How to build a combat sports class timer

Start with the session on paper

List each segment in order and decide its task. For each work block, choose the round count, work duration and rest. Use descriptive names such as Drilling, Positional and Rolling so the plan is clear before the first bell.

Use the BJJ Class Plan as a worked example

The app’s example starts with a five-minute warm-up. Drilling has four two-minute rounds with thirty-second rests. Positional has four three-minute rounds with thirty-second rests. Rolling has five five-minute rounds with one-minute rests.

The work adds up to 45 minutes. Warm-up adds five minutes. Scheduled breaks add eight minutes: four thirty-second breaks in Drilling, four in Positional, then four one-minute breaks before the last rolling round. That is 58 minutes before the default ten-second preparation.

Check what happens between blocks

UFT retains the rest after the last work period of a block when another work block follows. It skips rest after the final work period of the entire sequence. That gives the class a transition into the next task without adding an unused break after training has ended.

If you need more setup time for a change of equipment or partners, edit the break length for that block. Add a cooldown separately when you want a final timed segment.

Adapt the structure to another sport

The same pattern can organize boxing drills and bag rounds, kicking intervals and sparring, or wrestling entries and live goes. Choose appropriate tasks with your coach and use the sport guides to compare existing starting points.

In the app, open My Timers, create a timer and add the work blocks. Check the complete sequence before running it with a class. The website’s interactive library also lets you experiment with custom blocks.