Boost Your Jiu-Jitsu Grip with These Essential Drills

In the words of John Danaher, every jiujitsu exchange begins with the grip fight.

No jiujitsu athlete can afford to ignore the importance of a potent grip. It's easy to focus on the big picture—strength, endurance, flexibility—and forget about the essential specifics, like an unyielding grip.

A strong, formidable grip helps you maintain control and manipulate your opponent's movements. Every rolled with someone with an iron grip? It’s incredibly frustrating to deal with, so why not become “that guy” yourself?

🏋️‍♀️ Ready to ramp up your grip strength? Here's how:

Click on the images for a video demo👇

1. Bar Hangs:

Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip for as long as you can. You'll be directly targeting your finger flexors and forearm muscles, the champions of a secure grip during your intense rolls. Plus, it's fantastic grip endurance training.

2. Farmers Walk:

Walking with heavy dumbbells or kettlebells is not just a walk in the park (lol). Whether you perform the exercise with one arm or both, the farmer's walk fires up your forearms, hands, and even your core muscles. As a result, you develop core stability, and of course grip strength. Aim for 25-50 steps with HEAVY dumbbells, and progressively increase the distance/time/weight.

3. Plate Pinch:

Get two weight plates (or one, to start with), and grip them between your fingertips and thumb. This simple yet effective exercise empowers your fingers, enhances their strength, and refines your ability to control an opponent's gi or wrists in no-gi scenarios. I usually aim for holding as long as I can or around that 30-60 second mark. 

An unbreakable grip can change the game in your jiujitsu power. These exercises, if done with consistency, will ensure you develop a grip that even your toughest opponents will find hard to break. There are many more grip training exercises I like to include in my programming but these 3 are grip specific that you may not have seen before. 

Until next week, keep your grip strong, train hard, and roll safe.

(Note: Always consult with a fitness professional to ensure you are performing exercises correctly to prevent injury.)