Guest post By Cameron
Founder of Grapplers Graveyard

About the Author

Cameron is the Founder of Grapplers Graveyard, a platform dedicated to helping people become smarter, healthier, and happier through combat sports education and training resources. He is an athlete, a life long learner, and a combat sports enthusiast. His goal is to build websites that help people become smarter, healthier, and happier.

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In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and most combat sports, grips are pivotal to winning or losing key portions of a match. Building grip strength gives you a better ability to control, move, and tire out your opponent, utilizing your hands, wrists, and forearms. 

If you've been training BJJ for more than a few months, you know how much weak grips can hold you back. Your hands hurt halfway through a round, collar and sleeve grips slip when you need them most, and submissions don't work even when you're in the right position. 

This difficulty gets worse as the amount of training goes up, especially during competitions. You see the long-term effects of this all the time with older grapplers and veteran coaches. Years of gripping without any real, structured grip training leave their hands constantly sore, stiff, and unreliable when it matters most.

I train consistently, include grip-specific work in my routine, and have tested a wide range of grip tools over the years. After using Great Ape Grips several times a week, I’ve noticed clear improvements in both my grip strength and overall hand durability. The insights in this article are grounded in that firsthand experience.

Why Grip Strength Matters in BJJ (More Than You Think)

Almost every component of Brazilian jiu-jitsu depends on how strong your grip is. When your grips are strong, it's more challenging for your opponent to get past your guard, and they have to work harder to break free. You may also set an appropriate pace of exchanges instead of reacting late.

Strong grips directly impact:

• Guard retention and strong control over someone

• Grip fighting and scrambles

• Submissions

• Takedowns and stand-up wrestling

Coaches and performance research often demonstrate that grip endurance is linked to grappling success (National Library of Medicine) but grip strength isn't just about just squeezing someone harder. 

In practice, it’s about endurance, wrist stability, finger health, and the ability to maintain effective grips deep into a round when fatigue sets in. I’ve personally lost rounds where my technique was solid, but my hands were failing me. That changed once my grip training became structured and intentional rather than something I relied on mat time alone to develop.

For anyone planning to compete long term or chase a black belt, longevity matters. Taking care of your hands, wrists, and fingers isn’t optional. It's part of staying on the mats consistently and performing at a high level over years of training.

The Types of Grip Strength BJJ Athletes Actually Need

It’s a mistake to train all of your BJJ grips as if they’re the same, especially when different positions and rule sets demand very different types of hand and forearm engagement something we break down further in our detailed guides on Grapplers Graveyard.

When you close your hand forcefully, you’re using crushing grip strength, which shows up most clearly when finishing chokes or squeezing lapels and wrists.

Support or endurance grip, on the other hand, allows you to maintain sleeve, collar, or pant grips for extended periods without your forearms burning out.

There are two sport specific categories that matter just as much: 

1. Grip strength that is specialized to gi, which depends a lot on finger endurance for spider guard, lasso, and lapel systems.

2. No-gi and clinch grip strength, which focuses on clamp style control through the palm, wrist, and forearm for wrist ties, collar ties, front headlocks, and underhooks.

Most athletes try to get better at all of this by rolling around more or squeezing harder when they work out. That helps a little, but it's not very effective and can cause injuries from excessive application. You can build these skills more safely and reliably with targeted grip exercises.

Best Grip Strength Exercises for BJJ (With And Without Equipment)

No Equipment & Mat-Based Grip Work

Start here if all you have access to is a gi and a pull-up bar:

• Gi Pull Ups or Gi Rows: Loop your gi over a bar and hold on to the sleeves. Pull-ups build strength, and rows build volume.

• Towel pull-ups or dead hangs: A strong alternative that tests finger endurance and grip stamina.

• Positional grip rounds: Start in spider or lasso guard and just work on keeping your grips for 30 to 60 seconds.

• Grip-only rounds: Your only goal is to get and retain grips for as long as you can, no matter what position you're in.

These methods are simple, effective, and very honest about where your grip actually stands.

Exercises for grip strength and conditioning

Adding external load helps build strength and durability more efficiently:

• Farmer's carries: Heavy, slow walks help build strength in the forearms and support grip.

• Dead hangs: Hanging for a set amount of time helps your shoulders and endurance.

• Kettlebell swings with thick handles: Great for keeping your grip strong when you're tired.

• Plate pinches or dumbbell holds: These exercises work on thumb and finger strength, which is typically ignored in BJJ.

Programming Basics:

• Grip training should be done two to three times a week

• 3 to 4 exercises each time

• Prioritize longer holds, higher reps, and time under tension

Using Great Ape Grips to Level Up Your BJJ Grip Training

Great Ape Grips are portable grip trainers that function similarly to a rice bucket, but with far more control and convenience. They provide resistance inside a compact bag, allowing you to train grip strength through dynamic, multi-directional movements that closely resemble the fatigue patterns you experience while grappling.

Unlike static tools, Great Ape Grips let you load and unload the fingers, wrists, and forearms repeatedly, which mirrors how grips actually fail during long rounds or late in competition.

They’re especially effective for:

• Sleeve and lapel gripping, where finger endurance matters more than raw squeeze strength

• No-gi clamp and squeeze strength, including body locks and front headlock control

• Finger and wrist durability under fatigue, helping you train grip volume without constantly tearing up your hands on the gi

You don't need any extra gear to start grip training, but if you want a way to speed up your development and strengthen your hands without destroying your fingers on the gi or having to be physically present in a BJJ gym to work on this aspect of your game, products like Great Ape Grips are a cheat code.

Simple Weekly Grip Strength Plan for BJJ Athletes (Without Burning Out Your Hands)

Frequency:

• 2 to 3 times a week

• 15 to 20 minutes after class or on strength days 

Day 1: No Equipment Focus

• Gi rows

• Towel dead hangs

• Rounds of positional grip

Day 2: Strength Work

• Farmer carries

• Dead hangs

• Plate pinches

Day 3: Optional Great Ape Grips Accessory Work

This session focuses on building endurance in the fingers, wrists, and forearms employing grappling-specific resistance patterns.

Cycles of bending and straightening the fingers

• Do this for 30 to 60 seconds, forcefully open and close the hand inside the bag.

• Mimics squeezing lapels, sleeves, and clamp grips when tired.

Wrist rotation and deviation

• Move your wrist in a circle, both clockwise and counterclockwise, and then back and forth.

• Strengthens wrists for collar ties, posting, and grip fighting.

Grip pulses

• Squeeze quickly and for short periods of time for 20 to 30 seconds.

• Simulates scrambles when grips keep breaking and re-engaging.

Isometric crush holds

• Squeeze and hold the resistance for as long as you can.

• Direct carryover to finishing chokes and controlling the late rounds.

Optional finishers for fatigue

• 1–2 high-rep burn sets for each hand to make sure your grip is strong even when you're tired.

Important things to remember:

• Don’t train grip to total failure every session

• Monitor elbow, wrist, and forearm soreness

• Grip training should support your jiu-jitsu, not limit it

At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just stronger grips, it’s reliable grips that hold up when rounds get long and matches matter. Grip strength will never replace good technique, but it amplifies everything you do when your hands aren’t the weak link. If you care about long-term progress, consistent performance, and staying healthy enough to keep training for years, structured grip work isn’t optional.

If you’re looking for a portable, BJJ specific way to build grip endurance and durability without constantly wrecking your fingers on the gi, Great Ape Grips are worth adding to your routine. They fit easily into existing training and make it easier to accumulate high-quality grip work week after week.

For honest reviews, practical training insights, and no-nonsense gear guides, check out Grapplers Graveyard, where we cover everything from technical breakdowns and gis to boxing gloves and performance equipment. If you want to keep learning alongside other active grapplers, join our Reddit communities and stay part of the conversation.