How You Can Benefit From Learning Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
"Jiu-jitsu is the cure for the worst feeling a common person can have, which is the feeling of powerlessness when faced with the unknown, the fear of being afraid. Jiu-jitsu teaches us to be humble at the right time and daring at the right time"
Luiz Fux
Right away, let's just lay all the cards on the table.
There are many ways that you can benefit personally from learning Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
I am going to list several and then expand on a few:
- You will get in the best shape of your life as a result of having to generate force and leverage from so many different angles.
- You will gain skills that will be helpful in self defense situations.
- You will be able to expand your social network by meeting new people in the gym or in the community.
- You will have a vehicle to express your own unique sense of creativity
- You will gain a better understanding of what the human body can and cannot do.
- You will begin a lifelong journey in pursuit of mastering one of the most diverse and multifaceted martial arts on the face of the earth.
Express Yourself
When you break jiu-jitsu technique down to a simple level, it has two basic components.
There are the concepts which explain why things work, and then there are the movements which form the basis of how you make things work.
So if you understand concept and develop movement, you can create technique. Of course, the same could be said of other martial arts, but there is a difference.
What makes Brazilian Jiu-jitsu unique is that the community as a whole not only accepts innovation but encourages it.
Thus, you have a world that is full of possibilities. Every day you step on the mat, you can add broad strokes to the canvas. It's a process that will lead to the creation of a masterpiece that is uniquely your own.
The only limitation is the question of does it work, and on the mat you put it to the test.
Increase Self Defense Awareness
The sport of BJJ is being highlighted more on a public stage, but traditionally it was a self-defense art.
So there are techniques in the skill set geared toward self-defense, and there are schools that are focused on that aspect of things.
If self-defense is your focus, BJJ can help in that area, but you would also be well-advised to train in other arts as well.
On the streets, there are just so many different variables, and it would be extremely difficult to be prepared for them all.
The answer for every possibility would be hard to find in any one martial art. The mere act of training consistently though will offer you a edge in bad situations, and chokes are a incredible equalizer.
An Excellent Way To Be Healthy
Now, there is a learning curve, and that curve varies depending on your past experience and attributes.
The curve may be steeper for you if you haven’t already started developing movements that are applicable, but there is a good way to look at this situation.
If your curve is steep, it just means that you have the potential to achieve more noticeable physical benefits from training, like I did personally.
When I started, I was very out of shape, and it was not easy. I had never done any sports in school, and I only had two experiences with martial arts beforehand.
The first of those experiences was Karate as a kid for a short period, so that didn’t help. The second was Thai Boxing with some modifications for self-defense applications.
I did that for a year before I started BJJ as well, and there is no doubt that I was helped in the cardio aspect of things by that, but I was still not in the best of shape.
Now looking back, there is a vast difference between where I was and where I am. I’ve lost about hundred pounds and gained amazing core strength, hip mobility, and grip strength among other things.
I am not unique in this experience. I have no doubt of that.
For me at least though, the physical benefits were never a priority. I was and still am so focused on learning the skill set that everything else is secondary.
So it was never exercise, and once you get in the flow of things, you'll be able to say the same thing.
It's just that fun.
Oh, and if you're interested in the conceptual side of learning and training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, visit my bjj blog.