Ask any seasoned whitebelt about their favorite part of BJJ, and they’ll likely chirp, “The drilling!” Ask a fresh purplebelt, and they might wax poetic about a specific technique or the intricacies of the leg lock game, but ask a bluebelt, that pragmatic, often weary creature perched between the initial “Aha!” moments of whitebelt and the growing tactical complexity of purplebelt and the answer you receive might be much more… grounded.
For the average bluebelt, warmups are a bit of tedium. We understand their necessity, sure. We know they get the blood flowing, lubricate the joints, and prime the muscle memory. We’ve all felt the difference between a warm roll and a cold one, and the difference is generally “functioning human being” vs. “stiff-legged geriatric turtle.”
Yet, that doesn’t stop us from developing preferences. And, perhaps more importantly, dispreferences. Because let’s be honest, while some warmup drills feel logical and beneficial, others feel like a special form of penance designed solely to sap our energy before the main event.
This is not a scientific study. This is an anecdotal, highly subjective (and probably slightly whiny) exploration into the specific exercises that make bluebelts everywhere collectively groan. Based on exhaustive conversations on mats and in locker rooms, we’ve compiled and ranked the top 6 warmups we most hate.
Let the grumbling commence.
6. Shrimping (The Ol’ Reliable)
Why We Do It: This is fundamental BJJ mobility. It’s essential for creating space, escaping bad positions, and generally not getting crushed. It’s also often the very first drill taught to white belts.
Why We (begrudgingly) Accept It: It’s relatively low impact. It doesn’t require a partner. While it’s repetitive, it’s also over relatively quickly. It’s the broccoli of BJJ warmups, we know it’s good for us, even if we don’t crave it. We’ve been doing it since day one, and by bluebelt, it’s mostly just muscle memory. We can zone out and do it, which is the best kind of tedious.
The Grumble Factor: Low. Mostly just a feeling of “we still have to do this?”
5. Duck Walks
Why We Do It: This drill is supposed to build explosive hip drive and mimic the leg-power needed to secure takedowns (especially singles and doubles).
Why We Dislike It: Have you ever seen a duck walk? They’re adorable. Now, picture an adult human in a gi, trying to waddle across the mat. It’s not cute. It’s a thigh-burning nightmare that makes you feel ridiculous. It places an immense amount of strain on the knees and hips in an awkwardly loaded position. By the third length of the mat, your quads are screaming, your ego is bruised, and you’re questioning your life choices.
The Grumble Factor: Medium. The physical discomfort is significant, but it feels slightly more “relevant” than some other drills, even if we feel goofy doing it.
4. Partner Drills: “The Human Pretzel” (Specific Drills Vary)
Why We Do It: This category is broad, but it includes drills like alternating butterfly guard sweeps, partner leg drags across the length of the mat, or the dreaded “human log roll.” The idea is to develop dynamic movement, timing, and coordinate with another person.
Why We (really) Dislike It: The effectiveness of this entire section hinges entirely on the competence and enthusiasm of your partner. Are you paired with a white belt who’s treating this like a life-or-death struggle? Enjoy your unintentional pre-roll. Are you with a lethargic purplebelt who’s basically just a heavy, unmoving sack? Enjoy a solo strength-training session while they nap. The frustration factor is immense. Furthermore, these drills often turn into a clumsy, tangled mess that feels less like technical training and more like a poorly choreographed wrestling match.
The Grumble Factor: High-Medium. This is less about the drill itself and more about the variability and common lack of flow.
3. Leopard Crawls
Why We Do It: Similar to duck walks, this is meant to build low-to-the-ground power and coordination. It forces you to stay dynamic while moving close to the mat.
Why We Loathe It: Take the thigh burn of duck walks, add upper-body exhaustion, and sprinkle in a general feeling of complete and utter full-body failure. This isn’t just a leg drill, it’s a full-on cardio and strength test. By the time you crawl the length of the gym, your arms are shaking, your chest is on fire, and your legs feel like they’ve been filled with lead. It saps your strength instantly, leaving you gasping before you’ve even touched another human being.
The Grumble Factor: High.
2. High Knees / Butt Kicks (aka “The Gym Class Hero”)
Why We Do It: To get the heart rate up. Cardio. That’s it. It’s a general athletic warmup.
Why This Makes Us Die A Little Inside: We are not here to run track. We are here to grapple. This drill feels entirely disconnected from the martial art we’re practicing. It feels like an antiquated relic from middle school P.E. that somehow found its way onto the BJJ mat. Worse, it’s just boring. It’s repetitive, it offers no technical carryover, and it just highlights how much we’d rather be doing anything else. Every high knee is a step further from the actual rolling we crave.
The Grumble Factor: Very High. The sheer lack of relevance, combined with the tedium, makes this a major irritant.
1. Sprawls / Burpees (The Absolute Worst)
Why We Do It: This is defensive takedown training. It develops explosive hips and the ability to stuff shots. It’s also an incredibly efficient way to spike your heart rate and build intense conditioning.
Why We Would Rather Fight A Cactus: We understand the technical why. What we can’t accept is the how. Sprawls are just burpees with a fancy name. They are a soul-crushing exercise designed to leave you winded, your lower back screaming, and your will to live severely compromised. The moment the instructor shouts “SPRAWLS!” a collective silent prayer for mercy goes up from every blue belt present. It’s a maximal effort exercise that feels less like a warmup and more like a punishment for arriving at the gym. We are fully aware of our takedown defense weaknesses, thank you very much, we don’t need a reminder that leaves us tasting copper.
The Grumble Factor: Maximum. The combination of intense physical suffering, technical exhaustion, and the high-energy output required makes this the undisputed champion of hated warmup drills.
The Blue Belt’s Plea: Let My People Roll!
So, what is the ideal, mythical warmup that blue belts everywhere dream of? What activity would satisfy our desire to get warm, get loose, and actually start training?
The answer is simple, obvious, and universally desired, Flow Rolling (Positionals).
Skip the butt kicks. Forget the leopard crawls. Put down the burpees.
Give us five to ten minutes of low-intensity, light-resistance rolling from specific, disadvantaged positions. Start in mount. Start in side control. Start in the back. The goal isn’t a submission, the goal is continuous, intelligent movement.
Why does this work?
- It’s Specific: We are actually doing BJJ. This directly prepares us for live rolling. We are practicing movement patterns, defenses, and escapes that are immediately relevant to the art.
- It’s Technical: It forces us to problem-solve and use our technique, rather than just using raw athletic attributes. We have to think about our hip movement, our frames, and our base, but at a speed where we can actually process what’s happening.
- It’s Engaging: We are interacting with another human. This immediately makes the process more dynamic, more fun, and less like a tedious chore.
- It Gets Us Warm (Intelligently): A good flow roll increases heart rate and blood flow just as effectively as high knees, but it does so in a way that respects the energy systems we’ll be using for the rest of class. We get loose, but we don’t start the main drilling session already pre-exhausted.
So, to all the instructors out there who are kindly searching for ways to make class more engaging: next time you’re about to call out “SPRAWLS!”, consider, just for a moment, a different path. Try starting us off with some positional flow rolling. Your class will be happier, warmer, and we promise, we’ll still get our butts kicked during live rolling. We’d just prefer to arrive there with our quads and dignity intact.
