Here’s How BJJ Will Skyrocket Your Confidence

Mar 24, 2021BJJEEArticles

Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the best Singapore BJJ gym.

One of the many ways that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has influenced people all over the world is by developing and improving the confidence in men, women, and children of all ages and sizes.

Those who regularly attend BJJ classes are not just learning an highly-effective and advanced martial art; they are also participating in what is often regarded as a form of mental therapy, beneficial physical exercise, and a brilliant way of socializing and becoming part of a community.

Today, Evolve Daily will explain some of how BJJ can significantly improve your confidence.

1) Learning Self-Defense

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that focuses on the grappling aspects of self-defense. Essentially, BJJ students learn to control and manipulate the body of one’s opponent in forms that can force them to ‘submit.’

BJJ is renowned for unlocking the capability of a smaller, more knowledgeable person, who can then defend against the attacks of a larger and stronger opponent. BJJ rewards technique, strategy, and tactics, more so than brute power and strength, and it is for this reason why the martial art is rapidly growing in popularity.

Those experienced in BJJ have confidence that if they ever find themselves in a self-defense situation, they can adequately defend themselves. Note, while the average untrained person will leverage their basic knowledge of punches or kicks in a self-defense scenario, a student of BJJ will instead use his/her expertise to control his/her opponent and preferably not impose any significant damage or harm.

Ultimately, students of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will have more confidence in a self-defense scenario, but they are also less likely to engage in one.

2) Improving Your Health And Wellbeing

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be a relatively intense exercise. The constant grappling and physical demands can be quite a workout.

So, it is no surprise that those who fall in love with the martial art dedicate time and effort – in and out of the gym – into improving their capabilities.

To hang in there with the higher-ranked belts in BJJ class, students often look to improve their diets, get more sleep, and live an overall healthier lifestyle. The combination of these benefits and the regular training and exercise from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can result in positive physical changes.

There are countless stories of overweight people who begin their BJJ journey and lose sizes of weight in the process.

A testament to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s weight-cutting properties lies in the simple fact that students are already sweating after the opening warm-up. A combination of bodyweight exercises and beginner BJJ techniques will help the body burn calories fast. When the class begins, students begin practicing techniques with other students, and this will help keep the body warm while they fill your mind with knowledge and train their muscles.

It’s at the end of class, however, when things kick into another gear. Students will partner up and begin “rolling” (sparring), which is a full-body workout for five minutes at a time that allows students to practice and implement the techniques they have learned during class.

BJJ is not just a brilliant way to lose weight; it is also one of the most enjoyable and exciting physical activities. By training regularly, students will lose weight, become healthier, and naturally become more confident in their physical appearance.

3) Developing An Ability To Diagnose Problems

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches students to remain calm and form solutions to complex problems while under pressure.

When “rolling” in a live environment or competing in a BJJ tournament, practitioners are forced to realize, adapt, and overcome fast-changing positions, scenarios, and challenges.

If an opponent utilizes a specific technique, the student must leverage his/her existing knowledge to identify the most appropriate defensive or counter-attacking response. There’s often no time to waste, either, as students are required to make critical decisions in less than a couple of seconds, or asked to devise a defensive strategy that removes themselves from a dangerous position.

Students of BJJ become adept at high-level problem solving that enables the ability to act decisively while remaining composed.

4) Unlocking A Willingness To Accept New Challenges

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey begins earlier than the first time someone enters the classroom. Instead, it starts with any fear or anxiety that we feel before attending the first class. It is natural, of course, to feel fear of the unknown. So, it’s not unusual for someone to be sitting in the parking lot outside the gym wondering if they should walk through the doors and begin training or avoid the challenge and drive home.

By taking that initial step and attending the first class, BJJ students are already on their way to transforming their outlook on challenges and difficult situations.

While in class, BJJ students are frequently exposed to new challenges, both mental and physical, as they are asked to complete tasks that may once have been perceived as uncomfortable. Whether students successfully handle the task at hand or fail to achieve the desired results in their first attempt, they grow.

Students who train BJJ are exposed to failure on an almost daily basis. From the very beginnings of the BJJ journey, students will partner with more experienced teammates and immediately realize that each failure represents a brilliant opportunity to reflect, learn, and improve.

Students will realize the possibility of failure, but continue to approach the task at hand with confidence. They will understand how to break down problems and resolve them appropriately.

This new level of confidence unlocks incredible opportunities, as students now understand that they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

5) Socializing With New People And Joining A Local Community

While there is much to be said about the improvement of the body and mind, a sometimes forgotten element of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the benefit associated with joining a community and socializing with different men and women.

It’s not uncommon for people to stick to a ‘social bubble’ in which they have maintained the same relationships for many years. These bubbles affect the way we think and act, and can sometimes result in isolating ourselves from potentially beneficial relationships, friendships, and information.

From the moment that a student begins his/her BJJ journey, they will meet new people, who soon become teammates, and might quickly become friends. Embrace the opportunity to develop your body and mind with these people, because they are all on the same journey.

One of the welcomed aspects of BJJ is that it enables lasting friendships. From the moment you walk in the door for your first BJJ class, you are immediately on the same journey as the other students around you.

In summary, BJJ will greatly improve your confidence by: