Portada BJJ

BJJ classes in Barcelona

At El club de la lucha we offer Brazilian jiu jitsu and grappling classes in our gym in Barcelona. We offer classes for both genders, male and female, as well as for children.

In our gym in Barcelona with spacious and perfectly equipped facilities for the practice of BJJ and we have a wide variety of schedules so that you can practice Brazilian jiu jitsu when it best suits your needs.

Our Brazilian jiu jitsu classes are aimed at people of all levels and ages, and are held in both the GI (with kimono) and NO GI (with sportswear) modality.

We invite you to try a free Brazilian jiu jitsu class so you can see our facilities in our gym in Barcelona and meet our instructors. After the test class we will be happy to assist you and resolve any questions you may have.

We also offer wrestling classes, or Olympic wrestling, which are a great complement for all those Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioners who want to improve their standing fighting, both in knockdown techniques and defensive techniques.

OUR BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU CLASSES IN BARCELONA

A typical Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class is divided into 4 main blocks, which are:

Warm up
Technique and drills
Combat
Stretching

Warming up

Workouts begin with a warm-up, which consists of a variety of exercises designed to prepare the body for the movements and techniques used during BJJ practice.

In our classes we usually start with a routine of gentle exercise and light stretching aimed at activating our body and avoiding the typical injuries that happen if we start doing high intensity sports in the cold.

Some of these common exercises are: running, jumping, knockdown defense, back stretch, neck exercises, falls, cartwheels, leg grip tackles, rolling sideways, swings, push-ups, squats, or burpees.

Some of the classes are devoted entirely to combat, which makes them especially demanding classes. In these cases, in addition to the warm-up, 3 rounds of combat are included, rolling at low intensity to finish breaking a sweat and dose the effort.

Technique and drills

During this part of the class, the instructor will show different techniques to the students so that they can put them into practice with a partner under his supervision. These techniques are always explained step by step and with great attention to detail, since these always make the difference between a well or poorly executed technique.

Within Brazilian jiu jitsu there are an enormous number of techniques, although the ones that are most commonly used during our classes at CLB are:

Take down techniques:

All Brazilian jiu jitsu combat begins standing up, so having a good arsenal of takedown techniques can allow us to start the fight with an advantage over our opponent, if we are able to bring him to the ground in a dominant position.

In our BJJ and wrestling classes we show our students which are the safest and most effective techniques to knock down our opponent during a fight, while taking into account all those movements that will help us defend ourselves against a takedown attempt initiated by our opponent.

Guards:

The guard is a position in which we control our opponent through some kind of grip from the ground. The guard is considered a position that offers some advantage, since from it we can start to execute different transitions, scrapes or completions, while we prevent our opponent from advancing towards an advantageous position.

There are numerous types of guards in Brazilian jiu jitsu, among which are:

Closed guard
Half guard
Butterfly guard
Rubber guard
De la riva guard
50-50

The use of one or the other depends on factors such as the preference of the fighter and the development of each fight.

Guard passes:

As we have commented previously, the guard is a position that offers an advantage, so knowing how to pass a guard is another of the fundamental elements in our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes.

When we manage to pass a guard, it means that we have managed to break the defensive barrier of our adversary and that now we are the ones who are in a better position to try to control the combat.

There are some aspects that are of special importance when executing a guard pass:

Keep our center of gravity low.
Be patient and go step by step, since it is difficult to pass the guard with a single movement.
Neutralize our opponent’s feet.
Immobilize our opponent’s hip.
Isolate one leg of the opponent.
Knowing how to choose between speed and pressure.

Some of the main techniques for the guard pass are:

Leg drag
Bullfighter
Double under
Over under
knee slide
Long step

Sweeps:

Scraping is another technique that is frequently used in our Brazilian jiu jitsu classes.

For a scraping to be considered as such, two things are needed. The first is that the technique must be started from a guard, which means that our legs are placed between us and our opponent. Second, once we have gained a control position thanks to scraping, we must remain in it for at least 3 seconds.

Every time we reverse our position and end up on top of our opponent from a position that is not a guard, what we have achieved is a reversal, but not a scrape. We will certainly be in a more advantageous position, but we will not be awarded points within a fight.

Each sweeping technique consists of three stages.

Having our opponent against his back thanks to the fact that we have made him lose his balance and stability.
We cannot be against our back and we must be in a dominant position, so it is key to maintain control of our adversary and prevent him from counterattacking us effectively.
We must maintain that dominant position for at least 3 seconds.

Although the technique can be divided into three stages, it must be performed as fluently and quickly as possible to increase the chances of success.

Escapes:

Escapes are another fundamental element of Brazilian jiu jitsu, since if we have a good range of escape techniques we can respond to the different attacks and attempts to control by our adversary. Having confidence in our escapes will give us confidence and freedom when it comes to attacking, as we will have the resources to find our way back to a good position.

There are some fundamental moves that are required to escape almost all control positions and submission attempts. It is very common to practice these movements during the warm-up and while we do it it is important to be aware of why we are doing these movements, since when we are rolling it will be the moment to apply it.

There are 6 main scape techniques:

Schrimp
Bridge
Technical stand up
Break falls
Forward / backwards roll
Sprawl

Positional escapes are some of the most demanding moves in a BJJ match. Being under someone who has solid control, whether lateral, mounted, on the back, or with the knee, can be very demoralizing and uncomfortable. In addition to feeling great pressure and weight on us, we have to worry about all the submissions and chokes that our adversary can carry out from that position.

When it comes to escaping from bad positions, the simpler the escape technique, the better for us. Ideally, it should be a quick transition that allows us to get up or get on our guard, depending on where we want to go.

To decide which escape techniques we should focus on, it is important to analyze how our fights are unfolding and to identify trends and patterns. If we are able to see bad positions or submissions that we routinely fall into, that will allow us to decide which escape techniques to start focusing on.

Submissions and Chokes:

Obviously the submissions are an essential element in our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes. A submission represents the climax of a match and a submission that is executed from a dominant position is considered the pinnacle of the art.

How often or how easily we manage to finish our teammates is one of the tangible ways to measure our progress in a sport that is known for its non-linear progression. Newcomers to the sport can spend months training before being able to finish a partner, while more advanced students can go long periods without being finished.

There is no closed list of finishes that can be followed point by point, since Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a highly creative sport that allows you to execute the finishes in a wide variety of ways. In addition, new techniques or passages of submission are constantly being discovered and introduced to the community.

As we have commented, the number of completion techniques is very wide, so we will classify them by categories:

Neck cranks and wrenching
Neck chokes
Spinal locks
Joint locks
Ligament attacks
Muscle cutters
Crushing or compression

Combat

The final part of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training is dedicated to the combat rounds. A normal class is used to closing with between 3 and 5 rounds of combat of 5 minutes each. During the fights it is time to put into practice the techniques that have been learned and practiced during the classes, as long as we see clearly the opportunity to carry them out.

In sparring rounds, it is important to be aware of factors such as differences in graduation, weight or age to allow the two partners to carry out productive work. If we are in a position to finish the partner, we have to be careful to allow time for the partner to clap and the rounds of combat can be closed without injury.

It is very important to know how to tap or tap in time to recognize that a completion has been executed successfully, so that our opponent can stop his submission technique. Do not wait until a submission hurts to clap, as this will prevent injuries from occurring and also make better use of the time allocated to sparring.

At CLB there are also 2 classes a week that are dedicated exclusively to combat. These classes open with a warm-up, continue with 3 rounds of smooth rolling and no finishing allowed, and continue with another 7 rounds of high intensity combat with allowed finishes.

Stretching

Stretching is outside of the BJJ class and it is up to the student to do it or not, but we recommend having a stretching routine to finish each training session.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a demanding sport for the muscles and ligaments, so stretching at the end of each workout is more than recommended to keep our body in good condition. On the other hand, stretching frequently will help us increase our flexibility, which is a very important aspect of BJJ.

The stretching routine can be carried out with traditional stretching, roller, as well as in our yoga classes, which take place on Saturday mornings.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

INTRODUCTION TO BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU

Brazilian jiu jitsu, also known by its abbreviation BJJ, is a martial art based on grip fighting and its main objective is to have the ability to control an opponent who resists, so that we can achieve a position of dominance. from which to execute various submission or completion techniques.

Brazilian jiu jitsu uses the principles of leverage, angles, pressure, and timing, as well as knowledge of human anatomy, to achieve non-violent submission from the opponent through the application of chokes and joint manipulations. Unlike other martial arts, no punches are performed in BJJ.

Because controlling an opponent is generally easier on the ground than in a standing position, much of the Brazilian jiu jitsu technique focuses on the ability to bring an opponent to the ground, where they will fight for a position. of control and dominance looking for that the opponent turns out to be harmless.

BJJ students gain a deep understanding of the workings and limits of the human body, allowing them to control and outmaneuver an opponent of greater size, strength, and aggressiveness. One of the strengths of BJJ is its effectiveness as a martial art applied to real world scenarios, as it allows the practitioner to test the effectiveness of their skills against opponents who resist.

The path to this knowledge is physically and mentally demanding, but the benefits of practicing BJJ go beyond words. Students benefit from increased physical fitness, greater ability to solve problems, and a deep self-knowledge of their body and mind.

ETTIQUETE IN BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU CLASSES

In our BJJ classes there are a series of unwritten rules, which are common in all gyms where this martial art is trained. It is a series of rules that all students are expected to comply with as a sign of respect for their classmates, teachers and the sport itself.

Do not hit
Do not attack the fingers and toes
Stop when the fight is over
Stop immediately if partner slaps during combat or technique practice
Never access the tatami with footwear
Wear sandals off the tatami (changing rooms, bathrooms, etc.)
Do not speak when the instructor explains a technique. It is perfectly fine to ask questions after the instructor has demonstrated the technique, but you should not interrupt or have side conversations while the instructor conducts the class.
The training time is to practice the technique shown by the instructor and it is disrespectful to try other random movements.
Failure to correct the instructor
Bowing down when accessing or leaving the mat
In some gyms and dojos it is considered inappropriate to ask black belts to roll
Salute with a slap or punch before and after each bout.
Take into account the characteristics of the partner with whom we are rolling and try to match the strength of the physically weaker opponent so that both can carry out quality technical work.
It is advisable to start rolling in a relaxed way, as some people will want to roll hard, but others may prefer to flow and take it easy.
Take hygiene into account. Always start the class with a clean kit, with well-cut nails, hair tied up if it is long and without objects such as piercings or other accessories and jewelry that can cause damage.
Close the class after greeting the instructor and also greeting all the classmates one by one.

BENEFITS OF PRACTICING BJJ

Besides being a type of training of great physical demand, Brazilian jiu jitsu is also known as “human chess”, since the mind plays a fundamental role in its development due to the fact that the ability to think strategically and maintain concentration are aspects fundamental to its practice.

The physical benefits of BJJ are immense and well documented. It is a sport that requires a very complete physical preparation, since it combines dynamism, explosiveness, strength, flexibility, resistance and the ability to exert pressure. It is obvious that Brazilian jiu jitsu helps to lose weight, improve muscle tone and increase cardiovascular capacity, but it also provides us with a better awareness of our own body and optimizes our reactive capacity because we are constantly responding to the movements of another person .

Brazilian jiu jitsu is also a remarkable mental exercise. First of all, we are faced with the challenge of learning a new activity, with unlimited variations of movements, techniques and submissions. Second, we develop new reasoning skills, as BJJ forces us to constantly think about what our next steps will be, whether we are in an advantageous position or in a defensive position. Third, being an activity practiced with another person, we increase the ability to think quickly and react to the opponent’s movements.

But the greatest mental benefits of BJJ are those that we take off the mat and serve us in any facet of life:

Greater mental strength, since we are constantly facing adversities that require perseverance and resistance.
Greater discipline and perseverance, since it is the only way to improve in the sport.
Confidence in ourselves and greater self-esteem, since over the years we have been able to develop a new skill available to few thanks to our effort and attitude.
Greater ability to remain calm and in control in situations of stress and danger.
Better control and management of the ego, since during the first ones you have to constantly accept defeat against other higher-level colleagues.
For many people it also provides an outlet for the stress of daily life, since when we step onto the mat we need to be 100% focused on training and fighting, and there is no room in our mind for other aspects of our personal life.

WE HELP YOU MEET YOUR GOALS

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