Preparing for No-Gi Worlds? Here’s How.

The IBJJF No-Gi World Championships is one of the biggest and most prestigious competitions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly for those who of us who eschew the pajama variety of grappling. Less than three months away, now is the time to start thinking about how to prepare.

While it’s not the Gi Worlds, nor the ADCC – or ahem, CJI - winning at this event can nevertheless propel an athlete’s career and reputation to the next level. However, competing at such a high level requires serious preparation - both physically and mentally. Whether you’re competing for the first time or you’re a seasoned veteran, it’s important to have a structured, well-planned “training camp” so that you can be sure to perform at your peak.

Here are a few tips and tricks on preparing for the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, including critical skills, conditioning, strategy, mindset, and recovery.

Your No-Gi Game is a Different Beast

While there is a lot of crossover between the Gi and No-Gi, there are some key differences. Because you can’t rely on your tried-and-true Gi grips to slow down and wrap up your opponent, No-Gi calls for more dynamic movements and athleticism. Therefore, in the months leading up to No-Gi Worlds, you’ll want to focus your training on certain techniques and strategies that will maximize those elements of your game.

• Sharpen Your Wrestling - With no grips to rely on, wrestling plays a much larger role in No-Gi and many matches are won or lost based on those first few moments on the feet. So having a strong takedown game is essential. Offensively, you’ll want to focus on fine-tuning your single-leg and double-leg takedowns, as well as a few trips or throws. But wrestling isn’t just about the takedowns… it’s also about the takedown defense. Sprawls, counters and escapes are all going to be critical skills, especially if you face an opponent who has more of a wrestling or judo background that you do.
• Master Transitional Speed – In No-Gi, unless you pull full guard and just hold your opponent – meh, boring – you don’t have the luxury of hanging out anywhere. As such, it’s important to practice quick transitions between positions, particularly during scrambles, passing, and hitting those submissions. Drills that emphasize movement and fluidity are key.
• Become a Submission Hunter – Because No-Gi can be so much more fast-paced an dynamic, opportunities for submissions can come out of nowhere. You have to take it when it presents itself, without hesitation. Sharpen your submissions from the back (such as RNCs), front headlock (guillotines and D’Arces) and leg entanglements (heel hooks and kneebars). And don’t forget your escapes!

S&C… Because When All Else is Equal

At No-Gi Worlds, you’ll be competing against the best-of-the-best in your belt and age brackets… so expect to face some parity in technical skill. To set yourself apart from the rest, when all else is equal, you’ll want to stronger, faster and longer lasting. Enter: your strength and conditioning regime. Here are some things to focus on:

• Develop Explosive Strength – Because No-Gi often involves more dynamic, explosive movements, such as takedowns, scrambles, and guard passing, you’ll want to develop your explosive strength. Look for functional strength programs that emphasize compound lifts, single-leg and single-arm movements, kettlebells, and box jumps.
• Improve Your Cardiovascular Endurance – While the match lengths may be the same, in No-Gi, the intensity is cranked much higher, making a match feel a whole, heck-of-a-lot longer. Therefore, you’ll need a conditioning regimen that focuses on high-intensity efforts with short rest periods. Think about incorporating High-Intensity Interval Training (such as sprint intervals, assault bike circuits, and battle ropes) and short, intense rounds into your training.
• Functional Movement and Mobility – You may not immediately consider functional movement and mobility when you think about S&C, but it’s an important element of being a high-performing athlete. Yoga, dynamic stretching, and movement drills will also help increase your mobility, flexibility and help prevent injuries. Think about it as the oil for your physical machine.

Mental Preparation and Strategy

Your mindset is just as – if not more – important as your physical preparedness. This goes for any tournament, not just a No-Gi tournament. Every competition is going to different level of pressure and stress, so the ability to stay calm and focused can make all the difference. Here are a few things to consider:

• Have a Game Plan – Regardless of the tournament, you should always, always have a game plan. Don’t just go in there thinking you can “wing-it.” Know what your A-game is, and plan to initiate first. Anticipate common scenarios, both offensive and defensive. Most importantly, know the ruleset (not just the general IBJJF point system, but penalties, advantages, and tendency toward awarding the most active player in the case of a draw).
• Practice Mental Toughness – When you compete at a tournament like No-Gi Worlds, there is going to be a lot of pressure, you’re going to really feel the nerves (sometimes days, if not weeks out), and there’s a high risk of adrenaline-dumping. In the months leading up to the event, try to simulate the competition experience as much as possible. Go to as many smaller tournaments as you can, and if that’s not feasible for you, set up one-on-one mock matches at your academy.
• Study Your Opponents – These days, there is a TON of footage out there on your competitors. While you can’t account for everything they might do, watching your opponent’s footage will help give you insight into their game plans and tendencies. Of course, this might be tough in huge divisions, but you should have enough time to at least study your first few matches.

Don’t Neglect Your Recovery

As you increase the intensity and volume of your training in the months before No-Gi Worlds, recovery becomes even more important. Proper recovery not only allows you to train each day at your best, but it also helps you avoid overtraining, burning out, or *gasp* sustaining an injury before the big day. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Sleep, Sleep, Sleep – Who needs sleep? Well, you do. And the more you train, the more sleep you’ll need. Sleep is when your body repairs and resets itself, so without enough, you’re doing yourself a disservice, both physically and mentally. It’ll be different for everyone, but aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, especially leading up to the tournament.
• Fuel Your Body – Okay, yes, you’re probably dieting so that you can fit into that lower weight class… but if you don’t strike that delicate balance between cutting out the crap and making sure you have enough water, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates, neither your body nor your mind will be able to perform.
• Active Recovery – You can’t go ham the entire time… You’ll break yourself. It’s important to incorporate active recovery – stretching, light movement, mobility work - into your schedule, to allow your body to recover and stay limber. This is especially important the closer you get to the day of the tournament.

Not going to lie… competing at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds is going to be one of the most stressful – yet exciting – times of your year. As long as you prepare well, and strategically, you’ll set yourself up for a great showing, and hopefully, some sweet podium pics.