BJJ Warm-Up Drills: Solo Mat Work, Partner Drills, and Warm-Up Games
Jun 27, 2021Most BJJ warm-ups are laps and jumping jacks. They raise your heart rate and do almost nothing else. Warm-up drills are the better version: movements that raise temperature while also rehearsing the positions you are about to fight from.
These are drills you can run solo on the mat before class, or a coach can run with the whole room.
Solo mat drills
- Shrimping — hip escape down the mat and back. The single most transferable warm-up movement in jiu-jitsu.
- Technical stand-up — from seated, post and stand without turning your back. Ten each side.
- Forward and backward rolls — shoulder rolls, not head rolls. Wakes up the spine and the vestibular system.
- Hip heists — switch from one hip to the other, keeping the shoulders square.
- Bridging — hips high, then bridge and turn to a knee. Prepares the neck and posterior chain for being loaded.
- Sit-through — from all fours, thread the leg through and back. Hips, shoulders, and trunk at once.
Warm-up drill: leg drag, hop over, leg pass, and gorilla series.
Partner drills and warm-up games
Once the room is warm, partner drills do the same job with more resistance and more attention. Warm-up games are the underrated version — they get people competitive and moving hard without the injury exposure of hard rolling cold.
Marcelo Garcia's BJJ warm-up games.
- Guard passing at 50 percent — one passes, one retains, neither wins. Three minutes.
- Hand fighting only — from the knees or standing, grips only, no takedowns. Warms up the hands and the neck.
- Sumo — push your partner out of a small circle. Legs, grip, and base.
- Turtle escape rounds — one turtles, one holds. Switch every thirty seconds.
How long and how hard
| Situation | Drills to use | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Before a regular class | Solo mat drills, then one partner drill | 8–10 min |
| Before hard rolling | Solo drills plus hand fighting | 10–12 min |
| Before competing | Shrimping and technical stand-up only, then activation | see the tournament guide |
| Coach running the room | Solo drills, then a warm-up game | 10–15 min |
The test for a good warm-up drill: does it show up in your rolling? Shrimping does. Jumping jacks do not. Pick the ones that pay you back twice.
The mistake to avoid
Warm-up drills are not conditioning. If the coach runs the room into the ground for twenty minutes and then calls it a warm-up, everyone rolls tired and learns less. Conditioning is a separate job with a separate plan — and if you are gassing in round two, rolling harder is not the fix.
For a longer pre-hab style routine, use the fighter's dozen warm-up and pre-hab drills. For the systematic version of all of this, see movement preparation for BJJ.
This is one piece of the warm-up picture. For competition day use the BJJ tournament warm-up, for daily range work use the mobility and flexibility video library, and for the whole training structure read BJJ strength and conditioning: the complete guide.
Questions
How long should a BJJ warm-up be?
Eight to twelve minutes for a normal class. Long enough to break a sweat and move every joint, short enough that you still have a full tank for the actual training.
Are warm-up games a waste of mat time?
No, if they are the right games. They warm people up, build competitive reflexes, and reduce the injury risk of rolling cold. They are a waste if they run twenty minutes.
Should beginners do the same warm-up drills?
Yes, and they get more out of them. Shrimping, technical stand-up, and bridging are fundamental movements, not just warm-ups. Beginners should drill them the most.
Can I use these drills as a workout?
They work as a light conditioning circuit on an off day, but they will not build strength or a gas tank on their own. Use them for what they are.
What if my school's warm-up is just laps?
Show up ten minutes early and run the solo drills yourself. You will be warmer and better prepared than the room.
Do I need to warm up for a technique-only class?
A short version, yes. Even slow drilling puts your hips and neck in positions they are not in during the rest of your day.
Is static stretching part of a warm-up?
Brief dynamic movement, yes. Long static holds before training or competing can temporarily reduce force output. Save the long holds for after.
Which drill matters most if I only do one?
Shrimping. It is guard recovery, escapes, and hip mobility in a single movement, and it transfers directly to rolling.
Hands that hold on when the rest of you is done.
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