Learning martial arts- will provide many benefits to the trainees. However, there’s a variety of them. As a result, you may be confused about which to choose. This article will discuss the reasons you should learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ. Let’s dive in.
You should learn BJJ since it provides numerous mental and physical benefits, such as increased confidence and self-esteem, lower stress, and better physical shape. On top of that, you’ll learn to fight appropriately, which is highly desirable in today’s world.
Nonetheless, many found success learning other fighting styles, such as Muay-Thai or boxing. Because of that, I wrote an article on the best martial arts for self-defense you should practice. Therefore, I recommend reading it if you’re unsure which one to choose.
However, if you’re interested in learning BJJ, reading this article will provide plenty of value because I’ll explain and demonstrate its benefits. Consequently, if you’re unsure or struggling to make your choice, you’ll make a wiser choice by knowing the following information.
#1- BJJ is effective for self-defense
One of the most compelling reasons people begin to learn any martial art is that it’s effective for self-defense. Yet, you may wonder- which martial arts are more effective than others? Let’s examine the case of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
BJJ is effective for self-defense since it teaches its trainees grappling techniques- effective for disabling opponents quickly. As a result, one can use these movements to overcome any attacker in a self-defense situation, even when the attacker is more prominent than yourself.
Another advantage BJJ techniques have is that you can use the grappling techniques on anyone, regardless of size. To clarify, boxing is a martial art that emphasizes weight classes and weight for a reason; your weight and size determine the amount of force you can generate with your punches.
Nonetheless, BJJ has weight classes as well since weight influences it. However, when discussing self-defense, you can use the techniques you’ll learn on people of all sizes, including smaller or larger. Thus they’re incredibly effective for self-defense, as you can’t know which size person you’ll encounter.
#2- BJJ improves confidence and self-esteem
All martial arts provide numerous mental benefits, such as lower aggression and stress levels. Because of that, they improve the trainees’ well-being. In today’s world, achieving such traits- is highly desirable. So let’s examine the case of BJJ and one of its benefits.
BJJ improves confidence and self-esteem by letting its trainees overcome many obstacles throughout training. As a result, the sense of achievement and capability will increase the more advanced a trainee is. However, for instance, a beginner may feel less capable than an advanced.
But, many people deny that such an outcome is possible. Because of that, a study on Karate trainees and their self-esteem throughout a training course. From the results, we can see that it improved their self-esteem tremendously.
Well, what Karate has to do with Jiu-Jitsu? All martial arts provide similar benefits. If we think- why did Karate trainees improve their self-esteem? The straightforward answer is that they overcome many obstacles and thus learned to trust themselves. Well, BJJ is the same.
Training in martial arts has been shown to alter experiences of control and vulnerability, self-esteem, self-concept, fitness, confidence, and relaxation. As a result, some researchers characterize martial arts practice as a form of self-help.
Source
#3- BJJ lowers overall stress and aggression levels
Another mental benefits martial arts grant their trainees is lower stress and overall aggression levels. Wait, lower aggression levels? If I want to fight fiercely, I need to increase my aggression and violence levels. Well, Not quite.
There’s no correlation between your aggression and violence levels to how solid of a fighter you are. Instead, lower stress and aggression levels make you calmer in day-to-day situations. Yet, when the time comes and you need to use physical force, you’ll unleash the capabilities of your built-in training.
BJJ lowers overall stress and aggression levels by providing its trainees with an outlet. This outlet is suitable for releasing built tension and feeling good about self-improvement. Thus after training, the trainees will show lower levels of stress and aggression.
“Scientists have found biological evidence that stress and aggression feed off of each other, contributing to a “cycle of violence” that can be tragic. When we are under stress, we are more likely to fly off the handle, and when we fly off the handle, that increases our level of stress.”
Source
“The regular practice of martial arts could elevate mindfulness levels of practitioners and thus influence positively on stress management and therefore quality of life and well-being.”
Source
From these two sources, we come up with a primary conclusion. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a suitable sport to lower your stress and aggression levels. These correlate with each other and feed off of each other. Thus releasing built tension in training- has tremendous value.
#4- BJJ betters well-being
Although this is more of a generalization, the point still comes across. More than 264 million people suffer from depression worldwide. (World Health Organization, 2020)
What if I were to tell you that you can improve your well-being and lower the chances of depression; would you jump on the opportunity? Frankly, I did. Training in martial arts has changed my way of living. As a result, I’m more capable and confident than ever before.
BJJ betters well-being by improving your mental health on numerous pillars. For instance, it betters your self-image and confidence by giving you a platform to progress. Additionally, it teaches you to fight and increases your capability to care for yourself.
All of these aspects improve one’s well-being over the long term. Hence you won’t notice any results if you don’t dedicate yourself to the martial art- of Jiu-Jitsu. Instead, if you wait for results to show up, you’ll quit before that occurs.
#5- BJJ improves physical condition
The last reason I’ll end with is that BJJ improves physical condition. I saved it for last since it’s what most people are interested in getting. Thus you may desire to achieve it through learning a martial art, which is fantastic for our purpose.
BJJ improves the physical condition by utilizing aerobic and anaerobic exercises like fighting drills. As a result, you’ll learn to fight and use Jiu-Jitsu techniques while bettering your physical self. For instance, an hour of Jiu-Jitsu training can burn up to 1100 calories.
If you’re familiar with this number, it’s the difference between gaining and losing weight. As a result, by participating in BJJ training, you’ll become capable of losing body fat incredibly effectively.
Finally, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a fantastic martial art that also betters your physical condition. If you’re interested in learning more about it, I encourage you to watch the following video.
Should I learn BJJ?
BJJ is for everyone. Whether you’re 8-90 years old, you can benefit from the variety of drills and exercises it offers. For instance, many qualified Jiu-Jitsu schools provide numerous classes dedicated to children.
If you desire to learn to fight while simultaneously bettering your physical and mental selves, BJJ is for you. Additionally, you’ll learn fighting techniques called grappling; these are suitable movements both as a sport and for self-defense.
Overall, I have no terrible points when thinking of BJJ. However, some martial arts have many downsides. However, I can’t find any when discussing Jiu-Jitsu. Thus I encourage you to begin your training as soon as possible.
Is BJJ hard for beginners?
Because there’s a variety of martial arts, some will be simpler than others. In fact, many are incredibly easier to learn compared to their peers. For instance, boxing and kickboxing are relatively simple compared to Judo or MMA.
BJJ will be complex for beginners since it involves unintuitive movements, which as grappling. As a result, some will have an incredibly challenging time learning these demanding movements. Yet, the yield is worth the effort. Thus although it’s relatively difficult to learn, you should learn BJJ.
Is BJJ effective in a street fight?
Most martial arts will be effective in street fights since they teach people to fight. For instance, Karate originates from Okinawa Island, Japan. The people of Okinawa learned Karate so they could self-defense appropriately.
BJJ is effective in street fights since it teaches practical techniques to disable an opponent with speed and ease. Moreover, it teaches ways of dealing with bigger opponents than yourself. As a result, BJJ will be incredibly effective for street fights.
Final words
BJJ is an incredible martial art that teaches valuable techniques. Moreover, it’s suitable both for self-defense and as a competitive sport. So, if you’re interested in bettering your physical and mental selves while learning to fight, consider learning Jiu-Jitsu.
Because it’s incredibly prevalent in today’s world, many qualified schools teach this art. Begin by researching your local area for such schools.
If there’s a single piece of advice I want you to take, begin as soon as possible. Most people don’t start their BJJ journey and thus cannot notice any results. However, if you begin starting today, you could see results sooner and let them motivate you to continue.
Finally, if you reached this far in the article, I encourage you to read about the deadliest martial arts from around the world.