though. Sure, live rolling is fun because of the spontaneity, the adrenaline rush, and the “off the books” wins and losses, but drilling can be augmented to be just as fulfilling and enjoyable as live rolling.

From what I have seen, most people do not spend enough time drilling. Heck, I am guilty of this myself. Although drilling may not be as fun as rolling live against someone, it’s arguably more beneficial for your BJJ game.

Here is an example of a great drill that we perform at our academy:

One thing to notice:

Notice how this drill is not beneficial for just one player. It is beneficial for both!

Not only does the top guy get to work his side control and his transitions from there, but the bottom guy also gets to work his side control escapes and guard retention abilities. When you bang this drill out for a solid five minutes, it’s not easy at all. (For more of these, check out our youtube channel)

The main idea here is that both the top and bottom players are getting the chance to build solid muscle memory. When it comes time to either transition from or escape from side control in a real tournament match, the muscle memory attained from this drill will instinctively kick in and more likely than not, you will have an advantage because of all the time you spent in either position.

Here is another sweet drill for both the top and bottom player:

This drill involves a little bit less movement, but is equally beneficial.

Most of us have experienced this situation, especially at the lower belts, where you achieve side control, but your opponent is able to drive his knee through the middle and recover the closed guard.

This “re-passing” drill offers a counter to the all too common shrimp to closed guard that we see all the time.

Again, not only is this drill great for the guy on top, but it’s also great for the guy on bottom. The bottom guy definitely takes a beating from this drill, and you would too if you were trying to shrimp and recover closed guard for a solid five minutes against a partner who continues to re-pass your guard.

These drills are just two simple examples of how drilling can drastically affect certain areas and aspects of your BJJ game. Remember that a good drill involves skill building for both players, and that there are many possibilities when it comes to formulating a specific drill.

Try using these drills during an open mat time or whenever you may get the chance. You will be pleased with the long term results, and you will find that drilling can be more exciting than you thought!

-N