Open Mat Jiu Jitsu Wentzville, MO

Open Mat Jiu Jitsu near Wentzville, MO. Good Brazilian jiu jitsu players in Wentzville, MO shouldn’t limit their time practicing martial arts to competition or classes. Time spent trying out new submissions, situational and positional drills, and live sparring greatly increases not only your ability as a martial artist, but also your personal health and enjoyment of jiu jitsu. It’s also an excellent way to build relationships with other BJJ players and help them become better jiu jitsu players, too.

At Gracie Barra O’Fallon, our mission has always been to make Brazilian jiu jitsu accessible and rewarding to all Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO looking to drop in, roll with other grapplers, and practice 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 Wentzville, 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 Wentzville, MO open mat jiu jitsu sessions at Gracie Barra O’Fallon.

Why Come To Open Mat Jiu Jitsu?

Since martial arts have been established, it has been well known that structured drills and practice under a professor, while important, are simply not enough to become a well-rounded martial artist in Wentzville, MO. Different martial arts have different 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 called rolling.

The benefits of open mat jiu jitsu sessions in Wentzville, MO are many, 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 Wentzville Gracie Barra students to better their skills alongside yourself
• Receiving feedback from higher-ranking students about your skills
• Getting ready for competitions
• Meeting other jiu-jitsu players 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 mount, while another week may have a black belt from a Gracie Barra gym in another city in Wentzville 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 rather intimidating, especially if you’re a newly-promoted student or someone only in Wentzville for a short period of time 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 Wentzville, 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 most common.
• Don’t forget the importance of drilling. Even with most people at open mat focusing on rolling, being able to work with a partner on guard passes or moves from mount pays dividends, especially for those with less experience.
• Don’t be afraid of rolling with a higher level belt. Even if you are a blue belt and get asked to roll with a black belt, don’t hesitate to do it. You’ll be shocked at what you can expect from one-on-one sparring or drilling with a more experienced BJJ player.
• Use your time wisely. Especially if you are preparing for an upcoming BJJ tournament or other competition, just coming to an open mat to roll is not the best decision. Takedown drills, working on guard passes, and situational exercises are all important things you can do at open mat.
• Adjust what you’re doing based on your partner. It’s a good idea 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 the right purposes. Higher belts should look to practice newer skills or experiment with unusual 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 a great opportunity to hang out with other Gracie Barra martial artists, talk about anything relating to Brazilian jiu jitsu, MMA, or indeed other topics, and improve your skills in a unstructured setting. It’s fairly common 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 Wentzville, MO | Gracie Barra O’Fallon

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

Since Carlos Gracie, Jr. started the first Gracie Barra gym more than 30 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, the Gracie Barra philosophy has always been to make Brazilian jiu jitsu accessible to anyone who wants to learn it, as well as teaching them positive values like honor, respect for others, and discipline. Gracie Barra O’Fallon has brought this mission to many people from all around Wentzville, MO, nurturing the new student while building the veteran. Our Wentzville, MO open mat jiu jitsu sessions are made for committed Brazilian jiu jitsu players who are seeking to further their martial arts abilities, 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 Wentzville, 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.