How to train Jiu-Jitsu during coronavirus pandemic
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, jiu-jitsu gyms all over are closing their doors for the foreseeable future. Even if jiu-jitsu schools were not closing down during the pandemic, people are urging jiu-jitsu practitioners to stay home anyway in an effort to flatten the exponential curve of this particular pandemic. This includes me. I wrote about why I was going to stop going to the gym and urged others to do the same here.
The reality is that most schools have shut down now.
Can’t get enough Jiu-Jitsu?
Most people who train Jiu-Jitsu are normally quite passionate about it. For many people, over-training is not a problem. The problem is that they cannot train enough. Whether because of work duties, family responsibilities, or injury, sometimes life happens and keeps us out of the gym and off of the mats.
Unfortunately, there has never been anything that has affected the entire Jiu-Jitsu community at one time like the coronavirus has. Of course, it has impacted everyone. But this article is about how you can train jiu-jitsu during the coronavirus pandemic.
Don’t Panic
This is causing a bit of a different kind of panic within the Jiu-Jitsu community. Fortunately, there is no time to panic. Some of the who’s who in the Jiu-Jitsu community, including some of the all time greats, are stepping up to answer the call.
Master Renzo Gracie
A Jiu-Jitsu Original
Master Renzo Gracie has made his entire online Jiu-Jitsu curriculum free for the next 30 days. You do not need a credit card or anything else. All you need is an email to sign up and you can watch Jiu-Jitsu instructional videos from an original Gracie Family member and one of the all time greats. Here is the link to watch instuctionals from master Renzo himself:
John Danaher
Next up we have Renzo Gracie black belt, and Jiu-Jitsu mastermind, Professor John Danaher. Most everyone who trains Jiu-Jitsu knows about John Danaher by now. I have written about him before here.
Some of Danaher’s students are some of the best competitors in MMA and Jiu-Jitsu. John Danaher has been the jiu-jitsu coach for athletes such as UFC legend and two division champion Georges St. Pierre. Danaher is also the jiu-jitsu coach for some of the best grapplers competing in the world today. He is the head coach of champions Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon.
I have shared one of Danaher’s videos and extolled his virtues as an instructor here.
On March 16, Danaher again teamed up with Bernardo Faria of BJJ Fanatics and released a video about how to survive this coronavirus pandemic in light of all the jiu-jitsu school closures. Here is the video in it entirety:
Bernardo Faria
BJJ Fanatics
If you train Jiu-Jitsu and you have been on YouTube, you have no doubt watched at least one Bernardo Faria video. If you have not, you should give it a try.
Bernardo was a world champion Jiu-Jitsu player in his day which was just as recent as 2016. Always a very humble and gracious champion, Bernardo invites other world class Jiu Jitsu players on to his YouTube channel called BJJ Fanatics for some great instructional videos on jiu-jitsu techniques and practical advice on what really works.
On Sunday, Faria announced that he is giving away, for free, one of his own personal instructional videos. These videos are currently all behind the paywall over at bjjfanatics.com. The price of one instructional series from Faria is normally $77.00.
However, during the coronavirus pandemic, Faria is allowing anyone who wants to watch access to one of these video series by him for free. That’s right. No charge. All you have to do is enter the code: FariaFree.
These free lessons during the coronavirus pandemic from Faria include more than one video. Use the code FariaFree and you will unlock one of Bernardo’s entire series. There are currently 15 series of videos from which to choose with titles such as “High Percentage Submissions” and “Battle Tested Half Guard”. There is sure to be a lot to be gained from these videos. Give them a try! It’s free!
Karel “Silver Fox” Pravec
Yet another Renzo Gracie black belt makes this list. Karel “Silver Fox” Pravec has a jiu-jitsu game that I really admire. He’s older, in his 50s, but his jiu-jitsu is so smooth and fluid that I have no doubt that he is still routinely tapping out anyone he trains with.
I have written about the Silver Fox’s instructional videos that he does on YouTube with MMA training legend Firas Zihab. I’ve posted one of those videos here.
The Silver Fox posted to twitter over the weekend that he would be holding his popular Facebook Live lessons, which he calls “Roll with the Fox,” on a daily basis beginning Monday, March 16. Fortunately, the Fox is also posting the videos to his YouTube channel SilverFoxBJJ.
Be sure to try Rolling with the Fox during this coronavirus pandemic so that you maintain your jiu-jitsu skills at a high level. Here is one of the most recent episodes for you to check out:
Learning Jiu-Jitsu online
One of the greatest resources for improving my jiu-jitsu game has been online jiu-jitsu videos. You will see that there are a ton of people in gi’s and in rash guards making “how to” jiu-jitsu videos. I’m here to tell you, in case you didn’t know, that not everyone with a YouTube channel knows how to teach jiu-jitsu.
I would like to share my top 5 best online jiu-jitsu instructors for really adding to your game:
The best online Jiu-Jitsu instruction…for free
Early on, I wrote a post about the best free jiu-jitsu instructional videos that I could find online.
I would like to share with you some of the Jiu-Jitsu masters who I think are some of the best jiu-jitsu instructors online. Here is my list of the top 5 best online jiu-jitsu instructors.
Top 6 Best Jiu-Jitsu Intructors
1. Ryron Gracie and Rener Gracie
Ryron and Rener Gracie – No list for white belts would be complete without these two amazing instructors. Say what you will, Ryron and Rener are no doubt two of the best Jiu-Jitsu instructors alive today. They never miss a single detail of any technique and illustrate the moves with such exquisite illustration that you will definitely learn valuable techniques and perhaps even more importantly, concepts, that will improve your game drastically. If you are just starting out, the Gracie Combatives program is an excellent place to start your Jiu-Jitsu journey. It is an amazing introduction and foundational program that really sets you up for success. I highly recommend it.
2. BJJ Fanatics – Bernardo Faria with John Danaher
Bernardo Faria with John Danaher – These merit their own special mention on this list because as great as Bernardo’s BJJ Fanatics channel is – and I recommend all of it – the videos with John Danaher are especially detailed in such a way that makes it impossible not to learn something every time. As Bernardo frequently points out, John breaks down each technique systematically and can even bring awareness to details that we might be performing subconsciously. You have to watch for yourself. I promise that in addition to techniques you will also learn about fundamental concepts that will take your game to the next level. As a team, these two gentleman are easily two of the best jiu-jitsu instructors teaching today.
3. BJJ Fanatics
BJJ Fanatics, Bernardo Faria – Bernardo was a world champion Jiu-Jitsu player in his day which was just as recent as 2016. Always a very humble and gracious champion, Bernardo invites other world class Jiu Jitsu players on to his YouTube channel called BJJ Fanatics for all the most important techniques and practical advice on what really works. Again, Bernardo Faria and Lachlan Giles have to be two of the best Jiu-Jitsu instructors who are teaching today.
4. Karel “Silver Fox” Pravec
Karel “Silver Fox” Fox with Firas Zahabi, Tristar Gym – Legendary MMA coach Firas Zahabi has a handful of videos on his Tristar Gym YouTube channel in which he gets on the mat with Karel “Silver Fox” Prevac for some great demonstrations of arm bars and guillotines, etc. This is a great introduction to both Karel “silver Fox” Prevac and the humility of great MMA trainer Firas Zahabi. Together they explore some of the Silver Fox’s smooth finishing moves like arm bars and guillotines. Not exactly beginner stuff. And the videos are long, clocking in at around 40 minutes. Maybe too advanced to be on this list, but definitely worth a try and then a second look later on into your journey to see if you can be a fluid as the Fox. Together Firas and Karel make some of the best jiu-jitsu instructional videos online today.
5. Stephan Kesting
Stephan Kesting – Stephan Kesting has a fairly large web presence. You can tell that he is motivated to stay relevant online. And we should probably thank him for this because he offers a lot of great instruction, but you might stumble across a little more fluff and internet savvy than with Jeremy Arel. I have stuck strictly to his YouTube channel. He has really great and useful techniques. I have used his Ezekiel Choke Counters on more than one occasion with success. Like Jeremy, Stephan covers lots of important jiu jitsu moves in short concise videos. I highly recommend his channel. Stephan has to be one of the best online jiu-jitsu instructors and he releases new videos all the time.
6. Great Grappling – Jeremy Arel
Great Grappling, Jeremy Arel – This channel is run by and features videos with instruction by jiu-jitsu black belt Jeremy “the Gerbil” Arel. Don’t let his nickname fool you. This channel has countless valuable instructional videos showing how to execute moves from guard passess to chokes. These videos really are great. Why? Jeremy Arel is precise and efficient in his instructional technique. They videos are short, usually about 3-5 minutes long, but will all the detail that you need to understand how to execute each move. There is absolutely no fluff, filler, or nonsense here, just the moves. Great, simple, practical, effective techniques. The Gerbil has to be one of the best jiu-jitsu instructors online today.
Now you know
I recommend that you visit one or all of these amazing Jiu-Jitsu instructors online. If you don’t like the first video you click on for whatever reason, click on another. I’m 100% confident that you will find many great techniques.
Don’t forget to tap
Finally, to those of you starting out: Tap early, tap often. Tap dance if you have to, just make sure you can come back tomorrow.
Just do not tap out to the coronavirus pandemic. While you can’t go to the gym to train, you can still learn and get better. Hopefully, some of these videos will be helpful.
Until next time, stay clean and stay safe. Keep moving.
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