Skip to main content

5 Simple Tips To Improving Your BJJ Bottom Game

By September 23, 2016February 9th, 2017BJJ, Media/Blog

The guard is one of the most crucial aspects of Jiu Jitsu. Both in competition and for self-defense, the effectiveness of one’s bottom game can’t be emphasized enough. Along with passing and controlling from the top, the ability to fight from the bottom is a skill that every player should try to master. Here are a few tips to help you towards that goal:

  1. Limit your resources

Most people are so used to using their arms or hands for everything; you eat with them, you grab with them, and they are your number one tool when training. When playing on bottom however, you now have the use of your legs as well as your arms. Most people, especially for those who have trouble on their bottom game, seem to not use these two extra limbs as effectively as they should be using them. This, however, is very normal and can be easily fixed. Start by sticking one of your hands in your belt, this way you restrict the use of your dominant limb and are forced to use your legs more efficiently. You can alternate between hands as you wish and when you feel comfortable training your guard with just one hand, try sticking both hands in your belt and limiting yourself to just the use of your legs. Practicing this on a regular basis will help tremendously when your arms come into play again, you will feel that you are using a lot less energy since you are now effectively using the strongest part of your body to your advantage. It’s important to note that if you are new to this drill, you should only practice it with training partners you trust will not go 100% on you, and want to simply put enough pressure for you to feel uncomfortable and be able to improve your game.

  1. Work on your flexibility

Flexibility has so many benefits; one of which is guard retention. Many of the most well-known guard players that compete at the highest level accredit a lot of their success from bottom to their flexibility. Although flexibility isn’t the answer to your prayers, having more mobility in your hips, glutes and hamstrings particularly can help with your guard retention and thus make your guard much more difficult to pass.

  1. Drill, Drill, Drill

If you have certain weak points in your bottom game that you notice your training partners are capitalizing on, make it a point to ask your professor what to do so you can better that position and drill it as much as you can. Also, for any type of guard that you like or would like to add to your game, repeating the sweeps and submissions from those positions is the best way to get the muscle memory so that when you are in a live situation it comes naturally to you.

  1. Prepare for the worst case scenario

When you are defending your guard you are trying to stop your opponent or training partner from reaching side control or mount. When someone passes your guard it’s never fun. Generally you are tired from defending and now you have someone putting their weight on you from a very bad and vulnerable spot. This is the “worst case scenario” when you play guard. But even the best guard players get their guards passed at some point. This doesn’t mean you lost, it’s just part of the risk of playing on bottom. Incorporating some side control escapes to your drilling is a good way to prepare for this. Also, you can get with your partner and do some specific training where you start from a position where your guard is almost or fully passed and try to escape, when you reposition your guard, stand back up and go again. This way you can practice the escapes that you may have been drilling and also prepare yourself for the physical and mental battle that comes with getting your guard passed.

  1. Remove the element of surprise

A lot of times when you are working on specific positions, in this case different types of guards, sweeps, submissions from bottom etc., you can’t wait to get to live rolling so that you can catch one of your teammates with that spider guard sweep you’ve been drilling all week, and odds are, if it’s a new element that you have added to your game, your partner won’t see it coming and therefore fall into the trap. This time, try taking away the element of surprise with another form of specific training where you tell your partner before the roll the move you have been working on, or the guard you are trying to play. Show it to them, exchange ideas about it, then roll and try playing that same game. Odds are it is going to be a lot harder to hit since they now know it’s coming. You probably don’t want to do this all the time because it is encouraging to catch someone by surprise in something that you have been working hard to perfect, but this type of training can be used from time to time to perfect your set ups and technique. Your partner knows what is coming, so if it works, that means you are doing it right, but if you aren’t getting it right away it’s important not to get frustrated and bail on the move all together. If you feel like you are having trouble getting it, then this training is working. Keep at it and eventually you are bound to catch it.

Leave a Reply