BJJ solo drills are movement patterns you can practice alone, such as shrimping, bridging, technical stand-ups, sprawls and leg circles. They build the hip mobility, core control and body awareness jiu-jitsu demands, so class techniques feel easier. Ten to twenty minutes a few times a week, on a soft surface, is enough for beginners.
I’ve trained seven martial arts over more than 20 years, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which I trained as a student rather than taught. As a NASM corrective exercise and performance enhancement specialist, I care about how these drills load your hips, neck and lower back, so this guide keeps every move beginner friendly.
- Solo drills train movement, not fighting. They teach your body the escapes and transitions that show up in every class.
- Shrimping and bridging come first. These two drills power most escapes from the bottom.
- Smooth beats fast. Slow, controlled reps build better habits than racing through a circuit.
- You need almost no equipment. A yoga mat or carpet and a little floor space will do.
- Solo work supports class; it does not replace it. Timing and pressure only come from training with real partners.
Jump to a sectionIn this article11 sections
- Can You Train BJJ at Home?
- The 10 Best BJJ Solo Drills for Beginners
- How the BJJ Solo Drills List Fits Together
- BJJ Guard Drills You Can Do Alone
- BJJ Solo Flow Drills
- Grappling Dummy: Optional, Not Required
- How to Train BJJ by Yourself Safely
- BJJ Stretches for Beginners
- Your This-Week Plan
- Quick Questions
- The Bottom Line
Can You Train BJJ at Home?
You can train part of BJJ at home. You cannot learn to apply techniques against a resisting person alone, but you can make the movement side of the art feel natural, which frees your attention in class for details and timing.
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Think of solo drills as the jiu-jitsu version of a runner doing strides. They are not the game itself, but they make the game smoother. If you are in your first weeks, my guide to your first month of BJJ explains how these drills fit into early training.
The 10 Best BJJ Solo Drills for Beginners
These are the classic BJJ solo drills most academies use in warm-ups. Do each one slowly before adding speed.
1. Shrimping (Hip Escape)
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Push off one foot, turn onto your side and drive your hips back away from an imaginary partner, while your arms frame in front of you. Square back up and repeat to the other side, traveling down the mat.
Shrimping is the foundation of escaping from side control and mount, and of recovering guard.
2. Bridging (Upa)
Lie on your back with feet close to your hips. Drive your hips straight up and slightly over one shoulder, looking toward that side, then lower slowly. Alternate sides.
Push through your feet, not your neck. Your weight should rest on your upper back and shoulders, never on your head.
3. Technical Stand-Up
Sit on the floor with one hand posted behind you and the opposite foot planted. Lift your hips, swing the straight leg back underneath you, and stand up into a balanced stance with your free hand guarding your face.
This is one of the most useful self-defense skills in BJJ, because it gets you up safely while protecting your head.
4. Sprawl
From standing, drop your hands to the floor and shoot your legs back, landing with hips low and chest heavy. Bring your feet back under you and stand. Beginners can step back instead of jumping.
5. Forward and Backward Rolls
Shoulder rolls teach you to move over your shoulder rather than your neck. Learn them from a coach first, and only practice on a padded surface. My guide on how to fall safely explains the basic breakfall that pairs with them.
6. Granby Roll (Beginner Version)
The granby roll is a shoulder roll used to recover guard. Beginners should only practice a partial version: from your back, walk your shoulders in a small circle while keeping your weight off your neck. Skip it entirely if you have any neck history.
7. Leg Circles
On your back, lift your legs and draw circles in the air in both directions, as if keeping a partner in front of you. This builds the hip flexor and core endurance for guard retention.
8. Sit-Outs
From a hands-and-knees position, kick one leg through underneath your body toward the opposite side and turn your hips, then return. It trains the hip turn used in many scrambles.
9. Hip Switches
Sit on the floor, hands posted behind you, and switch which hip faces the ceiling, sliding the legs through. Keep the movement light and quick.
10. Bear Crawl and Crab Walk
Crawling forward on hands and feet, then walking backward in a crab position, builds shoulder and wrist strength for posting and framing.
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Read My Honest Review →How the BJJ Solo Drills List Fits Together
| Drill | Focus | Where You Use It in Class |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | Hips | Escaping side control and mount, recovering guard |
| Bridge | Hips | Bumping a partner off mount before escaping |
| Stand-up | Base | Getting to your feet safely from the ground |
| Sprawl | Defense | Stopping a takedown attempt |
| Rolls | Falling | Moving over the shoulder, not the neck |
| Leg circles | Guard | Keeping a partner in front of your legs |
| Sit-out | Hips | Turning out of a front headlock or scramble |
Notice that most drills train the hips. In jiu-jitsu, the hips do the heavy lifting.
BJJ Guard Drills You Can Do Alone
Guard is where you fight from your back with your legs. Three solo guard drills help beginners most.
- Guard retention circles. On your back, rotate on your upper back in a circle using your feet and hips to turn, keeping your knees pointed at an imaginary partner.
- Hip-ups. From your back with one foot planted, lift your hips and reach one arm across as if setting up a sweep. This mimics the motion of the hip bump sweep from closed guard.
- Inverted leg swings. Advanced students invert over their shoulders; beginners should stick to swinging legs side to side while keeping weight on the upper back.
BJJ Solo Flow Drills
Once single drills feel easy, link them together into a slow, continuous flow. Here is a simple one.
- Start on your back. Shrimp twice to the left and twice to the right.
- Bridge to each side. Then shrimp once more, building your frame.
- Come up on an elbow. Post a hand and perform a technical stand-up.
- Sprawl. Step or kick back, then stand again.
- Return to the floor slowly. Sit down, roll back, and begin again.
Run the flow for two minutes, rest one, and repeat three times. Breathe through your nose if you can, which helps you stay relaxed in live rolling.
Grappling Dummy: Optional, Not Required
A grappling dummy is a weighted, human-shaped bag. It can be useful for practicing passing motions, mount transitions and positional movement.
It is not essential for beginners. Most of the value at this stage comes from moving your own body well. If you do buy one, choose a weight you can move safely, often lighter than you expect, and never use a dummy to practice joint locks with force. Those still need a coach and partner.
How to Train BJJ by Yourself Safely
Solo drills are low risk, but a few habits keep them that way.
- Use a soft surface. A yoga mat, carpet or puzzle mats protect your spine and shoulders.
- Warm up first. Five minutes of marching, arm circles and easy squats prepare your joints.
- Protect your neck. Never take weight on your head in bridges or rolls.
- Stop if anything pinches. Sharp pain in your neck, lower back or knees is a signal to stop and get it checked.
- Keep it short. Ten to twenty minutes is plenty, especially on days you train in class.
For more general home training, my martial arts drills at home guide covers striking and footwork too.
BJJ Stretches for Beginners
Finish each solo session with three easy stretches that target the areas jiu-jitsu loads most.
- Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch. Tuck your tailbone and shift forward gently for 30 seconds each side.
- Figure four stretch. On your back, cross one ankle over the opposite knee and pull the thigh in for 30 seconds each side.
- Child’s pose with side reach. Walk your hands to one side to open the lats and upper back, 20 seconds each way.
Your This-Week Plan
- Day 1: Practice shrimping and bridging, three sets of ten each side.
- Day 2: Add technical stand-ups and sprawls, two sets of eight each.
- Day 4: Run the full 10-drill circuit once, 30 seconds per drill with 30 seconds of rest.
- Day 6: Try the solo flow for three rounds of two minutes.
- This weekend: Take what felt awkward to class and ask your coach for feedback.
Quick Questions
How Often Should I Do BJJ Solo Drills?
Two to four short sessions a week works well for most beginners. Ten to twenty minutes is enough, and you can use them as a warm-up before class.
Can Solo Drills Replace BJJ Classes?
No. They build movement and conditioning, but timing, pressure and technique details only come from training with a coach and real partners.
What Are the Most Important BJJ Solo Drills for Beginners?
Shrimping, bridging and the technical stand-up. They cover escaping from the bottom and getting back to your feet, which matter more than anything else in your first months.
Do I Need a Grappling Dummy?
Not as a beginner. Bodyweight drills give you most of the benefit. A dummy can help later for passing and transition practice, but it is optional.
More from this series: start with my martial arts for beginners guide for the whole cluster, and see BJJ basics for beginners for the positions these drills support.
The Bottom Line
BJJ solo drills are an easy way to make class feel smoother. Shrimp, bridge and stand up often, link them into a slow flow, protect your neck, and bring your questions back to the mat.
I’m a certified personal trainer and martial artist, not a physician or physical therapist, and this article is for general education. If you have neck, back, hip or knee problems, a recent injury, or another health concern, check with your doctor or physical therapist before starting these drills.
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