Comp Team Vlog ft. Marlon Tajik
After taking it easy following the European Championships, we’re back in action at BJJ Lab Zürich! The last few weeks have been a well-earned break, but now it’s time to refocus. While there are no major competitions on the horizon, several of our students will be stepping onto the competition mats for the first time. That means adjusting our comp class to make sure everyone is prepared—without the intense grind we had leading up to Europeans.
Training Focus: Guard Retention
We kicked off today’s training with a guard retention drill. The goal? If you’re on the bottom, your job is to recover guard. For our more advanced athletes, this means working back to their favorite upper or lower body guards, like K-guard or collar-and-sleeve. For beginners, we emphasize closed guard—one of the strongest positions in BJJ, especially at white belt. Closed guard is not only a powerful position but also a difficult one for opponents to escape, making it a great tool for early competition success.
Simulated Matches for Competition Prep
Next, we moved into simulated matches. We set up a full competition experience with a referee and background noise to help recreate the stress and energy of an actual event. The goal is simple: first to score. This helps our competitors get comfortable with the opening moments of a match so that on competition day, they’re less nervous and more prepared.
Special Guest: Marlon Tajik
We were lucky to have a special guest on the mats today—Marlon Tajik from Sweden. He’s one of the best brown belts in the world right now, fresh off a double gold performance at the European Championships. That means he won both his weight class and the open weight division! Having him here was an amazing opportunity for our team to roll with a world-class athlete and gain valuable experience.
Conditioning: Threshold Training
After sparring, we moved into our conditioning phase. Today’s focus was threshold training—pushing hard while staying right at the edge of the anaerobic threshold. We structured it into five-minute rounds, where athletes stayed in for two rounds and rested for one. To add intensity, we rotated fresh training partners in each round. The first rotation was “first to score,” while the second round continued until submission.
Finishing Drills: Speed and Endurance
To wrap up, we pushed through a series of speed and passing drills—top spins, duck-unders, and jump-overs. These movements build muscle endurance and mental toughness, especially when fatigued. The structure was simple: 45 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 90 seconds of rest, repeated several times. It’s a tough way to finish, but these drills help our athletes dig deep and push through exhaustion—just like they’ll need to do in competition.
Watch the Full Episode Below!
That’s it for today! We’ll be back next time with more updates as we prepare for our upcoming competitions. See you on the mats!
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