I've struggled for a very long time with the question of WHY ON EARTH it's necessary to do calisthenics (especially super intense ones like burpees and jump squats) at the beginning of a grappling practice. Why is a warmup necessary? What is it meant to accomplish?
In general, the exercise science crowd makes vague mention of "raising core temperature," but with little explanation of why one needs that. I finally encountered a resource that breaks it down, and says that the real purposes are to switch from "rest and digest" over to a hormonal state of readiness for exertion, and to engage in brief joint mobilization to stimulate fluid in and around the joints. Awesome. I can get down with that. But if that's the idea, when the endless killer stuff in BJJ?
I have heard people make cases for the need to condition for BJJ - it is an athletic practice, and so some athleticism and some athleticism is beneficial. OK, sure. But does that mean it's ideally done in the same practice? At the beginning? I have doubts. Similarly, some people include mobility type training. I think this is great, but I'm also unsure of exactly when this should be done, relative to technique training. Maybe I'm actually supposed to be conditioning AFTER practice and doing mobility when I wake up in the morning. This is all wandering away from the idea of "warmups at the beginning of class."
I think many people include fundamental movement practice in warmups, like shrimping and bridging. This feels appropriate to me, especially when the movements will be used in today's session. But doesn't that mean we should be doing movement-oriented training, perhaps NOT at an intense pace, to ready our bodies for the session?
So what say you, instructors? Do you do warmups? What do they include? Why do you do it like that?
I think there are several reasons why people do it. Some are bad (e.g. they do it unthinkingly, because that’s how it has always been done); some are good. Below are some of the better reasons:
For many people, BJJ is their fitness program. Including some hard calisthenic work is for overall fitness.
There is an argument that people focus more on technique when they are tired. I think this argument is somewhat dubious.
While the argument for hard calisthenics is weak, IMO, the argument for a solid warm up that has the participant sweating and ‘hot’ is borne out by years of experience. Coming from a wrestling background, I know based simply on experience that when I am ‘hot’ I am looser and far less likely to get injured. That said, I think running, gymnastics, and grappling movements (or wrestling movements or MMA movements) accomplish that goal better than calisthenics.
If the class is with a competition team, then hard warm ups could be an extension of overall conditioning. If the class is a hobbyist one, then warm ups could be part of the members overall fitness goals. That all being said, I see no need for a fitness component of a bjj class outside of bjj related movements, drills, and sparring. The intensity of such can vary based on the type of class. In my opinion, a goal of efficiency in teaching/learning (class structure) contributes to efficiency in students’ bjj games and overall development. Students can supplement additional conditioning outside of class if wanted, or just attend additional classes.
I think this is right.
But, for a competition team, hard warm ups at the beginning don’t even make much sense. Conditioning should really be reserved for after all of the skill work and sparring. Wrestling has this right.
I would add that I think, in addition to sport specific movements such as shrimps and bridges, gymnastics and mobility exercises have a place at the start of practice. They are important for injury prevention and body awareness.
I do them, but its actual bjj techs. Starting off w individual things like shrimps, backrolls, forward rolls, etc. and then moving to partner moves (passing drills, armbars from guard on time, etc.). Warmups shouldn’t be some wannabe crossfit bullshit, it should be designed to get you ready gross motor movement wise for the complexity that bjj is. There is zero reason to go ultra crossfit in a bjj class, if you want have a separate conditioning class specifically for that.
Do we actually KNOW being hot reduces injuries? Can you link to some publications? Anecdotal evidence is not compelling.
I disagree. Accumulated wisdom in sport is often ahead of peer reviewed science. Look at the 180 sport science professionals have done on aerobic conditioning over a generation. Boxing and wrestling coaches knew it was important the whole time.
Generations of coaches have thought about, reflected on, and collected data–in their own way–on the value of warm ups.
I think you need data to falsify it; not to confirm it.
I am no expert on exercise science, but I think the older you get, the more you realize how important it is to warm up. --and I do mean warm up, not do a Cross Fit class or whatever. The average age of my students must be close to 40 and most appreciate the warm up. Many tell me they need it. Younger guys, not so much. They probably see it more as a waste of time. But when you are 40, 50+ you NEED to warm up your back and whatever else.
My warm up involves classic upa, shrimp, reverse shrimp, rolls, rock up, egg beaters,etc. in other words, basic jiu jitsu movement patterns.
There are some VERY uncoordinated people who come through the door and doing these movements every class is a big part of how they physically learn to do techniques.
I am no experton exercise science, but I think the older you get, the more you realize how important it is to warm up. --and I do mean warm up, not do a Cross Fit class or whatever. The average age of my students must be close to 40 and they appreciate the warm up. Many tell me they need it. Younger guys, not so much. They probably see it more as a waste of time. But when you are 40, 50+ you NEED to warm up your back and whatever else.
My warm up involves classic upa, shrimp, reverse shrimp, rolls, Rock up, egg beaters,etc. in other works very basic jiu jitsu movement patterns.
There are some VERY uncoordinated people who come through the door and doing these movements every class is a big part of how they physically learn to do techniques.
I have the students I teach do ZERO non--transferable crap that's going to waste everyone's time. We stick to BJJ specific solo body movement drills and partner assisted drills. I insist on excellent technique and not racing through the warm ups like you see in a kid's class. I want them to get their conditioning while rolling, and ensure everyone gets in at least 30 minutes straight and highly discourage "sitting one out".
I spent nine years at a Carlson Gracie school where the instruction was quality, but the "warm ups" were plain stupid (like adults doing wheel barrow races and frog hops) all of which ate up instruction time and by extension, quality rolling time. If they want or need better conditioning, they have two option: Attend more sessions or, like I do, work on S &C on their own.
One of my coaches has us(adults) play tag for 5 minutes as the beginning of our warmup. The loser does 100 push ups lol after that we do "sweep and pass" for like 15-20 minutes. Then 20 minutes of tech/teaching then more positional sparring in the area that we just worked on, then we roll for 8 minutes rounds for 40 minutes.
The tag and the sweep and pass is perfect for my body to "warmup".
I have a hard time warming up and can't even roll at 70% until I'm 10-15 minutes into a roll. Otherwise I just lay there like a dead fish praying for my body to move and it doesn't
I have my people do coordination exercises and three minutes of running. This includes safety drills like breakfalls and rolls. The total warm up is 10 minutes.
People are uncoordinated and that’s partially why I do them
I am no expert on exercise science, but I think the older you get, the more you realize how important it is to warm up. --and I do mean warm up, not do a Cross Fit class or whatever. The average age of my students must be close to 40 and most appreciate the warm up. Many tell me they need it. Younger guys, not so much. They probably see it more as a waste of time. But when you are 40, 50+ you NEED to warm up your back and whatever else.
My warm up involves classic upa, shrimp, reverse shrimp, rolls, rock up, egg beaters,etc. in other words, basic jiu jitsu movement patterns.
There are some VERY uncoordinated people who come through the door and doing these movements every class is a big part of how they physically learn to do techniques.
When I teach I try to explain a bjj concept or match strategy while people stretch of pick their nose. I can't understand why we would run around in a circle right before we are supposed to watch someone teach a technique and then lightly drill it. For a warmup if we have to do one is sweep you partner back and forth with whatever you are working on.
We did movement drills in lines - it helps with practicing movements while warming. It's helped me with movements I avoid or just don't do in training and when the time came where I was exploring and trying new techniques it helped.