It’s common for practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to experience many injuries due to training.  Some are accidental and are impossible to avoid but many others, mine included are due to improper warm-up and a lack of preparation by the body. 

Stretching is important in several ways.  The first being it can prevent those minor ‘nagging’ injuries that we all have grown to despise.  These injuries can prevent us from training, prevent us from performing up to to level and may form into a serious injury.  For me, stretching was an option when I first began and it soon lead up to lower back pain and tingly nerves.  After this I soon stretched vigorously pre-workout but every now and then my lower back pain would insist which leads me to my current state of more back pain and ice.

I am now going to try and stretch on a daily basis, possibly mixing in yoga or gymnastica to the array.  Stretching not only helps prevent injuries but will also pay big dividends to your overall jiu jitsu game.  Personally, as I’ve gotten more flexible I’ve been able to hit better submissions from the bottom, better lateral hip movement and better guard retention. 

These video(s) I found on youtube.com and it shows a good stretching routine if you don’t have one.  Leave a comment with your routine or suggestions, thanks!