BJJ and fitness go hand in hand, and Belarde advises his students to really think about a strength and conditioning program to coincide with their jiu jitsu training. Having a strong body to be able to perform the martial arts techniques is so important. Your strength and natural abilities matter when you go against somebody else who has just as good of technique as you. Belarde says kettlebell workouts are unmatched for building core strength, power, and explosiveness required for BJJ.