How to Strengthen Grip for BJJ, And Why Grip Strength Matters
Table of Contents
- Why Grip Strength Matters for BJJ
- The Different Types of Grip Strength
- How to Strengthen Grip for BJJ
- BJJ Grip Strength Tools
- Conclusion
Why Grip Strength Matters for BJJ
BJJ is a dynamic and physically demanding sport, and a strong grip is a fundamental asset to hold (no pun intended) and is one that will enable you to perform optimally on the mats.
Grip strength is used consistently throughout rounds and is an important factor in performing techniques well against resistance, having poor grip strength can be a determining factor to whether you win or lose the round.
Your grip will be challenged in various ways during each roll, from controlling positions, defending attacks to executing submissions.
Your grips will usually be the first point of contact on your opponent, in the Gi it’s a collar or sleeve first, in no Gi it’s a strong wrist control or ties, unless you love shooting your shot from space of course, either way, it’s important that you have the grip strength and endurance to sustain your performance throughout the round, whether training in the Gi or No Gi a well-developed versatile grip is essential to implementing your technical game.
The Different Types of Grip Strength Required for BJJ Athletes
There are a few different types of grip strength that will be required in BJJ.
These can be simplified and categorised into two types, overall grip strength or crushing grip strength and grip endurance, often referred to as supporting grip.
There are various types of grips in BJJ, such as the monkey grip, reverse grip, Gi grips and many more, some types of grips are more efficient than others in preserving strength and endurance but it’s important that your overall grip strength is developed to be versatile and adaptable to any situation that may arise.
In the Gi a particular type of grip strength will be required more than others, and this is the pinch grip, this type of grip is used for making strong holds on the Gi and requires superior thumb and finger strength and endurance.
No Gi tends to favour crushing grip strength and can be slightly more dynamic due to the constant need to change grips and establish new grips, this generally requires less endurance and more reactivity, but this can be dependent on many variables and each roll will be different to the last. A strong crushing grip that can withstand pressure can be the difference to losing a position or gaining a dominant one, tapping to your opponent or submitting them, it can be the difference in winning or losing.
A core element of grip strength that is often overlooked is wrist strength, due to the dynamic and unpredictable movements within BJJ you will rarely be in a static or isometric grip battle, instead you will be resisting against constant movement and force, this creates a need for a certain type of grip strength, dynamic grip strength. This combined with strong wrist stability and strength will make your grips dangerous and feel almost unbreakable, dynamic grip strength is the secret to superior control. Dynamic grip strength is the combination of superior wrist strength, plus stability, and crushing grip strength.
How to Strengthen Grip for BJJ
Strengthening your grip whether training in the Gi or no Gi can be beneficial to all practitioners.
In the Gi it will ensure you are able to maintain consistent control grips allowing you to advance positions, defend and implement your game to the best of your technical ability.
In no Gi it will ensure you are able to fight off your opponent’s grips whilst securing your own, it will give allow you to take every opportunity that arises to advance your attacks.
You can train and improve your grip strength in the gym in many various ways. Exercises like deadlifts, farmer carries, pull ups… generally, any pulling movement will train your grip and build strength over time. An issue you may encounter with this approach is that your grip could ultimately be the limiting factor in progressing in weight on exercises, this is where I’d recommend grip specific strength exercises.
Grip specific doesn’t necessarily mean sport specific, although being sport specific in training can have many benefits, building a strong foundation of strength first and foremost should be the main priority.
Exercise like dead hangs, wrist curls, kettlebell roll ups and plate pinch variations are a great way of focusing on specifically developing your grip strength.
If your grip is the limiting factor stopping you from progressing in weight on your big compound lifts, there are also simple training techniques that can be implemented to support overall grip development. For example, doing all your warmup sets with no support (straps or hooks) followed by 1 or 2 heavier sets unsupported before adding straps and moving on to your working weight, simple techniques like these can have a compounding effect on grip strength overtime.
With the above in mind we have created 2 programs, the first is specifically designed to improve your grip strength for No-Gi BJJ, and the second is designed specifically to improve grip strength in the GI.
BJJ Grip Strength Tools
There are some great tools out there that can support you in developing your grip strength. One of the simplest and easiest to implement in your training sessions are fat grips, these can turn a normal lifting session into an additional grip building session. I’d recommend implementing these if your grip strength isn’t impacting progressive overload. You don’t need to use them for the entire workout either, adding them to a set or two on appropriate exercises is more than enough to reap some rewards.
Grip squeezers and grippers are another easy and simple way of developing crushing grip strength. There are multiple grip squeezers available these days, the old-school spring-loaded grip tools with support developing a crushing grip strength and the more modern take on these being the rubber ball, will also support in developing a crushing grip, these can also be used to train your pinch grip strength, I highly recommend these over any spring-loaded gripper.
Other equipment that will strengthen your grip that you’ll find around the gym include, kettlebells and ropes, these can be great in supporting your grip strength and overall grip development.
Conclusion
Grip strength plays a vital role in allowing you to perform to the best of your technical ability in BJJ. It will support your every move, from advancing positions to defending a position, from control to submissions, it can be the determining factor that hinders your performance or make your performance great. You can train for improved grip strength in many ways without effecting your weekly workouts, simple and consistent training methods will have a compounding effect on your grip strength overtime.
