If you train BJJ regularly without stretching, your hips will tighten up, your guard game will suffer, and your injury risk goes up. I learned this the hard way after my first year of training, when my closed guard felt like a vice grip on nothing because my hips had zero range of motion.
A solid stretching routine fixes that. Below I cover the best types of stretching for BJJ, my favorite mobility program, and specific stretches for both beginners and advanced grapplers.
The importance of flexibility and mobility for BJJ
Flexibility is your passive range of motion – how far a joint can stretch. Mobility is your ability to actively control movement through that range. In BJJ, you need both. Flexibility lets you recover guard when someone stacks you. Mobility lets you move your hips explosively for sweeps and escapes. Without dedicated stretching work, most grapplers develop tight hips and a stiff lower back within their first year of training.
Which type of stretching is best for BJJ?
Different types of stretching serve different purposes in your BJJ training. Most grapplers benefit from using a mix of these methods:
- Dynamic stretching: Active movements that warm up BJJ-specific muscle groups before training. Do these before rolling: leg swings (front-to-back and side-to-side), hip circles, arm circles, and granby roll drills. 10-15 reps per movement is plenty. Skip static stretching before training – save that for after.
- Static stretching: Holding a stretch for 30-60 seconds. Do this after training or on rest days, never before rolling. Focus on hip flexors, hamstrings, and the piriformis (deep glute muscle). For long-term flexibility gains, hold each stretch for 60 seconds minimum and do 3-4 sets per muscle group.
- PNF stretching: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching is a type of stretching that involves contracting the muscle being stretched, followed by a passive stretch. PNF stretching is an effective method for improving flexibility and can be performed with a partner or with the use of resistance bands.
- Yoga: Combines sustained stretching with body awareness and controlled breathing. Yoga builds the kind of flexibility that translates directly to BJJ – hip openers for guard work, spinal twists for frames and escapes, and shoulder mobility for grip fighting. Many top competitors like Rickson Gracie have credited yoga as part of their training.
My favorite mobility routine for BJJ: Yoga for BJJ
Yoga for BJJ is a specialized program that combines the principles of yoga with the demands of BJJ. This program is designed specifically for BJJ practitioners and is an effective solution for improving flexibility, mobility, and overall performance in the sport.
The classes include sequences specifically built for grapplers: hip opener flows for guard players, thoracic spine mobility for people who play a lot of bottom side control, and shoulder rehab sequences for gi fighters. Sessions run 20-45 minutes, so they fit easily after a training session.
What sets Yoga for BJJ apart from generic yoga classes is the BJJ-specific programming. Sessions target the exact areas grapplers struggle with most: tight hip flexors from closed guard, stiff thoracic spine from playing bottom, and locked-up shoulders from frame fighting. If you’re dealing with chronic tightness or minor injuries from training, this is worth trying.
The 5 best jiu jitsu stretches for beginners
These five stretches target the muscle groups that take the biggest beating in BJJ training. If you’re new to BJJ, start with these and hold each position for 30-60 seconds per side:
- Hamstring stretch: Tight hamstrings limit your ability to close your guard and throw up triangles. Sit on the floor with both legs extended. Reach forward toward your toes and hold for 30-60 seconds. Keep your back straight rather than rounding – you should feel the stretch behind your knees, not in your lower back.
- Butterfly stretch: This directly mirrors open guard positions like butterfly guard. Sit with the soles of your feet together and use your elbows to gently press your knees toward the floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds. If your knees are more than a foot off the ground, this stretch should be your top priority.
- Lizard pose: A deep hip flexor opener that helps with guard retention and re-guarding after someone passes. Start in a push-up position and step one foot to the outside of your hand. Sink your hips down and hold for 30-60 seconds per side. For a deeper stretch, drop to your forearms.
- Figure four stretch: Targets the piriformis and deep hip rotators that get overworked during closed guard work. Lie on your back with both knees bent. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee and pull the bottom leg toward your chest. Hold for 30-60 seconds per side. This is also a great stretch for anyone dealing with lower back tightness from training.
- Pigeon pose: The single best stretch for overall hip flexibility in BJJ. From a push-up position, bring one knee forward and place it behind your wrist with your shin angled across your body. Sink your hips toward the floor and hold for 60 seconds per side. If this is too intense, use the figure four stretch above as a regression.
These 5 exercises aren’t a substitute for a full mobility routine, but they’re a great start.
Also read: Top 5 Best BJJ Instructionals for Beginners & White Belts
The best BJJ mobility routine (advanced)
As you get better at jiu jitsu you’ll naturally get more agile and dexterous, and you might want to challenge yourself more. So if you’re a more advanced BJJ practitioner you can use this mobility routine. Lachlan Giles explains it in the video below.
Is the 10th planet stretching routine dangerous?
A friend of mine who trains at 10th Planet started to do the 10th planet stretching routine religiously every day, until he tore his own MCL (whilst attempting the buggy choke during sparring).
He says he’s sure that this happens because he stretched way too much and too hard in the period leading up to that. So although work ethic is important, please remember that you can also stretch too much!
Does BJJ make you flexible?
BJJ will improve your flexibility in some areas, but it won’t make you flexible on its own. You’ll develop decent hip mobility from playing guard and solid grip strength from collar and sleeve fighting. But BJJ also creates imbalances: most grapplers end up with tight hip flexors, rounded shoulders, and a stiff thoracic spine from spending so much time in forward-flexion positions.
That’s why dedicated stretching matters. Focus on hip flexors, hamstrings, and thoracic spine rotation. If you train 3-4 times per week, adding 15-20 minutes of stretching after each session makes a noticeable difference within a month. Your guard will feel more fluid, passing will be less taxing on your hips, and your lower back will thank you.
Also read: The 15 Life Changing benefits of jiu jitsu
