I’ve written at length about the value of cross training and attending open mat. There is something else on the same vein that I’d recommend to everyone: when possible train on holidays. If you’ve got familial obligations, obviously fulfill those but there are several reasons I can think of off the top of my head to train on holidays (if possible.)
For starters: very often the people who are willing to train on a holiday are going to be BJJ fanatics. The result is a concentrated group of BAMFs with a lot more space on the mat than they are used to. Which, I think, is pretty awesome. Many holiday training sessions that I’ve been to have had great turnouts.
Your opponents aren’t training. Well, maybe they are, but there’s a certain reassurance you can have knowing that you are part of an elite group training when most others are not. Train on the holiday because most people aren’t. Train on the holiday because that way you know you are doing everything in your power to improve your jiu jitsu.
Finding training sessions on holidays can sometimes be more difficult than it sounds. For example very few schools have class on major holidays (like Christmas). This results in the various awesome BJJ addicts around the area to join together and get on the mat to train, it’s sort of a forced cross training session if peoples’ option is to either cross train or not train.
The more you cross train the easier it will be to find training sessions on off days/holidays. Become friendly with people at other gyms as it will allow you to cross train more and more often, and when holidays come around, you’ll be welcome to train places you don’t normally go to. It’s pretty awesome.
Training on holidays isn’t for everybody. If you’ve got obligations and a life outside of jiu jitsu (not all of us do 
) It won’t be as easy, but it’s always doable. There’s always someone rolling somewhere, it’s up to you to find it.
What is your experience with rolling on holidays? Is your school open on Labor Day? Memorial Day? How about Christmas? New Years? Do you, like me, find training on holidays to sometimes be the very best training you can have? Or do you prefer to stay home like everyone else?
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