Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been popularized by fighting promotions that show opponents duke it out for the win. However, this martial art is far more than meets the eye, and the benefits you get from it are many. Let’s look at the 9 best reasons to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu:
- It’s an Intense Workout
If you are looking to shed fat while building cardiovascular and muscular endurance, you’ll want to sign up for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. To the outsider, it may seem like not much is going on, but learning techniques and sparring (called ‘rolling’ in BJJ) can test the limits of even the most seasoned gym goers.
Before starting the main part of the class, your instructor will begin with an intense warm-up to get your body in the proper state for the lesson that follows. The warm-up alone is enough to get your heart rate up. Over the hour to hour-and-a-half that classes last, you’ll be in fat burning mode most of the time.
- Meeting New People
Whether you are a social butterfly or an introvert, joining a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym is a great way of meeting new people. There is camaraderie among students and generally, you will find people willing to help you advance in your quest for knowledge; an ideal setting for building friendships or just making new acquaintances.
- It Beats Your Regular Gym
Think about how people behave and go about their workouts in a traditional gym. You have people stranded in their respective part of the building, banging away at some exercise while avoiding conversation and eye contact. Interactions are usually cordial questions regarding whether or not the other person has a lot of sets left at a particular station. Every time you see new people and there is no sense of community.
In a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym, the feeling of community borders on that of a tribe. Students know each other and interaction and communication is an integral and fun part of the experience.
- Self Defense
In today’s world where trouble can seemingly arise at any moment, you want to be able to deal with anyone that approaches you with bad intentions. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been battle-tested in cages and on the street and its merits as a means of self-defense are irrefutable. It is a martial art that does not require particular strength and size, so anyone can become proficient in it regardless of how much they weigh, their gender or age.
Furthermore, Jiu-Jitsu closely resembles the types of conflict you may run into on the street. An assailant will most likely try and approach you and attack in close quarters. Fights often end up on the ground and you want to be able to prevail in that scenario. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the ideal type of self-defense to handle with fighting in the clinch while standing, on the ground, and even against opponents that will attempt to strike you.
- Train Your Mind While You Train Your Body
Learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a good way to keep your brain active and to facilitate all the firing and wiring that your brain’s neurons undergo when gaining new knowledge. Your mind will be constantly adapting to the new techniques you will be learning. Another way to look at it is the process of learning a new language or taking up painting. Your brain engages in the same type of creative process with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
The reason for this is that unlike many other martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu requires practitioners to creatively combine the techniques they learn in order to deal with every move the opponent may try. There are virtually unlimited combinations of setups, transitions, and escapes, and your ability to observe and adapt is constantly being honed.
- Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone
One of the greatest traps of modern life is the routine that we build around our daily existence. We seldom get to challenge ourselves in a way that promotes growth and a sense of achievement. You will be amazed at the challenges you undertake and overcome in other areas of your life; challenges you thought were for someone else and that you were too trapped in your own routine to go after.
- Stress Relief
One of the most important reasons to train in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for the stress relief you will get out of it. Not only will your physical exertion cause you to reduce your stress hormones, but the mental clarity and perspective you will gain will be enough to see your problems and cares in a different light.
- Learn Humility
Whether you are a parent of a child in need of discipline or have lost your own sense of measure when dealing with those around you, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will bring out the best in you. You will be more patient with others and caring towards their needs. For rowdy children, it will cause them to respect rules and boundaries without taking away their sense of individuality.
Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires sparring with your classmates. You will lose countless times against more experienced opponents so that you may learn to execute techniques correctly. This not only makes students better practitioners but also equips them with the mental fortitude to deal with rejection in life. Being able to deal with rejection is the ultimate tool for achieving success.
- Become More Confident
Mastering the knowledge required to grow as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner builds confidence beyond anything you will encounter in other areas of your life. If you have the ability to defend yourself against a potential threat and have the level of fitness necessary to perform the techniques, you are a living, breathing blueprint of what it takes to succeed.
Severna Park Jiu Jitsu
You can begin your journey of harnessing the power of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by learning more about the art and by trying it out. Start on your path of mastery and of achieving all the important benefits Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer by taking that first small step. Check out Severna Park Jiu Jitsu and top by to see for yourself. You will be hooked before the end of the first session.