Get better at Jiu Jitsu and improve your life with these 9 tips

 

A common question that we hear at Dark Horse Jiu Jitsu is, “How can I make the most out of my journey and training?” There are no two ways about this, you have to take care of yourself if you plan to continue training. This means getting plenty of rest, eating well and above all listening to your body.

 

No muscle group is exempt from being sore as both BJJ and Muay Thai will work parts of your body you do not usually use. Not only will it test your body but these combat sports ingage you mentally as well. So what can you do to make your training easier to manage? We have compiled some great tips that will help greatly improve your experience during your journey. 

     1. Drink Water Before and after Training

Your body is made of 60% water. Doing an intense physical fitness program such as martial arts is going to make you sweat.  https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html Water is to your body as oil is to your car’s engine. Staying hydrated is crucial for maximum efficiency as well as general health and healthy organ maintenance. So how much water should you drink? While everyone once physiology is a little different a good starting place as an active adult is eight 8oz glasses every day or 64 oz. You will want to adjust this according to temperature, elevation and physical activity. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-much-water-should-I-drink 

 

2. Sleep well for BJJ

Sleep is critical for a healthy brain and body. At first you will find BJJ and Muay Thai exhausting Do not fear your body will adjust and not only will it adjust it will improve. With good physical exercise you will give you more energy and allow you rest more soundly. The AVERAGE adult needs 7.5 hours of sleep each night. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/adult-sleep-needs-and-habits#1 Your brain needs the down time to recalibrate and process all you have experienced through a day. Your body needs the rest as well to repair. There are five stages of sleep which have different impacts on your mental and physical health. These occur at different points during a night of sleep each cycle is about 90 minutes in duration. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-you-and-me/201307/your-sleep-cycle-revealed 

 

3. Listen to your body

Your body will talk to you, listen. When you are sore or have injuries, do not let them fester. Address them directly, and if needed visit your doctor. Communicate with your training partners. Speak up and let them of any injuries you have. Talk to them about the level of intensity you want to train at. 

 

4. Eat The Martial Arts Diet

Eat the rainbow! No, not Skittles! Eat the rainbow is just a saying that if you are eating a colorful diet you are usually covering your bodies needs without much thought. This applies to raw foods over processed foods. You will need all the things that come from a healthy diet to engage in BJJ and Muay Thai as they are rigorous physical fitness regimes. Eating healthily will give you quality energy and aid in the upkeep and repair of your body. A high vegetable and fruit diet with healthy carbs, reasonable portion of white meats (Fish/chicken,) and healthy dairy is a great place to be. A balanced and healthy diet is important for you body’s health as well as your mental health. With vigorous exercise you may need to increase the caloric intake as you will be burning more energy with a martial arts program. Refer to our health and diet blog to understand balanced diet, caloric intake and portioning. Learn more HERE

(Diet Blog)

 

5. Stretch after training

While you do warm ups at the beginning of each class, doing additional stretching after will help your muscles warm up and cool down. Muay Thai and BJJ work many of your muscle groups , and will cause them to tighten up after training. Taking ten minutes after training will greatly aid your body.

 

6. Do Yoga

The stretching techniques offered in yoga play well with the physical part of jiu jitsu. Yoga will help you stretch as well as stay limber and flexible with relative ease. Yoga will also help focus your mind allowing you to process techniques more efficiently.

 

7. Manage Inflammation 

BJJ and Muay Thai are aggressive combat sports. No one is immune to the intense workouts they offer. Knowing effective pain and inflammation management will quicken recovery time. Ice baths and hot tubs are great muscle relaxers. There are a handful of homeopathic practices which can aid in your body maintenance and recovery. These include and are not limited to therapeutic massage, chiropractic adjustments, facetious massage and acupuncture. Any and all of these may have great results for you.

 

8. Use a rashguard

Rash guards are a tight fitting neoprene athletic shirt which can reduce gi burns and assist in wicking away perspiration. They are very useful in protecting against fabric burns or mat burns, caused by rubbing skin against these abrasive materials. 

 

9. Keep a Martial Arts Journal

Any martial art is just as much of a mental game as it is physical. Journaling techniques and thoughts will help your mind wrap around the technique and give you a stronger mental picture. Journaling will also help you isolate the details of a technique, giving you a reference point to double check your own connection when reproducing the technique. Journaling can also provide you with your own insight of how a day went and where your mind may have been.