Sometimes you can’t make it to BJJ class either because of work schedule, family life, illness, or a global pandemic. Ideally, when you train for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you would have a partner.

In a perfect world this would allow you to drill techniques and roll (free sparring), which are the cornerstones of BJJ practice. This is a list of essential equipment that will allow you to maintain your BJJ skills at home.

Use these when you cant make it to a dojo and maybe even improve your game in ways you didn’t think were possible. These are some of my favorite solo tools when I can’t make it to the dojo.

1. Grappling Dummy

Don’t have a partner to roll with? A grappling dummy is the next best thing! It is a fantastic tool for solo drilling, allowing you to build muscle memory for transitions, and submissions.

Understanding that training with this tool has its limitations is key, the obvious being is that there is no resistance to your attacks. However, I have heard of a few people learning entire BJJ systems by watching instructionals and drilling on a dummy.

In addition to drilling technique, you can practice throws and take-downs to your heart’s desire. This will build stamina and muscle memory when live rolling. You can also train your isometric strength by squeezing for a predetermined amount of time. There are many more creative ways to get some real training out of your grappling dummy.

Overall Pick: Smarty 2.0

The Smarty 2.0 is a patented training dummy built with high quality materials and made to last. Cheaper versions may have unnatural body proportions and quality issues. In comparison, it’s worth the extra money if you’re serious about training.

Budget Friendly: Shaza MMA BJJ Wrestling Dummy

Designed with BJJ in mind, this forward leaning dummy will maintain realistic opponent positions which is great for solo drilling.

2. Floor Mats

If you are serious about your training, and you have the room, investing in floor mats may be a worthwhile purchase. This will allow you to do solo-drills like shrimps, forward/backward rolls on top of a soft surface. You can also have BJJ sessions with your friends and family to drill techniques before competitions or just on a whim.

BJJ mats come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. Always make sure that they are assembled correctly, potential dangers are cleared around the mats, and you clean them regularly.

Overall Pick: VEVOR Wrestling Mat

If you don’t have a lot of room for permanent mats at your place, the best option is to pick something that is easily portable and easy to fold and put away.

Budget Friendly: Gold BJJ Home Jiu Jitsu Mats

These interlocking puzzle mats are extra thick to soften your impact. Setting them up and taking them down isn’t very time consuming or difficult which is why I like them.

3. A Chess Set

This may be controversial to some, but playing chess and studying strategy can have a profound impact on how you look at the sport. While not physically demanding, playing chess can help you chain techniques together, set traps, and influence how you approach the sport in general. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can accurately be described as human chess. Make the wrong move, maintain the wrong strategy, or go against an opponent much more experienced than you and you can end up in a world of pain.

Studying the game of chess can benefit your BJJ by understanding and anticipating an opponent’s moves. You will gain the ability to implement your long term strategy, with small and methodical moves.

Strategies from chess that apply directly to BJJ include:

• Pins and Skewers: attacking a piece that the opponent will move away allow you to attack something behind it
• Removing the Guard: performing an attack with the express purpose of drawing a defense
• “Zugswang” AKA “Compulsion to Move” to put an opponent in a position where all moves weaken them
• The Fool’s Mate: an attack that can be avoided if known, but causes almost certain defeat if not

Overall Pick: Staunton Style Magnetic Wooden Chess Set

Magnetic chess sets are my favorite because they allow you to play a game over a long period of time and be fairly certain the pieces are in the same place you left them. I also like the classic wooden look of these boards.

Budget Friendly: HI-Q Classic Chess Board Game

Everyone had one of these iconic sets in a drawer in their house somewhere. This one is just classic.

4. Kettle Bell Training

Kettle bell training is one of the most underrated and under utilized forms of strength training. The benefits for a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete are endless. What separates kettle bell training from other types of strength training like a chest press machine? The answer: kettle bells can mimic the awkward, off balance nature of a human opponent. If you’ve ever been stuck under a guy that feels about as heavy as a house, you’ll know what I’m talking about!

Exercises like the “Turkish Get-Up” will develop the shoulder, core, and stability strength in order for you to execute technical stand-ups and escape from bottom position. Kettle bell swings will develop strong hips and explosive power needed to sweep an opponent or finish a double-leg take down. seriously, the applications are endless.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a sport that requires you to use both aerobic and anaerobic systems which few exercises can mimic. A long held trope in BJJ is: “if you want to increase your conditioning for BJJ, just train more BJJ!.” While not terrible advice, unforeseen circumstances can get in the way of you training to the duration or intensity that you need to get better. Kettle bell training solves that problem with the use of Metabolic Conditioning or “MetCons”.

Metabolic conditioning with a kettle bell will improve the efficiency of your body’s immediate, intermediate, and long-term pathways. With metabolic conditioning, your body becomes conditioned to do more in less time using the same energy systems that are required in the sport of BJJ.

Overall Pick: Lifeline Strength Training Kettlebell Weight

These kettle bells have the best matte-powder coat finish so they’re ready to go right out of the box. Because they’re molded from one piece, their strength and durability are off the charts.

Budget Friendly: Amazon Basics Cast Iron Kettlebell

Simple and no frills, you can’t go wrong with one of these. However, unlike the more premium powder coated variants, I’ve found that these may become slick as you progress through your workout. That is why I like to wrap the handles with weightlifting tape prior to use.

5. Grip-Strength Equipment

In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, your hands are the primary interface between you and your opponent. If your “connection” is weak your techniques could fail, meaning the difference between finishing a submission or getting submitted yourself. Grip strength training is non-negotiable for a BJJ athlete.

Grip strength training will have immediate benefits if you train in the gi: the lapels of your partners kimono are like handles that you grip in order to advance your strategy. But what about no-gi? Your grip during submissions like guillotines and the kimura is like a “lock” that keeps the limb or head isolated. If the lock breaks, the submission is gone. Defensive framing against your opponent’s neck or hip to stop a pass require your hands and wrists to remain rigid. If your hands and wrists are weak, then your frame may collapse.

To train your grip strength at home consider investing in some equipment to take your BJJ to the next level.

Overall Pick: Elite Sports Jiu Jitsu Grip Trainer

Elite Sports created a sport-specific one-of-a-kind piece of equipment that builds the exact hand, wrist, and forearm muscles you need to maintain your grips on the mat. They really knocked it out of the park with this one.

Runner Up: FitBeast Forearm Strengthener & Forearm Exerciser

One of my favorite tools to train my grip is a wrist roller with a thick handle. It’s simple, effective, and inexpensive. This tool will build and strengthen your wrists and forearms.

Honorable Mention: Fat Gripz

These thick grips will wrap around barbells, dumbbells, pull up bars, resistance bands and machine handles. These grips activate muscles in your forearms when performing strength exercises which will build your grip strength like no other.