Many beginners or people looking to start BJJ will wonder whether they need to be physically fit before they begin training. In short, whilst fitness is key to BJJ, it is not needed for an absolute beginner. This is because your BJJ fitness will develop and improve over time. Whilst BJJ conditioning programs may be useful, they are not necessary for those slowly building their stamina. It would certainly help if you are physically conditioned before starting out, but over time you will reach a good fitness level anyway.
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Does previous sports training help?
Firstly, it definitely helps to have some kind of previous training before starting BJJ. This doesn’t particularly have to involve grappling but the likes of cross fit, strength and conditioning training and previous martial arts experience will certainly help.
For example, even though Aikido is mostly considered irrelevant to BJJ, there is some cross-over. Firstly, in Aikido you learn movements such as front rolls and breakfalls. This is something that does translate and will give a slight head start over other new students. By knowing these two basic movements, you are less likely to sustain an injury and thus can spend more time on the mats.
Having said this, within a few months every other beginner will also be able to naturally break fall and do forwards rolls. The point here is that initially, these things help, but they aren’t a deal-breaker for succeeding in BJJ. This concept can also be applied to wider BJJ. For instance, a runner may have superior stamina to an out-of-shape newcomer. However, if they both train equally, in one year’s time their grappling cardio would roughly be equal. To conclude this section, previous sports training is good for the short-term but its advantages fade whilst training over time.
Fitness to prevent injuries
Perhaps the most important part of fitness and conditioning to a newcomer is the defense against injuries it provides. For example, an out of shape practitioner is more likely to get injured than a bodybuilder who is equally as new.
One example of this is knee on belly injuries. Someone who is physically fit and conditioned may be able to have knee on belly fully inflicted upon them. Whilst knee on belly is physically uncomfortable your core muscles should be able to withstand the discomfort. However, for a completely out of shape student they could pull stomach muscles as a result or possibly get a serious core injury.
This is an example of how previous fitness and muscular training help prevent injuries in BJJ. Whilst most newcomers never suffer severe injuries, they certainly pick up more injuries than their fitter counterparts. This should be common sense, but there are still beginners who train as if they are professional athletes. Almost always this ends up with an injury and time away from the sport.
Ways to improve fitness for BJJ
One way to improve your fitness which is tailored to BJJ, is by starting a BJJ workout routine. BJJ fitness training is certainly a real thing. A BJJ workout plan typically involves cardio circuits and weight training. Specifically, a training schedule can use the likes of kettlebells to create explosive strength, whilst burpees can improve cardio and endurance. Of course, you should do this gently, to begin with to avoid overdoing it. However, a strong combination of cardio and weight drills will improve your fitness for BJJ.
BJJ flexibility training is also useful and can be implemented by a good yoga routine. By being stronger and fitter with cardio gains, your performance in the gym will improve too, as athleticism and strength add to your overall BJJ performance.
The good thing is about strength and conditioning is that it can also be done from home or any standard gym.
Easing into training
If you can’t implement BJJ training away from the gym then that is also ok. Instead you should focus on improving your fitness whilst at the BJJ gym. The idea is to ease into it and focus on beginner classes. Instead of sparring hard, you can go at your own pace with trusted training partners.
Whilst training less and at a slower pace may sound boring to more seasoned practitioners, it’s actually a sensible mantra to begin with. Too often beginners go too hard and then get injured or quit as they don’t see instant success. Because of this, taking things slow is encouraged to improve awareness of how your body works and its limitations.
Whilst you are a beginner, you WILL make a lot of mistakes. It is important that you aren’t going 100 miles per hour when making these mistakes, or you could seriously hurt yourself. By slowing down and thinking about what you’re doing, you will learn faster and not hurt yourself.
Summary
To answer the first question, you do not need to be fit to begin Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Whilst it certainly helps and has been outlined above, it is not essential. As stated, fitness does help prevent injuries and will give an advantage at the start, however it is not imperative.
One solution to improve BJJ fitness has been shown in strength and conditioning. However, this is not 100% needed and for some people the time is simply not there to start a training regime outside of BJJ. In conclusion, fitness is a big part of BJJ but isn’t as important as some may think.
Whilst strength and conditioning are an absolute necessity for a professional athlete, they are not needed so much for a casual hobbyist.
