With the world becoming ever-more digital, more and more people are turning towards apps to gain knowledge and learn about things. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is no different, and these days there’s a number of decent apps available for your smartphone. Not only this, but many of these apps are free which means you can learn and track your progress with ease and at no cost.
For anyone serious about grappling, these apps are worth looking at and may help improve your game. From learning new moves to logging your progress, these apps offer something for everyone. There’s even a free timer for gyms when sparring is taking place. Below we have compiled a list of the best free BJJ apps and what they offer.
Table of Contents
BJJ Logbook
BJJ Logbook is for those who like to log their progress in app form. This is for those who like to crunch the numbers about their progress and training methods. For instance, the app helps record your total mat time, how many years you’ve spent at each belt, your competition achievements and average training sessions per week. If you’re into keeping a track of your progress and analyzing data, it’s worth a look.
BJJ Link
BJJ Link is something a bit different. This app is basically a social media platform for grapplers. Imagine Facebook cross between training BJJ. This is the outcome. A cool function of this app is that it has an interactive map that can show local gyms. As well as this, it can offer information on local open mat times and seminar dates. A nice part of this app is that visually it is quite slick and easy on the eye. For those wanting to branch out from their current gym and are keen on exploring the world of BJJ away from your local settings, this app may be for you.
SmoothComp Event finder
Created for competitors, SmoothComp is a site which shows upcoming competitions as well as documenting the results of each competitor. It’s seriously quite a detailed site which has a surprising amount of information. Even if you’re a white belt who competes at local competitions, the site will often show information on your opponent’s or upcoming tournaments. Now in app form, you can keep track of competitions which are around the corner in your local area. This is possibly the only app which features this function.
BJJ Roadmap
BJJ Roadmap is the brainchild of popular Youtube teacher Stephan Kesting. This app is especially useful for newcomers to the art and features roughly one hour of free content based around the fundamentals. Here, Kesting shows basic positions such as guard sweeps, passes and submissions. As the title suggests, it offers a roadmap of how to navigate through the positions of BJJ. For those wanting to expand their knowledge, you can also pay for more sections within the app. If you enjoy Kestings teaching style then this may be of interest.
Timer and points BJJ
This app does what it says on the tin. If you want an app that allows you to set a timer or score points then this works perfectly. Its functions are easy to navigate and are simplistic so there’s no confusion as to how it works. For those wanting to keep time on sparring in the gym, or even score points at a competition – this timer works perfectly. It has options for sweeps and point scoring as well as advantages and DQ’s. There’s no need to splash out money on something similar whilst this is around. Even if you want to keep the time rolling with friends at home, this app is ideal yet again.
875+ BJJ Techniques
This app was made by Jason Scully of The Grapplers Guide. If you’re aware of his work, he basically has a goldmine of technique videos on his site. Not only this, but Scully also shows various moves in speed on his official Youtube channel.
This app is more in line with his Youtube channel compared to his official site. Basically, it has over 875 quick-fire moves which are done at pace. Whilst there’s no time for slow explanations of each move, you can pick up some key details and re-wind parts of the videos to review moves again and again. This is ideal for those who are on the go or traveling to the gym. You can quickly use this app to gain inspiration on a move or position that you may have been struggling with.
Marune
Marune calls itself the number 1 app for martial art – and there’s good reason for this too. This app is basically a cross between BJJ Logbook and BJJ Link. In brief, it allows you to track your progress in the form of a log, whilst also connecting with other Marune users who also share their details. This app is packed with specific details so if you’re a nerd for information then Marune may be for you. For instance, you can put what time of day you trained, if it was in the gi, as well as list what moves you hit in training.
In many ways, Marune is the most comprehensive logbook and social media app for BJJ practitioners. There’s an ocean of information on there and if you believe storing your BJJ information helps you improve, then downloading Marune is a no-brainer.
Self Defense Unit (Rickson Gracie)
This app is for those who are into the combatives side of BJJ. Many of the apps covered above are based on sports BJJ. However, this app specialises in self defense. This is the brainchild of Rickson Gracie who is not only a legendary MMA fighter, but also big on self defense.
A lot of the moves here are fundamentals such as arm locks and chokes. It also features a lot of grip fighting and stand-up combat. If you follow Rickson Gracie these days, you’ll know he’s big on knife defense and disarming attackers. There are not many self defense apps out there, especially BJJ themed – so this offers something different.
Judo In Brief
Judo In Brief is a Judo app. Obviously, this isn’t about BJJ but as BJJ’s roots in stand-up are from Judo, then it makes sense to include this one, especially if you’re into Judo. This app is great for learning the Japanese terminology of all the Judo moves so if you’re into the traditional names then this is great. It also shows each move and breaks it all down, from standing to grip-fighting, to completing the throw. Not only this, but it also features a quiz which is quite cool. The one negative of this app is that it does have quite a few adverts which can be annoying at times. However, as it’s free you can’t really complain.
IBJJF Rules
This one is for those who are into studying the IBJJF ruleset or are getting ready to compete under the umbrella. Imagine you’re on a train going to an IBJJF competition, this app is ideal to brush up on the rules so you don’t get hit with an unwanted DQ. It is well laid out and simple enough. For instance, it shows what is legal for each belt and age group. Elsewhere, it also has each weight category and the points system. As John Danaher once said, you should always spend 15 minutes reading up on the competition ruleset before competing, to make sure you’re up to scratch with how everything works.
Great Grappling
Great Grappling is the creation of Jeremy ‘The Gerbil’ Arel. An accomplished black belt, his app has nearly 300 videos on display. These show various moves and positions and are displayed in an easy-to-navigate manner. Basically, imagine if there were 300 youtube videos on each position, packed into a well-designed app – and taught by an established competitor. This is the outcome.
Roy Dean Academy BJJ
Most people will be well aware of Roy Dean. He is a famous teacher whose style of learning is unique. Here, he tries to explain the concepts in as much detail as possible. Whilst some of Dean’s other content is paid for, this app is free. This app shows his requirements for each belt rank, as well as a couple of submission moves from each belt and the philosophy of said rank. If you’re wondering if you’re near a BJJ promotion, then this app may help explain the requirements needed for the next step.
Grapple App – The Jiu Jitsu Game
Unlike most on this list, this is actually a video game. Here, the idea is that you’re a BJJ competitor who travels around fighting opponent’s whilst climbing the ladder. There are various gyms to visit and people to fight and the point is to go from white through to black belt. As well, you can customise your character and learn new submissions. The only gripe with this app is that there’s a fair amount of in-pay options and adverts. Nonetheless, it’s free so you can’t complain.
Calories in food
Designed for those wanting to lose weight healthily or cut for a competition, this app is a well documented calorie counting tool. It features practically every food group you can think of and shows the calories in the foods included. It also shows the carbs, fats, proteins etc. So you can lose weight healthily and tailor the app towards your diet plan. In total there are over 8,700 foods included so even if you eat something obscure it will probably be on the list.
BJJ Buddy
BJJ Buddy is another log app that also features a social element. Unlike some of the logs on this list, BJJ Buddy is fairly unique in offering a calculator for how many calories you’d burn in a typical BJJ session. Interestingly, it also shows graphs and charts for the data and numbers that you’ve inputted. For example, you could find out that your main submission is the triangle which would be represented as a percentage. This is good for those wanting to understand their game in numbers, rather than just assuming what their strengths and weaknesses are.
BJJHQ Jiu Jitsu Gear
BJJHQ Gear is an app that sends you daily deals on BJJ clothing. For instance, let’s say there’s a Tatami gi on Amazon. Imagine said Tatami gi is discounted 20% on Amazon. You will get an alert on the app that the gi is on sale. It also includes rash guards and other BJJ equipment. This app is ideal for those who have a bit of a gi obsession and want to save money finding the best deals on the market.
Jiu Jitsu on the go
This app is made by Steve Hordinski, a third degree black belt under Caique Elias. Like others on our list, the idea of this app is that it’s effectively a video technique library. Featuring a slick navigation system, it shows a variety of sports BJJ moves as well as more traditional BJJ stuff. Perhaps the main benefit of this app which stands out compared to others is that it shows how to chain moves and attacks together. Whilst it’s good to learn a move in isolation, it’s always better to learn moves that link together and how they can be done in unison. This features both gi and no gi videos.
Yoga for BJJ (PAID SUBSCRIPTION)
Yoga for BJJ is a paid-for subscription. However, it’s so good we couldn’t help but include it on the list. Popular with older practitioners, this app will help lengthen your time on the mats by getting your muscles more flexible and strong. It includes all kinds of yoga moves for all areas of your body. So, if you’ve got a bad neck or hamstring then there’s something here for all. Not only this, but it also includes using your BJJ belt to help stretch your arms and legs which is pretty cool.
The idea of this app is to slowly but surely improve your flexibility and has programs for beginners up to advanced yoga practitioners. It is owned by Sebastian Brosché who is great at yoga and also a BJJ black belt, so it’s not just yoga, it’s literally yoga which is tailored towards BJJ practitioners. As practically everyone training gets chronic injuries at some point, this app is a lifesaver in that sense and is something to seriously consider.
Summary
This list has something that should be useful for everyone. Whether you’re after a library of technique videos or you’re looking to log your progress, there should be enough content here for all. As well, these apps are all free (except for Yoga for BJJ), so you can’t really go wrong. Gone are the days of trying to watch BJJ filmed on a fuzzy VHS tape from the 90’s – the future is here and there’s a wealth of information for free which available at the click of a button.
