Jonathan “JT” Torres – a 2x ADCC and an IBJJF World Champion, as well as the owner of the Essential Jiu-Jitsu academy – is, among other things, known for his exceptional grip strength.
And how did Torres develop his grip? It was through rope climbing.
He explained it all in an interview for BJJEE:
A lot of people say that my grip strength is very strong, and for that I give all the credit to my dad (laughs).
When I was in my teenage years, around 15 or 16 years old, he was living in an apartment in which he took a rope and attached it to the ceiling.The ceiling wasn’t very high, but I’d climb that rope all the time. I would start off my butt, climb all the way up, go all the way down until my butt hit the floor – and then I’d climb all the way up again.
It was a thin rope, which made things even more difficult:
It wasn’t a really thick rope, but a thin one. I think that climbing on a thicker rope is actually easier, because on a thin rope you really have to squeeze your hands tight so you don’t slip down.
So, that rope in my dad’s apartment – which is still hanging till this day – is something that has definitely helped my grip strength to become what it is today.
And that is exactly what I’d recommend to someone looking to build their grip strength; climb rope. I don’t think that there’s anything better than climbing rope, in my opinion.
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