What Nobody Tells You About BJJ | Bodily Destruction

In Dorian's video, a lot of people commented their injury stories, and talked about quitting BJJ. If you have tips for how you've kept your body STRONG for BJJ, comment them down below to give people something positive to try and look forward to. And if you'd like to begin the UNTAPPED program and join the discord group, links are in the description.

20% of sparring partners cause 80% of the injuries

Brownbelt here, quick tips on how I avoid injuries: - I only train No Gi now, mostly because I like it more, but the extra friction from the Gi always increased injury risk for me. - Tapping early and often, I don't try to escape once a submission is locked in. - Taking strength and mobility/flexibility training seriously. - Lifting focused on compound exercises with the largest range of motion possible. - Rolling at 60-70% intensity, if I feel like I'm using too much strength to gain a position, I give up and try something else.

43-year-old white belt one year in, 7 year personal trainer, and 20 year gym rat here. The only injuries I've had in the last year have been pulled elbows here and there and I had a bad oblique strain a few months back that sidelined me for a few weeks. I lift 3-4 days a week and hit the mats about 2-3 times a week while listening to my body daily. If you want to last then listen to this man. Your personal health must be the priority. Use strength training to protect your body. Eat well to refuel and recover. If I have to take an extra day to recover or miss class to make my strength training sessions then I will and vice versa. Great video Nsima.

Been training BJJ consistently for 17 years. Rarely had an injury, nothing serious. Seen lots of people getting injured over the years. One thing I don't see enough discussion on is higher risk positions. Do not invert, do not allow your spine to be compressed, avoid explosive movements, avoid high speed movements. Focus on timing and precision. Focus on protecting your body FIRST and if you get extended be prepared to tap early. Just because you CAN get out of something doesn't mean you should. Be patient and find a better answer. Also, I rarely train Gi and even when I did for the first 12 years, I rarely used Gi grips. It wrecks your hands and provides little value in anything but a Gi. Train yourself to attach to bones with full hand grips, or even better, under and overhooks. This is how you can train BJJ for a very long time with minimal injuries. And yes, you MUST train your body to supplement BJJ.

I'm a 39 year old seasoned brown belt. I started at the age of 28 and trust me, I've had my fair share of injuries. Lower back, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, knees, you name it 😂. But from what I've seen over the years a lot of injuries are a direct result from ego simply because they refused to tap. A lot of unnecessary injuries can be prevented if people would just tap rather than let their egos get in the way! My tip of advice is to tap early and tap often. Whenever I help cover classes for my instructor I make sure to engrain this into all of our new white belts' heads so that they understand that it is okay to tap. And if I see a submission locked in deep while walking around and they aren't tapping I stop them immediately and remind them to tap.

I’ve been training for seven years. I am currently a purple belt. I remember after my first day of training my immediate goal was to stay healthy enough to train the next day. This concept seems impossible for some to comprehend. Don’t worry about getting better. Don’t worry about tapping your training partners. Stay healthy, get on the mats, and the goals will take care of themselves.

40-year-old blue belt. I started training at 36. As a white belt, I've had a sprained wrist and 2 sprained ankles. These were within my first 6 months of training. The only injuries I've had in BJJ since then have seen muscle strains and superficial bruising because: 1. I strength train 2x per week with compound barbell movements 2. I train BJJ only 2x per week because I'm too exhausted to train more since I'm lifting 3. I focus on Gi since it's slower. 4. I make sure to stretch daily. 5. I have no problem with tapping early and often.

Swear to god... human body should come with an owners manual. Nutrition, Mobility, and Resistance training should 1000% be the focus for everyone, not just athletes doing a thing. I know shitloads of runners who cry about running breaking them down, basketball players who's knees and ankles are shaky, you name it - ultimately what it comes down to is that your body needs care and maintenance for longevity regardless of what your aspirations are with regards to sports, martial arts, or attaining an athletic physique.

MASTERFUL WORK 🔥🙌

Well said, as a Former Kickboxer and now BJJ/Judoka, Choosing partners wisely, checking your ego, and strength training/mobility have been my best advices to others. Anyone hesitant to get into these things, Take his advice to heart and go for it. 👌

I’m a 6.5 year BJJ purple belt. I don’t lift heavy anymore, I lift with dumbbells and cables, I do pushups, pull-ups and dips. I practice BJJ 4-5 times a week. I drill way more now and I only hard roll one day a week at open mat. Drill more, eat better and stay away from heavy weights and straight bars.

Great video! I’m 41, still training 3-4 times a week. Similarly, in the early days all I did was Jiu Jitsu and I got pretty beat up. As I’ve gotten older, I supplement my Jiu Jitsu with calisthenics and a regular stretching / yoga routine. Also have a greater respect for the rest days, eating well and sleep. If you can afford to go to class, you can afford to rest and recover. Keep training! OSS!

Fantastic video, Nsima. Your channel has always been criminally underrated. I'd love to see more bjj content! I'm 25, I've been powerlifting for 7.5 years, I started Jiu Jitsu about 3 months ago and have absolutely loved it! However, I really wanted to start bjj like 4 years ago and never did because I had a fear of injury which was compounded by a phobia of medical treatment that I've had since I was a child. I finally decided enough is enough and started jiu jitsu as a way to face my fears and have been going 2-3 times a week for about 3 months while also still lifting weights 2-4 days a week. My training outside of bjj has definitely shifted to be more focused on recovery and strengthening injury prone areas (all of which you covered in this video) but I still make sure to maintain that base of strength and muscle that I built from years of hard lifting because I know it will keep me safe and healthy in the long run

I am 59 and started bjj in 1998 and haven’t rolled since 2011. I have 2 ream and run shoulders last surgery was May 19 2023 and to many injuries to list. I am a lifelong gym rat and feel better than I have in a long time.I feel I am at the point to start back after all the info I have learned from people who also have the passion. Thank you

This is probably the best video you’ve ever made……thanks! 🙏

2 years in, 54 year-old blue-belt. I’m under no illusion I’ll be a champion, and I’ve had injuries. For me it’s worth it. I absolutely love it, and I’ll do it until I can’t. I roll twice a week between strength days. No room for ego, I tap early and often.

2 years and 3 months into BJJ. Currently blue belt. I haven't missed a single training session due to injuries (fingers crossed), but I started after serious conditioning through calisthenics. By the way, I'm 49 and have competed multiple times, including in adult category. You are totally right. Strengthen to mitigate the risk of injuries (never zero, but at least is somehow handled).

This was put together great and was completely on point. Good shit!!!

Congratulations on the success of this video! It’s great