Jiu-jitsu practitioners should do a combination of exercises to improve not only their flexibility, but also their strength, speed, endurance and balance. Drill specific movements with a partner, without if necessary. Drills will allow you to improve your flexibility and also see where your shortcomings are. I have seen some practitioners with great hamstring flexibility and poor groin flexibility. It would be a waste of time to do a lot of work on the hamstring if you should be focusing on the groin. An excellent exercise is the practice of “fluidity.” This is a combination of calisthenics, yoga, jiu-jitsu drills, and aerobics. Do weight-specific exercises for jiu-jitsu, utilizing full range of motion on each repetition, and do specific stretches for jiu-jitsu movements.
 
Too many athletes lift the wrong way to improve their jiu-jitsu. Training like a  bodybuilder is wrong. Bodybuilders do partial movements to shorten and peak their muscles. With partial exercise movements, muscles become strong only over part of the range of motion. Muscles trained in this manner, when extended, are at risk of injury.. All weight-training exercises should be done with full extension and contraction of the limbs. Extend fully but do not hyperextend and lock the joint out.

You also need jiu-jitsu specific stretching exercises to maintain optimum flexibility and strength of all major muscles, joints, and tendons. Always warm-up before stretching. Heat your body before starting any stretching routine. This can be accomplished with a hot shower or bath, jogging, jump rope, or equivalent activity. Never force a stretch. Stretching should be performed while relaxing your body, especially those muscles not directly involved in the stretch. Breath continuously during your stretching. Start slowly and have patience - it takes time to develop flexibility.

There are several stretches that are particularly good for jiu-jitsu practitioners. The first is the regular hamstring hurdler’s stretch, except done on a bench. Keep  one leg flat on the bench and one leg on the floor. Lean your torso toward the toe of the leg being supported without bending the lower back. Pull the heal of the supported leg to the floor with as much pressure as possible for five seconds. Then exhale and stretch the hamstring slightly further.

The next exercise is the groin stretch. Get on your hands and knees while spreading your knees as wide as comfortable. Now squeeze your knees together, as if you are trying to squeeze the floor, for five seconds. Then exhale and stretch a little further by widening your knees. The squat stretch is also good for this area. Get into a squat position and turn your toes outside. Grab the inside of your ankles and press your elbows against the inside of your knees for five seconds. Then exhale and stretch your knees further apart while relaxing the rest of your body.

Stretching for athletes unfortunately is often given a low priority or not practiced at all. Stretching allows the joint to move within its full range of motion, getting it comfortable being flexed, extended, and retracted. It also improves blood circulation to the area being worked. In jiu-jitsu, stretching will make the joint less likely to be injured.

Jiu-jitsu champion Mark Eccard can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .