Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a type of martial art than can have huge benefits on your life. Despite its name, it is far more than merely a sport. For many practitioners Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or the “gentle art”, is a way of life that can have a great impact on your daily activities, delivering improved strength, flexibility and mental prowess, as well as providing a boost to your social life. It is far more than just something for MMA and wrestling fans.
Weight and Inch Loss
Many who partake in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, particularly those who are doing it for the first time, find that they lose weight quite quickly and that it is relatively easy to later maintain that weight loss. One argument for this is not some “revolutionary secret formula”, but simply the fact that you enjoy partaking in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and therefore don’t spend time concentrating on the time you’re spending on it. In contrast, many find running on a treadmill to be boring and tedious, and spend the majority of their time watching the clock and concentrating on how long they have been running.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu works every muscle in the body, something which can help burn calories, and build further muscle which provides longer term weight-loss benefits. It has been reported that there are several of the sport’s leading athletes who got into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for its weight loss purposes, but enjoyed it so much they turned it into a career.
Improve Strength and Conditioning
Rugby players are among those who benefit the most from Brazilian Ju-jitsu. As they require a lot of strength across their entire body, they need to have powerful legs to sprint towards the try line, strong arms to perform tackles and a strong core to stop them being pushed around in scrums. In recognition of this, the Australian National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabbitohs looked to find a competitive advantage over their rival teams by adding a new dimension to their training regime.
They recruited the services of Alex Prate, a mixed martial arts fighter and Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, to train their players in new defensive techniques. Prate’s recruitment came as the team was looking to end a 43-year drought, in which the team had not won a premiership title since 1971 despite 20 victories between then and 1908. The move proved an immediate success and the South Sydney Rabbitohs were winners of the 2014 NRL Grand Final. Their return to form was not a one-off, as the team went on to win the World Club Challenge and Auckland Nines in 2015. This recent success means they are currently one of the favourites to take the 2019 NRL Grand Final victory.
Improved Mental Health Through Stress Relief
Looking after our mental health has been a big topic in recent years, with several major campaigns in the UK aimed at encouraging people to check if their friends are ok and to get businesses to train “mental health first aiders”, like they do for physical health. One of the big factors in managing our mental health is controlling our stress levels.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a great way to relieve stress, and therefore improve our mental health. It is a safe way to let off some steam in an environment that is controlled and supervised. If you have ever watched people training and sparring, you will have noticed that they are all smiling. This is down to the stress-relieving benefits of the sport, and the boost of endorphins it gives to those taking part.
A Boost to Your Social Life
Photo by tacofleur, License
Social interaction is another factor that is linked to improved mental health. Taking up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, like many other sports, is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. To truly master this martial art requires years of dedication in training and practice, usually alongside others. This creates a level of comradery amongst those taking part, and it also creates a great level of respect and trust given that they’ll be rolling around on the training mat together.
Traveling to tournaments together, socialising outside of the academy, and supporting each other through belt promotions all help people together. For many, reaching the level of black belt doesn’t stop them from keep training, as the friendships they have formed are more important than any status they achieve. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, like many other martial arts and sports in general, brings together people from many walks of life, helping to add a diverse mix of backgrounds to your social circle.
Improved Brain Power
All forms of exercise can have benefits to your brain power, hence the mantra “healthy body, healthy mind”. People who are physically stronger have been linked to having better problem solving skills, memory recall, and reasoning skills. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu takes this further since it can be a very strategic sport, requiring the execution of good technique and the ability to think ahead to anticipate your opponent’s moves. Whilst the physical element is significant, immense strength is of little use if you are unable to use problem-solving skills to plot a path to victory.
Better Flexibility
In addition to the conditioning benefits delivered by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, those who practice the sport also benefit from improved flexibility. The moves you are required to make and the positions that your body finds itself in require you to develop a level of flexibility that may not be required by some other sports. Having improved flexibility has been linked to a number of physiological benefits, including better posture, reduced levels of pain, and improved balance. It is also reported that those that have better levels of flexibility are able less likely to get injured.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu provides a plethora of benefits to those that practice it. From physical benefits like improved levels of strength in every muscle, weight loss and improved flexibility, to psychological benefits like reduced stress, increased social interaction and improved cognitive abilities, It is clear that this martial art delivers an all-round package of benefits to our health and fitness.
