Open mat is training time with no set lesson, where you roll, drill or work on whatever you choose, usually with a coach or senior belt present. The mat is open, a coach or senior belt is usually present, and you spend the session rolling, drilling or working on whatever you choose. Most BJJ academies run one at the weekend; judo clubs often call the same thing a randori session.
- What it is: unstructured mat time, usually one to two hours, often on Saturday or Sunday.
- In judo: free practice is randori, which judoinfo.com gives as free practice; a randori night is the closest equivalent.
- Who comes: regulars, visitors from other academies, and competitors getting rounds in.
What does open mat mean?
A normal class has a warm-up, a technique, drilling and a few rounds at the end. Open mat drops the first three. People pair up, roll for five or six minutes, swap partners and go again, or peel off to drill a position they are working on. The judoinfo.com terms list has the judo word for the rolling part, randori, free practice, and a judo randori session has the same feel: a room of pairs working at their own pace with a coach watching from the edge.
Open mat is also where academies mix. Visitors are welcome at most, which is why it is the best session to drop into when you are travelling.
How do people use open mat?
- Rolling: back-to-back rounds with different partners, the main event for most.
- Drilling: repeating the week's technique with a willing partner, at your own speed.
- Positional sparring: starting from one position again and again to fix a specific hole.
- Questions: cornering a higher belt for the detail you missed in class.
- Competition prep: hard rounds at full pace for people with a tournament coming.
What is the judo word for free sparring?
The IJF Sport and Organisation Rules list randori in their official terminology and translate it as "free sparring".
What is open mat etiquette?
Ask before you roll and say what pace you want. Give the newer person the round they need. Keep an eye on the pairs around you so nobody collides. If you are visiting, introduce yourself to whoever is in charge and follow the house rules on gi or no-gi. Leave the mat cleaner than you found it.
Open mat means more rounds, which means more wear on your kit. Our BJJ training gear collection covers the things that run out fastest.
Sources
- Judoinfo.com terms list, JudoInfo
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation
Related terms
Rolling / sparring, Positional sparring, Mat rat, Drilling, Flow roll.