A lot of times you hear Jiu Jitsu practitioners say that they enjoy “The Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle”. But how is a lifestyle based around a sport, better than a party lifestyle for example? How could you have fun being sports-oriented all day? Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of living a Jiu Jitsu lifestyle versus a party lifestyle.

1.Health levels. One huge difference between the two lifestyles is the health levels you’ll have. By now, the benefits of having an active lifestyle are already well known. Confidence, hormonal levels, leanness and your general well being will all be elevated through the roof. But how is living a party-oriented lifestyle incompatible with that? There are two very big problems here. Alcohol and skipping sleep. Alcohol has a very big impact on your health, first by the calories  you are taking in and secondly through the hormonal changes it stimulates and not to mention addiction. Alcohol was been shown to increase estrogen levels, slow down vitamin absorption and increase insulin resistance, all things that will make the performance of your body drastically go down. Even more so if huge quantities are involved. The implications here are huge. Increased cancer risk, faster aging of the body, decreased energy levels, decreased fitness levels, etc.

2.The rush.  Everyone likes to get an endorphin rush. Doing things that are hard, intense and challenging gives you that. The problem is most of the times, the situations in real life that give you a rush, also have harsh consequences if you fail to perform. With Jiu Jitsu, you get that rush, without any real bad consequences behind it. On the contrary, the endorphin rush it creates is benefic for both your brain and your body. It’s a much healthier way of keeping a smile on your face and elevating mood levels than getting drunk and “having fun”.

3. Money. Although Jiu Jitsu will not be cheaper initially than a night out with your friends (in most cases anyway), think of it as an investment. You can definitely get a Jiu Jitsu membership for one month with the money most people use on going out partying in the same time interval. The investment you make now, will pay you later in increased health, confidence, attitude and perhaps, one day, you’ll even make a living out of this. What are the chances of making a living out of going out and drinking? Probably slim to none.

4.Traveling, community and cultural exchanges. Jiu Jitsu encourages you to travel. There are a lot of competitions all around the world. And, likely, you’ll never travel alone. Most gyms organize travels for multiple members and the experience you get by travelling with the team is fantastic. It creates bonds and memories that you will never forget. Despite being considered an individual sport, there are so many aspects where you require a team behind you. Competing is one of them. Another fantastic thing about the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle is that you get to meet new people. People that come from all around the world and the only thing you have in common with them is Jiu Jitsu. You get to take a perspective at how other people from other cultures are. Sure, going out partying might make you meet some new people, but their likely your friend’s acquaintances. You’re not meeting people from different societies altogether.

5. Social Circles. Now, you might say that the Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle has no advantage here, but does it? If you look at most people that have achieved something in Jiu Jitsu (higher belt rank, top results, etc) you will notice a trend. They are all performers. They are all people that are performing very well in life, not just at Jiu Jitsu. That’s because Jiu Jitsu ingrains the required mentality to perform anywhere in life. Getting to know this kind of people and hanging with them will help you adopt that same winning and no excuse mentality that they have. Can hanging out in town, drinking and getting wasted make you to get to know new people? Likely. Will you get to know successful people whom you have a lot to learn from? Very unlikely.

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