I have trained at academies that put on music during live rolling/drilling, and I have trained at academies where the only music is the sound of hard breathing, shuffling on the mat and the occasional grunt or yelp. Given that there is an inevitable “flow” to Jiu Jitsu music can be an integral part of an academy’s culture.
Rap: Because of its rhythm, I’ve seen rap music really become popular as rolling music. I am not personally a fan of rap, but a good beat is a good beat, and there have been times when some rap came on the stereo in an academy and I just felt the rhythm and my movements began matching it. Rap is so popular in BJJ that I have seen rap themed BJJ merchandise, including a Romulo Barral tee-shirt made to look like a Run DMC shirt and several shirts with the image of Biggie on them.
Rock: Specifically, I’ve heard a LOT of Tool on the mat. This certainly is at least partially a result of Maynard James Keenan (tool’s singer) being a student of Rickson Gracie (and at times Henry Akins if we look at twitter.) I’ve also heard a lot of Rage Against the Machine. Like rap, rock sometimes has a good rhythm, which is important. It also captures emotion better than a lot of rap, and as we all know rolling can be a very emotional experience.
Heavy Metal: I am personally a metal fan, so when I hear Lamb of God or Slayer or some other heavy stuff, I get amped, and when I hear stuff that’s a bit more underground I get downright vicious. What I’ve found interesting is that metal on the mat tends to be polarizing. I’d say it goes over well in about half the places I’ve seen it played. Not so well in the others.
Electronica: Because of its rhythms, electronica serves as a decent backdrop for training. It has similarly catchy beats as rap music but often without the lyrics. As a result, electronica makes for nice training music as it provides a good beat without being at all distracting.
Classical/Jazz/Blues/etc: There are many different kinds of music, and I am merely glossing over what I’ve heard played in academies. Music that lacks an even rhythm can still be a good backdrop for training, but it may be more challenging. In the movie “Warrior” Joel Edgerton’s character’s coach played classical music while training his students, it would be interesting to see if anyone does this in real life.
Reggae: I personally have never heard Reggae played in an academy but I have heard many people talk about it. It’s relaxing music that has a nice rhythm and flow, and it seems to permeate a lot of BJJ culture
What kinds of music do YOU like while training? One of my favorite bands to listen to while training is Kingcrow, check out their most recent music video:
Emil Fischer is an active blue belt competitor under Pablo Angel Castro III training with Strong Style Brasa and is sponsored by Pony Club Grappling Gear and Cruz Combat. For more information, other articles, and competition videos check out his athlete pages at www.facebook.com/emilfischerbjj www.twitter.com/Emil_Fischer and https://instagram.com/emilfischerbjj/
