Can I get better while training only 2x a week?

I can definitively say "Yes" but with a caveat. I'm only at the BJJ gym about 2-3x a week for 2-3hrs each time. But I do BJJ related training (movement, mobility, strength, flexibility) on most of my off days. It's probably not optimal compared to training with partners and a coach, but it sure enhanced my progression to add independent BJJ related training and education.

Recently, my off day training consists of something like this:

  1. A short (0.5-1mi) run/jog for initial warmup and light conditioning.

  2. Kettlebell workout (swings, single hand swings, Turkish gettup with isometric holds for shoulder stabilization and health)

  3. Yoga/gymnastics pushups (modified vinyasa for isometric strength, core and shoulder health), a few active hangs on rings maybe some pullups, and planking on rings.

  4. BJJ solo drills if I have room (I have floor mats at home usually), this will usually something general like bridging, hip escapes, and shrimping or specific movent drills, like combinations of sit outs of various kinds, shoulder rolls, crawls, etc etc depending on available space, if I'm adjusting to injuries, and if I want to consistently be working on particular types of moves.

  5. Stretches, yoga/gymnastics pancake stretching, good form dove stretch for hips, shoulder stretches, wrist stretches, neck stretches, kneeling and lean/layback, hamstrings (basically posterior and anterior chain around hips), kneeling ankle and toe stretch, either back twists or cobra stretching.

Depending on adjustments, this takes usually 30-90m, usually around 40-45 I think. When I'm being good, then I'll have particular movement exercises/drills in mind that I'll consistently keep in to improve a particular set of techniques or healthy movements I'd like to develop to avoid injuries.

I'm hoping soon I'll have some time to put together a better description of what I do on my solo training days and share it here.

When I was a white and new blue belt, many of the biggest advances I made followed from solo drilling some of the movements we'd use commonly in class. Shrimping, different kinds of shrimping, technical getup, butterfly arm drags, etc etc things that our coach would include in the drilling or warmup part of the class. It helped my overall competency and helped me make substantial progress.