If you don’t spar then all you’re doing is LARPing. Sparring and training against resistance is the secret sauce that makes jiu-jitsu work.
Of course you need to do hard sparring once in a while, not every training session needs to be a death roll!!
There is a type of BJJ sparring known as ‘Flow Rolling’ which allows you to train with anyone safely and productively while creating room for experimentation and taking chances.
Here’s BJJ black belt Jesse Walker breaking down the rules of flow rolling. He calls this the “California Roll” because, as he said in our interview, it’s like you’ve sparring after a long day of surfing on the beach in California and smoking a doob.
Check it out here:
00:09 Rule 1: No explosive motions, everything should be slow and controlled00:16 Rule 2: No using strength to solve problems00:32 Rule 3: Keep it moving and don’t park anywhere for more than three seconds00:50 Detailed flowrolling explanation, including the role of submissions02:40 Live demo
P.S. Thanks to Jesse Walker from Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, KY, for breaking this down for us.
P.P.S. Check out my in-depth interview with Jesse Walker on episode 414 of The Strenuous Life Podcast about the training methods that work best for non-athletic people.
Good luck with your training,Stephan Kesting
