Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the most popular martial arts worldwide. Brazilian jui jitsu’s notoriety has benefited from its popularity in the mixed martial arts arena, where Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has dominated and proven to be one of the most effective techniques in submitting an opponent. Its popularity extends beyond those who plan to fight professionally, this is a sport anyone can enjoy and practice for life. Whether you can began as a child or began as an adult, it is a sport that grows with you, as do the benefits. Beyond the ring, there are many surprising benefits for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training for adults.
Functional Fitness
Functional fitness means practicing certain exercises that improve daily activity, such a squat or lunge that engage many muscles, including the core. Why is this important? As we age, we lose mobility. So if you don’t use it, you lose it. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a sport that can help you increase and maintain mobility as you age. Overall this will help you stay active, keep you healthy, and result in a higher quality of life. The problem with functional fitness exercises in a gym setting is that they are boring. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is anything but boring which is why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a perfect way to incorporate functional fitness into your exercise routine.
Train to fight so you won’t have to
From an outside perspective, training to fight may appear to attract only those who are aggressive in nature and those who wish to fight themselves. The opposite is true. Instead, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and martial arts generally, teaches its students to avoid conflict at all costs. Furthermore, trained fighters are not picked on or goaded into fights. Although there are exceptions to the rule, generally bullies do not seek out a black belt to pick on. A bully seeks out someone who won’t fight back. A trained fighter will have the confidence to let others know they can defend themselves.
The Culture
It’s not all mohawks and tapout shirts – it’s much more. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training in some ways takes over your life, as training certainly does not end after you leave the mat. For those who train, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu becomes a lifestyle because to train effectively, you must eat healthy, sleep well, and take care of yourself in general.
Lifelong Friendships
Those who train together form a tight bond built on trust and mutual love for the sport. Training requires ultimate trust. After all, the art of the sport is centered on executing arm breaking and choking techniques. To practice these safely, you must trust your partner. The friendships formed on the mat extend beyond the gym. The people you roll with become your best friends, comparable to a second family as they are the people you see daily. Despite being a combat sport, it is not always about the competition. Although it is an individual sport at the competition level, the gym where you train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is still a team oriented environment. Just like an other team sport, it is imperative to make the team better, requiring patience, cooperation, and trust from all members to help teammates develop their skill.
Mental Strength
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu trains you to be mentally strong. Let’s face it, the gym, it’s boring. You can run all day on a treadmill and not get anywhere. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is quite the opposite. It trains your brain, which in turn keeps you on the mat, and keeps you going back for more. The decision making required when you are rolling with an opponent keeps you engaged. Some even refer to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as chess on a mat. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, like chess, to become a master, you must not only know all the rules and techniques, but you must also understand their applications. You must understand the difference sequences and the logic of using different maneuvers at different times. To an outsider, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match may look like an awkward scramble between two people. But, to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master, they will understand the strategy behind the moves.
To read more about the benefits of practicing martial arts, check out The Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids.
