The fastest improvements in Jiu-Jitsu come from mastering a few “champion habits” and drilling them with purpose.



Jiu-Jitsu has exploded worldwide, and it is not just because it looks exciting on highlight reels. With millions of practitioners globally and hundreds of thousands in the US, more adults are realizing that grappling is one of the most efficient ways to build athleticism, confidence, and sharp decision-making all at once. We see it every week: people show up for fitness, stay for the skill, and keep coming back because the learning never really ends.

What separates “I train” from “I’m getting better” is how you practice. Our goal in this guide is to give you a clear set of techniques and training principles you can apply immediately in class, during live rounds, and even when you are short on time. If you are looking for Jiu-Jitsu in Spokane Valley that feels structured, challenging, and supportive, this is the exact approach we teach.

What “train like a champion” really means in Jiu-Jitsu

Champion training is not about going hard every round until your lungs burn out. It is about making the basics work against resistance, then adding layers when you can reliably hit them. In real terms, that means you choose a position, learn the simplest high-percentage solution, and repeat it until it holds up when your partner does not cooperate.

We also train with a bias toward what finishes and positions show up most often. Across competition and everyday rolling, you will see the same patterns: back control, front headlock exchanges, guard passing battles, and chokes that work even when someone is slippery and tired. Flashy submissions have their place, but we build your game around fundamentals that scale as you improve.

Your foundation: posture, frames, and inside position

Before you chase submissions, you need structure. Posture keeps your spine safe and your base stable. Frames create space so you can breathe, move, and escape. Inside position wins the small battles that decide the big ones, like who gets underhooks, who wins head position, and who controls hip line.

A useful mental shortcut we coach is this: if your head and hips are controlled, you are probably losing; if you control head and hips, you are probably winning. It sounds simple, but it shows up everywhere from guard retention to takedown defense. When you are stuck, reset to posture, frames, and inside position before you try anything fancy.

Technique set 1: the rear-naked choke system (and how to earn it)

If you want a “champion” technique, start with the rear-naked choke. It consistently ranks among the most common finishes because it works at every level, in gi or no-gi, and it does not require perfect flexibility. The important part is understanding that the choke is the last step of a whole system, not something you force with your arms.

We build your back-taking around a few principles: keep your chest connected, follow hip movement, and win the hand-fighting battle before you squeeze. When you get behind someone, your first goal is seatbelt control, then hooks, then head position, then isolating the choking side. When you rush, you usually lose the position.

Common fixes we coach for a stronger finish

A rear-naked choke fails for predictable reasons. We tighten the details so your squeeze becomes almost boring in how reliable it feels.

• If your opponent is peeling your top hand, we teach you to hide your choking arm and win hand control first

• If your elbow is drifting low, we cue you to slide it higher behind the jawline before you apply pressure

• If your chest disconnects, we emphasize shoulder pressure and “following the hips” to keep the back

• If you gas out, we show you how to use your lats and torso, not just your biceps

That is how a high-percentage technique turns into a dependable part of your game.

Technique set 2: guard passing with pressure and angles

Guard passing is where many adult students get frustrated, especially early on. You feel like you are working hard, but you keep getting pulled into legs, off-balanced, or reset back to closed guard. Our approach is to simplify the decision tree: first, clear the feet from your hips; second, win inside control; third, pass in a direction that matches your body position.

We like to pair pressure with angles. Pressure without the right angle becomes a pushing contest, and angles without pressure become a scramble. When you combine the two, you can make your partner carry your weight while you move around the legs.

A practical tip we use in live rounds is to “pin something before you pass.” Pin the hips with your knee, pin the far shoulder with your crossface, pin the near arm with an underhook. Passing becomes less about speed and more about removing options.

Technique set 3: guard retention that saves your energy

Guard retention is not glamorous, but it is one of the biggest upgrades you can make, especially in adult Jiu-Jitsu in Spokane Valley where many students balance training with work and family. If your guard falls apart quickly, every round turns into repeated escapes and you spend the whole class in survival mode.

We teach retention through two main tools: hip movement and proactive frames. Your hips must be able to scoot, pivot, and recover to square up. Your frames must protect your knees and shoulders so you can reinsert a shin or regain inside position. When your guard is working, you should feel like you are steering, not just bracing.

The difference is noticeable: your breathing improves, your choices expand, and suddenly you can attack instead of constantly defending.

Standing skills: takedowns that make sense for grapplers

No-gi grappling has surged, and with it, the importance of wrestling-style entries and stand-up control. We train takedowns with safety and practicality in mind, because a good takedown is not just “getting someone down.” It is getting them down while you stay in position to pass or control immediately.

We focus on stance, head position, and hand-fighting first. If you lose the hand-fight, you are usually reacting. When you win it, you can choose your shot, snapdown, or clinch entry with much less risk. We also teach you to connect takedowns to top control so you are not finishing a takedown and then pausing like, “Now what?”

Blending clinch awareness from Muay Thai into grappling decisions

Even if your main goal is grappling, clinch awareness changes your whole understanding of range. When you are comfortable pummeling for inside control and using posture to stay strong, it translates directly into better takedown defense and cleaner transitions to body locks.

We coach you to think in layers: first win posture and head position, then win inside arms, then decide whether you off-balance, turn the corner, or disengage. It is a steady, methodical way to approach an area that can otherwise feel chaotic.

Leg locks and modern no-gi trends: how we approach them responsibly

Leg locks are more common now, especially in submission-only formats, and you will absolutely run into them in training. We treat leg entanglements like any other position: there are rules, there is control, and there are safe exits you can learn.

Our priority is that you understand the “why” behind leg lock defense. You learn how to clear the knee line, how to manage heel exposure, and how to keep your balance so you are not falling into submissions. When you eventually add attacks, we teach you to control the position first, because control is what keeps training partners safe and makes the technique repeatable.

How we structure a “champion round” in class

A lot of people roll and hope improvement happens. We prefer a simple structure that keeps your training honest and measurable. If you do this for a month, your progress feels less random.

Here is a format we like for a focused live round:

1. Pick one position to start from, like closed guard, half guard, or back control 

2. Decide one goal, like “retain guard for 30 seconds” or “finish the choke with correct hand-fighting” 

3. Roll at a sustainable pace for the first minute while you solve the position 

4. Increase intensity only after you hit the correct steps 

5. After the round, name one detail that worked and one that broke

This is how you turn mat time into skill, not just sweat.

Recovery, consistency, and training like an adult

Elite athletes are increasingly using wearables and recovery metrics to manage fatigue, and while you do not need a fancy device, the principle matters: progress comes from consistent training, not heroic exhaustion. Many adults train best when they balance hard rounds with technical rounds, and when they take sleep and mobility seriously.

We encourage you to pay attention to small signals: grip strength fading, sloppy posture, slower reaction time. Those are clues to adjust intensity, not reasons to quit. When you train with a long-term mindset, you stay healthier and your technique gets sharper year after year.

What you can expect as your game levels up

As you improve, you will notice something interesting: you start “seeing” moves before they happen. You recognize grips, you feel weight shifts, and you predict the next step. This is one reason so many practitioners report better problem-solving from training. You are constantly running a real-time decision process under pressure, and you learn to stay calm while doing it.

If you are exploring Jiu-Jitsu in Spokane Valley because you want a skill that challenges you mentally as much as physically, this is the payoff. You are not just learning techniques, you are learning how to think in positions.

Take the Next Step

If you want your training to feel focused instead of scattered, we can help you build a game around high-percentage techniques, smart stand-up, and repeatable finishes. At Grit Jiu-Jitsu & Muay Thai Martial Arts, we coach Jiu-Jitsu with a long-term approach that works for beginners and experienced students alike, especially adults who want real progress without burning out.

Whether your goal is better conditioning, more confidence on the mat, or a sharper competitive style, we will help you connect the dots between positions so you are not collecting random moves. When you are ready, we would love to show you how our classes in Spokane Valley, WA are structured and how our coaching can fit your schedule.

Put these techniques into action by joining a Jiu-Jitsu class at Grit Jiu-Jitsu & Muay Thai Martial Arts.