Do you enjoy challenging yourself? Are you interested in realizing your potential and seeing what you’re truly capable of? If so, I can’t recommend enough that you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Also known as the ‘gentle art,’ Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport.
Based on grappling and ground fighting, BJJ has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu uses angles, leverage, timing, and an understanding of human anatomy to submit one’s opponent without resorting to violence. Moreover, it has been labelled as one of the most effective martial arts in the world. But is it right for you?
Keep reading to learn 5 reasons you should train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
1. Good Health
Your health is essential to a quality life. Without strength, energy, and vitality, your body won’t have the fuel necessary to reach your goals. Brazilian jiu-jitsu will keep you (or get you) in great shape.
It works virtually every part of your body.
When you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you get a full-body workout that you’ll be hard-pressed to get from anything else. I had been lifting weights and running for years. But it wasn’t until I took up BJJ that my body became lean and tough, and my abs began to show.
Additional health benefits included:
- Flexibility: In BJJ, your body is constantly twisted, contorted, and put in awkward positions. As a result, you become much more limber and flexible.
- Physical Strength: Almost every part of your body gets stronger when you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Your hands, legs, arms, core, etc., strengthen over time.
- Cognitive abilities: Aside from the physical demands of BJJ, it is also mentally engaging as well. There is a lot of problem-solving in this sport, as your mind is constantly at work during rolling.
2. Greater Confidence
You’ll gain greater confidence levels when you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. You may think this growth in self-assuredness is due to learning self-defence skills. And while learning to fight plays a role in confidence development, the more immediate confidence comes from the training itself.
Training sessions can be gruelling.
As a result, almost everything you experience during your day afterward becomes a cakewalk. Petty annoyances don’t bother you as much; difficult people are less agitating; you’re generally able to manage the stressors of everyday life better, and so on.
Few things during the day can knock you off-centre if you’ve spent the morning getting choked out in BJJ class.
3. Emotional Well-being
This benefit may seem a little left-field. But the truth is BJJ is an incredible stress reliever. When you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the intensity of the rolls (sparring) sucks you into the moment, pooling your concentration to the present.
As a result, you stop worrying about your worries and problems.
Instead, your focus is brought exactly where it needs to be: The here and now. This process enables you to let your worries fall by the wayside. You forget about the challenges of your day-to-day life. And afterward, you walk away from the training feeling a tremendous sense of well-being.
4. You Learn About Life
You learn a lot about life when you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This fact may seem unlikely, but hear me out. When you’re on the mats, you’re presented with a world of challenges you must deal with.
Some of these challenges include:
- Sparring with people who are bigger and stronger than you
- Learning how to get out of compromising positions
- Persisting through gruelling rounds
- Understanding the mechanics of how to execute techniques
- Disciplining yourself to show up to class each week, especially when you don’t feel like it, etc
These situations are indicative of the challenges you’ll experience in life. Consequently, you inadvertently learn how to manage difficult situations when you train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
5. You Become a Better Person
BJJ (and martial arts in general) is a tool for self-improvement. The process involved in learning and training BJJ will make you a better and stronger person. Brazilian jiu-jitsu will teach you to become:
- Disciplined
- Humble
- Persistent
- Patient
- Respectful
- Dedicated, and much more
Moreover, the qualities you learn in BJJ are transferable assets. Meaning you can apply them to other areas of your life: Whether it’s your health and fitness, career, relationships, etc. As a result, BJJ can be a foundational component of your personal development.
Are You Ready to Train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
BJJ has become one of the most popular martial arts for a reason. It’s fun to do, effective in real-life situations, and enables you to grow and develop as a person. As such, it’s something that is worth your time!
