Gianni Grippo has spent 25 years his career in jiu-jitsu. So when he says open mats are largely a waste of time, it’s worth paying attention to why.
“We sometimes can find that open mats in general can be a waste of time,” Grippo said on the Jits and Giggles podcast. “I feel like there’s a lot of random rounds in open mats and I feel like a lot of people, it’s an opportunity for people to move to get a sweat going. But sometimes I just feel like, if you’re trying to get better, you really want to improve, I feel like a class with actual structure is more beneficial.”
However, Grippo was careful to note the take comes with a condition.
“Unless you really actually take matters into your own hands and you tell people like what you’re working on in the rounds or you set certain situationals, I just feel like sometimes hours of open rounds is not really always super productive,” he said.
For Grippo, the fix isn’t skipping open mats altogether. It’s walking in with a plan. He said he tries to always have a focus before he steps on the mat, something specific he wants to work on rather than just accumulating rounds.
“I would definitely go through phases where I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t feel like I had a focus’ and yeah, I did the reps, I did the work, but my mind wasn’t completely there or I didn’t come in with something I wanted to work on,” he said.
“I think it’s always important to come into sessions with something that you want to focus on. And whether you get it or not, that’s one thing, but I think you have more productive time when you come in with deliberate goals. That’s how you get better faster.”
The comment fits a philosophy Grippo laid out across the conversation, one built around intention over volume. He applies the same standard to coaching and learning, arguing that athletes stall out when they stick rigidly to one method instead of absorbing information from wherever it comes.
Grippo’s own training routine reflects that same discipline. He runs structured sessions daily at Bodega Jiu-Jitsu, lifts three days a week, and builds in real rest.
With ADCC and the IBJJF World Championship on his schedule this fall, Grippo’s approach suggests that for elite competitors, showing up isn’t the hard part. Showing up with a purpose is.
