Why do jiu jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu exposes you to a roller coaster of emotions that not only makes you stronger physically but mentally and emotionally as well. You have to be ready to accept failure, learn from it and move on. Whether you are a black belt or a white belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches you to accept that you will never fully become a master of your martial art of choice. Not only are there hundreds of techniques out there but there are also new ones being discovered everyday. You then realize that the only way to improve is to continuously work on it everyday and remind yourself that you have a lot to learn.

The more you train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the more focused you become on the bigger picture; an important lesson you learn on the mats. Forget holding Goddess pose for minutes on end. I literally felt like I had been steam-rolled and flattened like a pancake every morning after each Jiu-Jitsu class. I could have easily played a walk-on role in The Walking Dead. I had the stiff zombie limp down without even trying. I thought about quitting after my 4th or 5th class.

I'd push the thought aside and show up for my next class anyways. Eight weeks into my Great Jiu-Jitsu experiment I received my first white stripe. I wasn't expecting it and I felt like it was Christmas morning, Easter, and Halloween all rolled into one. Maybe , I thought, I could do this. At the time I was only taking one Jiu-Jitsu class a week. I knew that if I wanted to get better I'd have to train more It's not that they were sweaty that scared me.

They were bigger, stronger, and well, a lot better than me. In my small Muay Thai world, I'm a big fish in tiny pond at least in my dojo. I'm a second degree black belt and I can more than hold my own. I've been practicing this discipline for nearly 7 years. In the Jiu-Jitsu world, I'm a guppie in a huge ocean. So why do I practice? I'll tell you why! Reason I'm never too old to learn something new. Sure, it would have been better if I had started when I was 46 or 35 or 10, but here I am -- I celebrate my half-century mark at the end of November.

Reason 9: Jiu-Jitsu teaches me mind-body awareness in relation to training with an opponent. After nearly 50 years on this earth, I'm finally learning my left from my right. Reason 8: Jiu-Jitsu seems to incorporate a lot of yoga. I've added Bridge and Plow back into my daily yoga practice. Bridge pose is a great way to create space and roll your opponent off of you.

Plow pose teaches me to relax and breathe even when it feels like I'm being suffocated. There is no half-way or being a little bit pregnant. Unlike going to a traditional gym or marching to the beat of a spin or aerobics instructor, you are constantly learning new self-defense and body movement skills in Jiu Jitsu.

The curriculum at most academies incorporates learning practical self-defense, fundamental movements and body positioning, transitions, submissions, fighting off an assailant, and strategy for sports competition. Jiu Jitsu is constantly evolving with new techniques and the learning for both the novice and the more experiences practitioners is a continual ongoing process for all levels.

Meet New People - It is hard to meet quality people you would want to interact on with on a daily or weekly basis.

Jiu Jitsu classes are a great way to meet new people. It could take time to warm up to classmates and vice versa, but if you give it time, you will make great friends. Part what makes Jiu Jitsu practitioners very friendly is that they work out their stress and are constantly humbled on the mat, which keeps their ego in check.

Joe Rogan had this great quote about people in Jiu Jitsu during his black belt speech. There is leg day, chest day, back day, cardio day and it is a very monotonous routine that can get very boring, very quickly.

There is also a feeling of individualism and isolation when it comes to going to a regular gym. You might have a workout partner or friend, but in many cases you go in there and workout with the weights, machines, and treadmill on your own for an hour or so and go home.

There is not the same sense of community and other interaction with others like there is a Jiu Jitsu class. Test Your Comfort Zone — In life we often get comfortable in our routines of school, work, socializing, family time, and paying bills. There is safety in the comfort of doing what we do and knowing what we know. In many cases we are good at being a good employee, business owner, friend or parent. What happens when you start something new from scratch as an adult where it is almost guaranteed you will struggle for a certain amount of time before you start getting better?

While the struggle is painful, the personal growth and pride from overcoming a challenge is very rewarding and can open your eyes to other opportunities in life to help reach your human potential. Relieve Stress — Life is very stressful with work, bills, schools, family, and traffic to name a few.

Stress can cause many physical and mental health issues including headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety. Training in Jiu Jitsu causes many chemical reactions in the body that help relieve stress, forget about our problems in life, and feel more satisfied and positive about life. Learn Humility —Through the process of training and sparring in Jiu Jitsu in the right environment, you will become a more humble and empathetic person.

When you are starting as a new white belt, it will be a very overwhelming experience where you will be learning and practicing body movements and concepts that will challenge you both physically and mentally. There will be times where you will be lost and feel inadequate. Yet, at the same time, the right coaches and training partners who have gone through the same experiences will be helping you learn in a very patient manner.