How I Transitioned from Pure BJJ to MMA and Win Fights Grappling

There’s a lot of things that could go into transitioning your grappling from pure BJJ to MMA but I’ll share the biggest adjustments I made when I was doing it years ago. Make it simple First things first. The grappling used in a fight is a much simpler affair. Gone are the cool inverted techniques and crazy open guards. And what you see more often is very tight grappling, lots of takedowns and a constant control of the distance between you and your opponent. So I would begin my fight camps with focusing only on the fundamental techniques that can be used in a fight. Understand striking When I first started fighting I was terrible at striking. In turn, I was fearful of it and didn’t understand the timing I needed to close distance for my takedowns. Once I started diving into the art of striking, understanding the rhythm and timing involved, it made my grappling in MMA much better. I wasn’t afraid to strike or get hit and I knew how to combine my own strikes to initiate my takedowns. Better be in shape! In BJJ there is a tempo of Slow-Fast-Stop. Think of going for a takedown. Starts slowly as you work for the setup, then explodes with a burst of energy to execute the technique and ends with a stop as someone has established position. Grappling in MMA is much more chaotic and has a sense of urgency that you don’t have in BJJ. You don’t have the ability to take your time and set up things nice and slow. Rounds are typically 5 minutes and you have to be careful of all the other non-grappling variables. So when I was fighting I always made sure my cardio was in tip top shape so I could keep up the pace for a whole fight. And my aggressive pace helped me win my fights (many in the 1st round). And if you’re transitioning to MMA hopefully the tips above are useful. -Chewy ----------------- Free Ebook: http://www.chewjitsu.net/focused-jiu-... Video Courses and Products: http://www.chewjitsu.net/products T shirts: http://www.chewjitsu.net/shop/   / chewjitsu     / chewjitsu     / chewjitsu   Intro/Outtro Music : https://bknapp.bandcamp.com If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.