B-Team Jiu-Jitsu ( now renamed Simple Man BJJ) has become one of the most successful and innovative teams in the sport today.

With standout performances at events like ADCC and the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), many fans have wondered what exactly makes the Austin-based team so effective on the competition stage.

According to B-Team’s former coach Dima Murovanni, one major factor behind their success is something most grapplers barely think about:

Heart rate training.

Instead of treating conditioning like traditional cardio, B-Team uses heart rate zones to develop grappling skills more efficiently.

Three Heart Rate Zones For Skill Development

Murovanni explains that their training system divides sparring and drilling into three main heart rate zones.

Each zone serves a different purpose in developing technical ability.

Low Heart Rate Zone

This zone focuses on technical development and precision.

Training here means working at a relaxed pace while maintaining full awareness of positioning and timing.

Murovanni explains that this is where athletes can actually learn and refine technique.

“When the heart rate is low, you can think more clearly.”

In this state, athletes are able to:

• analyze positions

• experiment with techniques

• correct mistakes

• build efficient movement patterns

Essentially, this is where the technical foundation is built.

Medium Heart Rate Zone

The medium zone introduces real resistance and problem solving.

Here, athletes start applying techniques under moderate pressure while still maintaining control.

This zone simulates competitive grappling pace, but without the chaos of full-intensity rolls.

In this phase, athletes begin developing:

• timing

• adaptability

• tactical awareness

It bridges the gap between drilling and full sparring.

High Heart Rate Zone

The final zone represents competition intensity.

This is where grapplers push the pace and train under stress.

At this heart rate level, athletes learn how to execute techniques when fatigue and pressure kick in.

However, Murovanni stresses that this zone should not dominate training.

Too many academies operate almost entirely in this zone, which leads to sloppy technique and burnout.

Breathing: The Hidden Skill In Grappling

Another major component of B-Team’s system is breathing control.

Murovanni explains that athletes can dramatically influence their heart rate simply by changing how they breathe.

By controlling breathing patterns during grappling exchanges, athletes can prevent their heart rate from spiraling out of control.

This allows them to:

• conserve energy

• stay mentally calm

• maintain technical precision

In other words, breathing becomes a skill just like guard passing or submissions.

Why Nasal Breathing Matters

A key technique emphasized in the system is nasal breathing.

Instead of gasping through the mouth, athletes are encouraged to breathe through the nose whenever possible.

This approach helps:

• regulate heart rate

• improve oxygen efficiency

• maintain composure during exchanges

According to Murovanni, athletes who rely on mouth breathing often enter a panic-style energy expenditure, which quickly leads to fatigue.

The Problem With Traditional Cardio Training

Most grapplers train conditioning in a very traditional way:

• running

• high-intensity circuits

• endless rounds of sparring

But Murovanni argues this approach often doesn’t translate well to grappling performance.

Traditional cardio zones focus primarily on improving aerobic capacity.

B-Team’s system instead focuses on how the heart rate affects skill execution during grappling.

In other words:

It’s not just about being fit.

It’s about being able to perform technically while your heart rate changes.

Avoiding The “Comfort Zone”

One interesting concept Murovanni highlights is avoiding what he calls the heart rate comfort zone.

Many grapplers unknowingly train at the same moderate intensity all the time.

This creates a plateau where athletes neither develop deep technical skill nor real competition intensity.

Instead, B-Team intentionally shifts training between zones:

• very relaxed learning

• controlled pressure

• full competitive intensity

This variation allows athletes to improve faster.

Tracking Heart Rate During Training

To implement the system properly, many athletes track their heart rate during training sessions.

This gives immediate feedback about how hard they are actually working.

It also helps coaches structure rounds to ensure athletes are operating in the intended zone.

For example:

• technical drilling rounds stay in low zones

• situational sparring may enter medium zones

• competition simulations hit high zones

This level of structure helps prevent the common BJJ problem of every training session turning into a war.

A Smarter Way To Train For Grappling

What makes this system interesting is that it shifts the focus from “train harder” to “train smarter.”

Instead of grinding through endless high-intensity rounds, B-Team athletes deliberately control their physiological state during training.

This allows them to:

• learn techniques faster

• recover better

• maintain consistency

• peak at the right time for competition

Considering the results the team has achieved in major events like ADCC and the Craig Jones Invitational, it’s clear that their approach is working.

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