The Best Way to Train BJJ: How We Do It at BJJ Lab
There’s a lot of debate in the BJJ community about the best way to train. Some say traditional drilling is outdated, while others claim the ecological approach is the future. The reality? No single method is perfect on its own. The best way to develop strong technique and apply it in live sparring is to use a combination of different training styles.
At BJJ Lab Zürich, we take a structured and proven approach to training that helps students—whether beginners or competitors—improve as fast as possible.
Our Training System at BJJ Lab
At BJJ Lab, we don’t just teach techniques and hope they stick. Our system ensures that students learn, refine, and apply techniques in realistic training scenarios. Here’s how we structure our classes:
Learn and Drill the Technique
Every class begins with technical instruction, where students learn key details about a technique. Drilling helps reinforce these mechanics, allowing students to develop muscle memory and fluency in each technique.
We focus on drilling with intent—not mindlessly repeating movements, but understanding how and when to use them. This is an essential first step before adding resistance.
Mini-Games to Develop Decision-Making
Once students understand the core mechanics of a technique, we introduce mini-games to help them connect techniques and apply them dynamically.
These games are designed to create dilemmas between the techniques that have been taught. Instead of practicing moves in isolation, students must learn to recognize when to switch between different techniques based on their opponent’s reactions.
By focusing on decision-making rather than just execution, mini-games help students develop an intuitive understanding of positions and transitions.
Positional Sparring to Test Techniques Under Resistance
After mini-games, we transition into positional sparring, which is slightly more open-ended. Students start in specific positions and work with full resistance to achieve their goals.
This phase allows students to:
– Get repeated reps in a live environment.
– Test different solutions without resetting to neutral after every mistake.
– Gain confidence in using techniques against a resisting opponent.
Positional sparring bridges the gap between structured training and full sparring, ensuring students truly internalize what they’ve learned.
Free Sparring (Live Rolling)
Finally, we move into free sparring, where students apply their techniques in a fully open environment. This is where all the previous steps come together, allowing students to test their skills, refine their strategies, and develop their overall game.
Because students have already drilled techniques, played through structured mini-games, and done positional sparring, they enter live rolls with a clear understanding of their options instead of just reacting.
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