Tough Ain’t Enough. It takes a certain type of person to train Jiu-Jitsu.
Someone who is perseverant, tough, and perhaps (for lack of better words) obsessed. Obsessed either with improving their BJJ or improving themselves in some way.
Maybe both.
As much as Jiu-Jitsu is complicated and challenging it just as rewarding – and that’s why we love it. It is impossible to become bored of this world of Jiu-Jitsu that is never stagnate; Always evolving, changing, improving.
Talking about the layers of techniques:
Layer 1: Learning the technique.
Layer 2: Putting it into practice.
Layer 3: Executing it during wrestling.
Layer 4: Achieving it in a tournament …. So many layers
Then we string those techniques together in different ways at different times and perhaps even for different purposes. Then comes along a new technique and the cycle starts all over again… (Did we mention the countless ways to set up that technique?)
There are also people who practice Jiu-Jitsu for their own development. Perhaps to improve fitness, learn a new skill, challenge themselves mentally and physically…There is nothing like the rounds where you wrestle your best training partner and to the untrained eye it looked like a round to the death because you both are going so damn hard. Every second, counts. No wonder Jiu-Jitsu improves fitness.
Then, there are the rounds where the new person is trying to move their body in a way that it has never moved before as the nervous system freaks out (being out of it’s element with these new moves), while the minds attempts to understand a new technique as it creates new pathways.
No wonder we become obsessed, we need to have a grasp on this massive world. Whether we want to become better at Jiu-Jitsu or better ourselves in some way through Jiu-Jitsu.
Then, comes the strain, stress and imbalance this marvellous sport has on our bodies. It is inevitable. Drilling a technique over and over, training so hard that we feel like we got hit by a truck, struggling through movements that are far from natural, twisting and turning, pressuring and escaping.
Let’s face it, this sport has a toll on our bodies, whether we like it or not.
How do we stay on those mats?
The secret?
More hard work, but in a different way – yoga. Not just any yoga, but Yoga For BJJ.
Why yoga. Because being tough ain’t enough.
In Jiu-Jitsu we commonly have an unbalanced game, we do certain techniques on certain sides. In Yoga For BJJ, we do everything the same on both sides.
In Jiu-Jitsu we are constantly leaning forward, cause stress on the back and shoulders from overuse of leaning forward), in Yoga for BJJ we execute back bends in a safe way (opposite from learning forward, backbends are leaning backwards), to keep the spine balanced and healthy (so you aren’t the 78 year old person with your back so arched your nose is permanently on your toes).
In Jiu-Jitsu we will have the training session of our lives. The next day we will feel like we got hit by a bus.Yoga For BJJ as an active rest day (or simply a session to get you ready to hit the Academy again).
Breathing. In Jiu-Jitsu we tend to breath hard and breath fast. In Yoga, a focus is to control the breathing and even to become comfortable in uncomfortable positions by using the breathing. This translates us being able to control ourselves in a chaotic environment during Jiu-Jitsu.
Yoga poses? Handstands help in strengthening shoulder mobility and balance sensitivity to make you harder to sweep when you are elevated in that opponents fancy guard.
Warrior 2 Yoga Pose? Good luck using your De La Riva guard. There are so many hidden benefits in the Yoga For BJJ Poses that translates to Jiu-Jitsu.
Yoga For BJJ is not just stretching, it is warming up properly for training sessions, cooling down properly after training sessions, and active recovery days (perhaps even preventing injuries). This is not a benefit to your game, it is necessary for your game.
Top 9 Benefits for Grapplers:
- Less injuries.
- Better breathing
- Better use of energy, so you can spar more.
- Moving smoother and quicker.
- Increased flexibility, of course.
- More powerful submissions and being able to hold them longer.
- Improved balance,
- Improved Base and control from top.
- Your core will get much stronger, and this will help all aspects of your game.
- Mental calmness (keeping cool) you get from yoga, which is paramount and crucial in a big tournament.
We want to be on the mats not just for a good time, but a long time.
Hey you. Want to feel FANTASTIC after a week of tough BJJ rolls? Sign up with Yoga for BJJ USE PROMO CODE “BJJEE TO GET 10% OFF.
