Why do some BJJ athletes improve faster than others? Well, it’s not just one thing that they do (or have) – but it’s a mix of various factors.

World-class coach Firas Zahabi shares his opinion. First, it has a lot to do with your youth:

What you did in your youth… Imagine trying to learn a language in your 30s. Or in your 20s [in comparison to learning it as a child].

It’s similar with athletics. If you learn athletics when you’re young, you definitely have an advantage.

Of course, a lot of it has to do with genetics. But other things, such as working on your coordination, are super important:

You have to train coordination… And how do you train coordination?

It has two major components: one, you do total body movements. We need to use total body movements, we need to move away from just training muscle groups [like dumbell curls or tricep extensions].

Another thing that I really like for coordination is tumbling. Like, basic gymnastics…
I start my warmups often with tumbling. Mainly the granby roll. [But it’s most important] that it’s challenging and managable.

Of course, having a good instructor and being a good student is vital:

What’s a good student? A good student trains regularly.

Avoid the injuries like a plague – do stability work training, it’s the best way to avoid injury.
Do a workout with a stability ball, you’ll notice that you won’t feel sore afterwards. That’s a major plus for guys who heavily train.

Don’t overtrain [either]. Train enough and hard enough so that you can make it to the next day.
Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t train so hard that you need a month to recover.

Hold Your Opponent Down For Pressure And Dominant Control With Tristar MMA Head Trainer Firas Zahabi’s Series On How To Shut Down Escapes And Always Stay Ahead Of Your Opponent

• Hold dominant position as long as possible as Coach Zahabi explains how to stop common regarding and escaping tactics and turn them into your own offense.
• Upgrade position with back takes, moves to the crucifix, mounting, and more.