Open Mat Jiu Jitsu Saint Peters, MO

Open Mat Jiu Jitsu near Saint Peters, MO. Experienced Brazilian jiu jitsu players in Saint Peters, MO shouldn’t limit their time practicing martial arts to classes or competition. Time spent trying out new submissions, situational and positional drills, and live rolling greatly benefits not only your ability as a martial artist, but also your enjoyment of jiu jitsu and personal fitness. It’s also a great way to meet new friends and help them become better jiu jitsu players, as well.

At Gracie Barra O’Fallon, our mission has always been to make Brazilian jiu jitsu accessible and rewarding to all Saint Peters, MO residents interested in 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 Saint Peters, MO looking to come in, roll with other grapplers, and improve their skills in an unstructured, enjoyable setting. Conveniently located off Interstate 64 and Highway 364, our O’Fallon Brazilian jiu jitsu gym is easily accessible for Saint Peters, MO BJJ players who want to better themselves. View our schedule for weekly dates and times, or give us a call at 636-544-3655 for more details about Saint Peters, 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 professor, while important, are only one element in becoming a well-rounded martial arts practitioner in Saint Peters, MO. Different martial arts have their own terms for free sparring or practice of new skills. Judo, for example, calls these sessions randori, karatekas often talk about kumite, while in Brazilian jiu jitsu the sparring at open mat sessions is named rolling.

The benefits of open mat jiu jitsu sessions in Saint Peters, 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 seen performed by higher-ranking students
• Allowing other Saint Peters Gracie Barra students to improve their abilities along with you
• Getting tips from higher-ranking students about your technique
• Getting ready for competitions
• Meeting other jiu-jitsu students and getting to know them in and out of the gym
• Every session is different — one week could allow you to focus on situational grappling or work from guard, while another week may have a black belt from a Gracie Barra gym in another city in Saint Peters 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 quite scary, especially if you’ve just been promoted to a new belt level or someone only visiting Saint Peters for a few days and not a regular at one particular Gracie Barra gym. However, most open mats are welcoming and accessible. Remember this advice when heading to open mat jiu jitsu in Saint Peters, MO:

• Expect to roll. Most 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 the rule.
• Don’t forget the importance of drilling. Even with so many people at open mat wanting to roll, being able to work with a partner 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 roll with a black belt, go ahead and do it. You’ll be surprised 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, just coming to an open mat to roll is not the smartest decision. Situational drills, takedown practice, and improving your guard passes are all important things you can do at open mat.
• Change what you’re doing based on your partner. It’s good practice not only for higher level belts to roll with many of the newer students at an open mat, but also to use that time for good purposes. Higher belts should look to practice newly-acquired skills or experiment with different techniques against lower belts, mastering those skills, and then put them to use against equally skilled or superior partners.
• Have fun and enjoy the atmosphere! Open mat is an ideal place to hang out with other Gracie Barra martial artists, talk about MMA, grappling, or any other topic, and improve your skills in a unstructured setting. It’s fairly common for a group of people to go out and grab something to eat or a drink after an open mat session to build camaraderie and team spirit.

Open Mat Jiu Jitsu in Saint Peters, MO | Gracie Barra O’Fallon

Gracie Barra O’Fallon strives to offer the best in Saint Peters martial arts training as well as team spirit and friendship, regardless of your experience or current skill level. As well as Brazilian jiu jitsu, we offer Saint Peters, MO kickboxing and self-defense classes, as well as Barra Fit, which merges high-intensity interval training with martial arts basics.

Since Carlos Gracie, Jr. started the first Gracie Barra gym more than 30 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, the Gracie Barra mission has always been to make Brazilian jiu jitsu accessible to anyone who wants to learn it, as well as instilling positive values like honor, respect for others, and discipline. Gracie Barra O’Fallon has brought this mission to many people from all around Saint Peters, MO, nurturing the new student while improving the veteran. Our Saint Peters, MO open mat jiu jitsu sessions are made for serious Brazilian jiu jitsu players who are seeking 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 think about stopping by for a Saint Peters, MO open mat jiu jitsu session at Gracie Barra O’Fallon, or for more details on any one of our programs, call us at 636-544-3655 or contact us online.