Forearm strength in Jiu-Jitsu is essential! Anyone who practices Jiu-Jitsu, whether it is Japanese or Brazilian, knows that a lot depends on the ability to hold on to the opponents’ Gi, hold opponents limbs, and especially that last extra push to make the opponent submit. Jiu-Jitsu started back in feudal days of Japan, under the guidance of Samurai. Japanese Jiu-Jitsu revolved around breaking limbs, hard throws, and chokes, and explosive attacks using pressure points. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was originated later by the Grandmaster Helio Gracie, which eventually branched out, and became known worldwide as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. In fact Generic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu are very much different; Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was originally focused on techniques to help physically weaker people win in a combat against the stronger opponents, and carried such focus into the century. One of the Gracie Philosophy teachings is using as less energy as possible to win the fight, but when the energy is used, it must be fast, powerful and explosive, requiring a lot of wrist, grip, arm strength, and flexibility.
Forearm and Wrist Strengthening in Jiu-Jitsu
Jiu-Jitsu, as other types of grappling, is focused on gripping and keeping a hold of clothing, head, limbs, and torso. Jiu-Jitsu focuses on the wrists, elbows and shoulders in its locking techniques based on bio-mechanical leverage. It is very challenging to strengthen your joints, however, it is possible. Many grappling professionals understand that in order to strengthen arms, forearms, wrists, and fingers, one must not only work on the functional strength and deeper, often neglected by regular workouts muscles, but also focus on the tendon strength. Tendon flexibility and strength play key roles in the arm strength development for grappling. So what are the advantages of having strong and flexible tendons, along with overall strong arms, forearms, and wrists in Jiu-Jitsu? Now just so set things clear, I am not talking about massive forearm or arm bodybuilder-style muscles; this is more of the functional, deeper muscle strength. There are plenty of small forearm people that can snap arms of the much bigger guys. Here is a list of advantages of having strong and flexible fingers, wrists, forearms, and arms:
- Stronger grip lets getting a better hold of opponent’s clothing, limbs, head, and torso in general.
- Strength and endurance training of forearms and wrists allows a longer hold and powerful explosive moves.
- Flexible muscles and tendons allow for more explosive flexing during throws, submissions, and escapes.
- Stronger tendons allow for higher tolerance during submissions, higher chances of escaping a submission, as well as increase the overall forearm and arm muscle endurance during the combat
- Flexible fingers, wrists, and forearms allow easier escapes from holds and submissions
- Stronger tendons support muscle endurance, which is essential during holds and hard submissions
- Strong forearms and wrists give a more powerful last push during long submissions
- Stronger and more flexible muscles and tendons have a much less change of injury during the conbat
So what exercises and forearm equipment will not only help increasing the muscle strength, yet also endurance, and flexibility along with their tendons?
Forearms Muscle and Tendon Endurance and Strength Training
Endurance and strength training require completely different exercises compared to training for mass and definition. By definition, maximum strength is the greatest amount of force that targeted towards an object, and is usually measured in pounds per square inch. On the other hand, endurance, is measured by the amount of time, that same maximum strength can be applied for. The exercises targeting endurance focus on either a large number of repetitions, while exhausting the targeted muscles, or opposite, what is better known as isometric training (proven to be more efficient), focusing on continuous application of the maximum amount of force against a static (not moving) object. Strength can also be trained by utilizing isometric techniques, as well as focusing on more explosive, large number of sets with fewer repetitions. The exhaustive type of endurance training is very good for tendon strength training, where a better effect is reached when a maximum amount of force is used in each repetition.
Forearm Muscle and Tendon Flexibility Training.
This type of training is frequently missed by Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, while it is essential for increasing muscle strength. It has been proven that more flexible muscles have a faster and more explosive flexing ability, which is exactly what is needed for throws, and quick submissions.
Training for Forearm Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility
The easiest and cheapest form of strength training is isometric exercising. There are plenty of static objects around as: starting with pushing against walls, pushing and pulling on trees, putting a lot more weight on barbells and dumbbells to the point of not being able to perform a single rep, but simply trying to push or pull on it, and ending with tying ropes to a static object and simulate throws. The cost advantage in this case is however overweighed by the huge disadvantage of almost inability to work deeper, and weaker muscles, as well as working all muscles from different angles. The biggest problem with isometric exercises is that athletes tend to start using their stronger muscles more, as it makes them feel more powerful during the exercises, while it is the more awkward and uncomfortable workouts that do the trick.
The easiest and most basic way to work on muscle and tendon flexibility is giving them a good stretch on regular basis, be careful, as you may end up tearing tendons and muscles, if too much force is applied during static stretching. Dynamic stretching preferred for increasing flexibility of both forearm muscles and tendons. The cheapest tools can be found at any hardware store, long wooden and metal poles will do the trick and work similar to the Indian Clubs. Swinging the poles and clubs using your wrist only, or combined with elbow and shoulder motion with in a wide amplitude has a increased effect of dynamic stretching. Such workouts also work for tendon strength. The biggest disadvantage of such trainings is that it is almost impossible to control the amount of weight and resistance with Indian Clubs and other alike poles.
Bison-1 in Jiu-Jitsu Training
Dmitriy Fomichev, Instructor of Highest Category demonstrating Bison-1 :Breaking Horns" exercise
Dmitriy Fomichev and Ryron Gracie at the World Gracie AcademyCenter in Torrance, CA.Dmitriy Fomichev and Ryron Gracie at the World Gracie AcademyCenter in Torrance, CA.
Please read the Leaders in Targeted Forearm Strength Training article to see a more detailed comparison of Bison-1 to other competitors on the market and also take a look at the Bison-1 Comparison Chart. In short, Bison-1 can provide static and dynamic exercises, which allows for isometric and resistance training. The freedom of movement during the workouts allows for muscle and tendon stretching, increasing their flexibility, as well as working muscles from many different angles (over 100,000 exercise variations).
In fact here, is a direct feedback memo from Dmitriy Fomichev. Dmitriy is a Coach of Highest Category in Russian Hand-to-Hand Fighting, Black Belt 3rd Dan in Jiu-Jitsu Kodokan, Black Belt 3rd Dan in Japanese Hand-to-Hand Fighting – Kobudo, Blue Belt and currently a student of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Dmitriy is a coach to seven Champions of Russia in Russian Hand-to-Hand Fighting, two champions of Russia in Kobudo.
“I found Bison-1 at one of the stores here in Moscow, Russia during a National Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Before training with Bison-1, my primary means of forearm and wrist training were regular dumbbell curls, hand grippers, and mallets of several sizes. After trying Bison-1, I immediately got one of my own as I was impressed by its efficiency and ability to work my forearms out in a matter of minutes. In Jiu-Jitsu, just like in other types of grappling, you are constantly using your forearm muscles for gripping, holding, pulling, and pushing. The wrist and grip strength is vital in being able to hold on the the Gi and opponents limbs, constant stress on your joints, jerks, quick motions require not only muscles strength, but also a very good amount of tendon strength and flexibility.
I have torn my muscles many times, including my arms, as well as seen many pulled-muscle and broken bone injuries. About 80-90% of all such injuries were unintentional and were caused by untrained tendons and weak muscles supporting the joints.
In my Kickboxing, Russian and Japanese Hand-to-Hand competitive fighting classes I see many cases of wrist injuries, especially during work on heavy bags. Many of my students twisted and pulled their wrists, and injured their wrist joints during the maximum intensity “punching bag loading” exercise (trying to keep the punching bag constantly at an angle, while unloading a constant load of
Dmitriy Fomichev, Instructor of Highest Category demonstrating Bison-1 "Upper Arm Bicycle" exercise.
different kinds of punches).
Dmitriy Fomichev, Instructor of Highest Category demonstrating Bison-1 "Lower Horizontal Wrist Push" exercise.
One thing about Bison-1 is that it is specifically made for functional strength training. In martial arts you almost never use your wrists in up and down motion, you almost never have that same constant angle of pressure in isometric gripping, as you get with dynamic gripping equipment or dumbbells. You constantly twist, push, grip, and pull in different positions and from different angle – this is something, unfortunately, no other gym equipment can get your body ready for.
In the end, I would like to state that Bison-1 is the only piece of forearm strength training equipment that will train your forearms, wrists, and grip, the way they are supposed to be trained for martial arts. I have all of my students use Bison-1, and I constantly receive great feedback, as well as see the difference in trainings, about the increased functionality, strength, control, and decreased injuries in the fingers, wrists, and forearm joints. Bison-1 helped me and many of my champions take their Jiu-Jitsu, Kobudo, Russian Hand-to-Hand Fighting, and Combat Sambo to the next level.”
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