Ireland is probably not the first place you think of when considering world-class jiu-jitsu. However, Darragh O'Conaill is at the forefront of changing your perspective.

A black belt under Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, O’Conaill has been quietly building an army in the heart of Dublin. A prolific competitor (he just won the European No-Gi Championships) and traveler himself, O'Conaill has taken training methods from all over the globe and incorporated them into his own approach. 

Watch IBJJF 2018 World Championships LIVE on FloGrappling

Dates: May 30 – June 4 | Time: 9 AM PST

Now, he's bringing 14 students across the ocean to fight at the IBJJF 2018 World Championships later this month in Long Beach, CA, and they’re eager to introduce their skills to the rest of the globe. Here’s how they’ve been getting ready. 

Darragh O'Conailll: Leader of East Coast Jiu-Jitsu.

Yoga- & Mobility-Inspired Warmup

O'Conaill and another black belt got the athletes warmed up with a series of stretches and movements. Positions included the cat-cow stretch, arm circles, knee circles (you start on hands and knees and rotate one knee, in a similar fashion to arm circles), and all the usual stretches found in a full-body routine. There were also core strengthening exercises.   

After that, it was on to drilling.

The Drills

Intended to simulate competition, O'Conaill had his students compete in short, two-minute rounds of drilling. The first of three series had athletes starting from the feet, working their takedowns and guard pulls. The second set saw them executing sweeps (or staying on top) from half-guard and, finally for the third group of drills, passing exercises. 

Accuracy was stressed over intensity, as many students were set to compete at the Irish Open in two days. Check out a clip below of the final drilling segment. 

"First To Score"

This was a fun exercise that saw two students pitted against each other—with the rest of the class watching and cheering. The objective was as it sounds: the first person to score wins. 

Clearly designed to test the student's skills under duress, it was both a great team-building exercise and practical drill.

Darragh officiates the first to win. Photo: Chase Smith

Students give their all trying to score (and defend.) Photo: Chase Smith

Live Rounds

It wouldn't be jiu-jitsu if there weren't some live rounds involved and the crew over at East Coast Jiu-Jitsu threw down just like everyone else.  

A broken cheekbone didn't stop O'Conaill from getting some rolls in. Photo: Chase Smith