Open Mat Jiu Jitsu Lake St. Louis, MO

Open Mat Jiu Jitsu near Lake St. Louis, MO. Experienced Brazilian jiu jitsu players in Lake St. Louis, MO shouldn’t limit their time practicing martial arts to classes or competition. Time spent testing out new techniques, situational and positional drills, and live sparring greatly benefits not only your ability as a martial artist, but also your enjoyment of jiu jitsu and wellness. It’s also a great way to build relationships with other BJJ players and help them along their martial arts journey, as well.

At Gracie Barra O’Fallon, our mission has always been to make Brazilian jiu jitsu accessible and rewarding to all Lake St. Louis, MO residents who practice it. In addition to our full schedule of jiu jitsu classes for all ages and abilities, we offer multiple open mat sessions every week for adult Gracie Barra BJJ players at the blue belt level or above in Lake St. Louis, MO looking to drop in, roll with other grapplers, and improve their skills in an enjoyable, unstructured setting. Conveniently located off Interstate 64 and Highway 364, our O’Fallon Brazilian jiu jitsu gym is easy to access for Lake St. Louis, MO BJJ players who want to better themselves. Check our schedule for weekly dates and times, or give us a call at 636-544-3655 for more information about Lake St. Louis, MO open mat jiu jitsu sessions at Gracie Barra O’Fallon.

Why Come To Open Mat Jiu Jitsu?

Since the beginnings of recorded martial arts, it has been regarded that structured drills and practice under a trainer, while important, are only one element in becoming a fully-skilled martial artist in Lake St. Louis, MO. Different martial arts have unique terms for free sparring or practice of new skills. Judo, for example, refers to these sessions as randori, karate practitioners often speak of kumite, while in Brazilian jiu jitsu the sparring at open mat sessions is named rolling.

The benefits of open mat jiu jitsu sessions in Lake St. Louis, MO are diverse, and include:

• Getting to experiment with new moves you may have seen while watching MMA or submission grappling matches, in instructional videos, or done by higher-ranking belts
• Allowing other Lake St. Louis Gracie Barra students to better their skills alongside yourself
• Receiving feedback from higher-ranking students about your skills
• Preparing for competitions
• Meeting other jiu-jitsu students and getting to know them in and out of the gym
• No two sessions are alike — one week could allow you to focus on situational grappling or work from mount, while another week may have a black belt from a Gracie Barra gym in another city in Lake St. Louis for a few days and wanting to roll

What To Expect At An Open Mat Jiu Jitsu Session

Coming to an open mat jiu jitsu session may seem fairly intimidating, especially if you’re a newly-promoted student or someone only in Lake St. Louis for a few days and not a regular at one particular Gracie Barra gym. However, most open mats are friendly and accessible. Remember this advice when heading to open mat jiu jitsu in Lake St. Louis, MO:

• Expect to roll. Many people at any given open mat are there to get serious grappling time in. There will usually be some small-group drilling or instructional sessions, but one-on-one grappling is most common.
• Don’t forget the benefits of drilling. Even with so many people at open mat focusing on rolling, being able to work with another person on guard passes or moves from guard pays dividends, especially for less experienced grapplers.
• Don’t be afraid of rolling with a senior grappler. Even if you are a blue belt and get asked to spar with a black belt, go on ahead. You’ll be stunned at what you can learn from one-on-one sparring or drilling with a more experienced BJJ player.
• Use your time wisely. Especially if you are readying yourself for an upcoming BJJ tournament or other competition, simply coming to an open mat to roll is not the most intelligent decision. Situational drills, takedown practice, and improving your guard passes are all important things you can do at open mat.
• Adjust what you’re doing based on your partner. It’s good practice not only for higher level belts to roll with many of the younger students at an open mat, but also to use that time for good purposes. Higher belts should look to practice newer skills or experiment with various techniques against lower belts, mastering those skills, and then try them out against equally skilled or superior partners.
• Have fun and enjoy the atmosphere! Open mat is an ideal place to meet other Gracie Barra martial artists, talk about BJJ, MMA, or anything else, and improve your skills in a loose setting. It’s not uncommon for a group of people to go out and grab a bite to eat or a few beverages after an open mat session to continue that team spirit and friendship.

Open Mat Jiu Jitsu in Lake St. Louis, MO | Gracie Barra O’Fallon

Gracie Barra O’Fallon strives to offer the best in Lake St. Louis martial arts instruction as well as fellowship and camaraderie, regardless of your experience or current skill level. In addition to Brazilian jiu jitsu, we offer Lake St. Louis, MO kickboxing and self-defense classes, as well as Barra Fit, which combines high-intensity interval training with martial arts fundamentals.

Since Carlos Gracie, Jr. started the first Gracie Barra gym more than three decades ago in Rio de Janeiro, the Gracie Barra philosophy has always been to make Brazilian jiu jitsu available to anyone who wants to learn it, as well as teaching them positive values like self-respect, discipline, and honor. Gracie Barra O’Fallon has brought this mission to many people from all around Lake St. Louis, MO, supporting the new student while building the veteran. Our Lake St. Louis, MO open mat jiu jitsu sessions are designed for experienced Brazilian jiu jitsu players who are looking to grow their mastery of martial arts, and as such they are open only to Gracie Barra BJJ practitioners at the blue belt level or above. If you are interested in stopping by for a Lake St. Louis, MO open mat jiu jitsu session at Gracie Barra O’Fallon, or for more information on any one of our programs, call us at 636-544-3655 or contact us online.