Bridging: a fundamental movement in jiu jitsu
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In jiu jitsu and ground fighting you must understand how to bridge properly to escape inferior positions. There are several intentions of bridging in jiu jitsu:
1️⃣unbalance: when your opponent is in a dominant postition they are free to attack with submissions or strikes. By unbalancing them they must regain their balance before they are able to attack again.
2️⃣create space: when escaping inferior positions you need to create space so that you can move your body away.
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To accomplish both of these tasks you need a powerful bridge but also must be stable so that you can remain in an good position to transition.
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The single leg bridge is an excellent exercise and drill to address this. By performing this exercise on 1-leg you increase the gluteus medius activation. This muscle is essential for developing stability and hip balance strategies. To make your bridge as powerful as possible make sure you are using your gluteus maximus. This is your primary hip extensor muscle, instead of relying on your hamstring muscle group. While the hamstrings will activate they are primarily a knee flexor and act as a secondary hip extensor. Prior to initiation make sure your heel is closer to your butt and pre-contract your glutes.
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This exercise is identical to the movement you will perform thousands of times in your jiu jitsu lifetime.