Rolling Smart With Mike Piekarski, PT, DPT, OCS
This week I decided to change things up and do a short written interview with one of my good friends, a physical therapist who treats predominantly jiu jitsu athletes, to talk about what it actually takes to train smart, rehab well, and keep rolling for the long haul.
From Mat Rat to Movement Specialist
He started jiu jitsu in college with the goal of one day opening an academy. But the deeper he got into the sport, the more he realized he didn’t want to be tied to one location. He wanted the freedom to evolve, compete, and grow. That drive led him to physical therapy—a career that combined movement, science, and autonomy.
"Jiu jitsu teaches you how to disable the body. Physical therapy teaches you how to heal it."
That dual lens allows him to bridge the gap between traditional rehab and what combat athletes actually need to return to the mat ready and confident.
Injury Reality Check
The most common injury he sees in jiu jitsu athletes? The knee. The data from grappling sports backs it up.
The takeaway? Injuries can’t always be prevented, but they can be minimized. Train with awareness. Recognize risky positions. And tap early. The most preventable injuries often come down to ego and hesitation.
"Situational awareness is everything. Know when you're in danger and make the smart call."
Training Smart Isn’t Training Soft
He’s big on load management, varying training intensity, and using objective markers like HRV and resting heart rate to gauge recovery.
"You can't go 100 percent every session. Rotate intensity. Match your skill sessions to your recovery. Pay attention to the data."
Rehab Myth: Bracing Isn’t Recovery
One of the most common misconceptions he hears is that athletes can just throw on a brace and get back to rolling. That’s a mistake.
Braces can help in the acute phase, but they don’t rebuild strength, stability, or tissue capacity. And they don’t clear you to train. Real return-to-sport requires restoring the body’s ability to absorb and redirect force… not just masking the deficits.
"Recovery isn't about time. It's about capacity."
The Return-to-Sport Framework
His process isn’t based on guesswork. It’s built on four pillars:
Time for biological healing
Objective testing for strength and stability
Sport readiness through graded skill exposure
Tissue resilience developed through targeted loading
Athletes don’t go back just because the clock says they can. They go back when they’re physically, technically, and psychologically ready.
The Real Key: Resilience
Preventing injury isn’t just about strength and mobility. It’s also about mindset, discipline, and consistency.
"Injury prevention is both physical and psychological."
Graded exposure, step-by-step progressions, and skill-specific return-to-play plans aren’t just about the body. They rebuild trust in movement and confidence on the mat.
Jiu Jitsu Rehab Masterclass
In 2023, he launched his first continuing education course focused on the rehab needs of jiu jitsu athletes—because no one else had. That evolved into the Jiu Jitsu Rehab Masterclass, a deeper dive for clinicians working with combat athletes.
If you're a PT, ATC, DC, or MD treating grapplers, this is for you. Real injuries. Real decisions. Real progressions.
Final Takeaway
Want to keep competing into your 30s, 40s, and beyond?
Manage injuries early. Prioritize strength and conditioning. Don't wait for a chronic issue to force you off the mat. Fix it before it becomes a problem.
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Dr. Megan Lisset Jimenez
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