Team Lloyd Irvin unquestionably produces some of the best American athletes in jiu-jitsu. The Maryland-based team is proud of the fact that many of its black belts have come up through the kids ranks and reached an elite level on the international circuit.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how TLI prepares for the biggest event of the year: the 2018 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

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Part 1: The Warmup

If we've learned anything during our Road To Worlds coverage over the past two years, it's that mobility warmups are about as standardized as training gets in jiu-jitsu. The athletes at TLI got loose with jogging, front rolls, cartwheels, skipping, ect., followed by a brief stretching routine.

Backward rolls during the warmup at TLI. Photo Chase Smith

Part 2: Entry Drills

The room was split in half: Guard pullers would practice double-guard pulls and berimbolo sequences, and those who preferred to fight for takedowns would work gripping sequences and footwork. The goal wasn’t to win these positional entanglements but instead to have athletes continually familiarize themselves with the evolving possibilities of the positions.

Aarae Alexander and Matt Fox work double guard pull drills. Jamil Hill drills berimbolos in the background. Photo: Chase Smith

Part 3: First To Score

We saw this exercise back in Dublin at Darragh O'Conaill’s academy—two athletes get up in front of the class, start from standing position, and try to score first. Whoever puts points on the board first wins the exchange and a new pair of competitors are brought in front of the class. Advantages also counted as a win at TLI.  

Highlights of this exercise included DJ Jackson and Tim Spriggs going absolutely HAM on each other. 

Jamil Hill on his way to winning his "first to score" exchange.  

Part 4: Live Rounds

Sparring. Ten-minute rounds. They were fiercely contested and manifold. See an example of the pace below as Jackson and Spriggs go head-to-head.

Tough rounds at TLI. Photo: Chase Smith

Part 5: Drilling Warmdown

Athletes warmed down at the end of training by completing five reps of any given technique and then switching roles. This lasted for 15 minutes. Hill and Alexander worked their back-takes with a heavy emphasis on berimbolos, while Spriggs focused a knee slice to armbar finish and Jackson practiced his half-guard sweeps.

Otavio Nalti drills his passing sequences. Photo: Chase Smith

Malachi Edmond on the back. Photo: Chase Smith

Tim Spriggs drilling armbars. Photo: Chase Smith