10 Reasons Why BJJ is the Best Martial For You to Learn [2021 Update]

Table of Contents

1. A Great Stress-reliever

BJJ demands a lot of focus and attention to perfectly execute the moves. That is why it works as a great stress reliever. So, if you had a bad day or you are feeling anxious about any upcoming event, just try doing a couple of rolls. To master this art form, you need to learn multiple moves and techniques.

And those need to be executed with a lot of strategies that require a lot of focus. Since the mind gets so engrossed in the process, the mind gets too busy to think of anything negative. Thus, it helps in fighting with all the stressful situations that life throws you in.

2. Physical Exercise

While training for BJJ, you will have to do a lot of rolling on the mats. This instantly activates all the muscles of the body. As a result, it increases the endurance of the body and works as a fat-burner.

And we all know how beneficial regular physical exercise can be. Especially when it is fun to do at the same, it doubles the result. When you are training for hours to learn BJJ, your muscles are working incessantly which helps to get you in shape and offers you better physical health.

3. One of the Best Bases for Martial Arts

BJJ acts as fundamental to learning any form of martial arts. Anyone who learns BJJ at first gets an upper hand in learning any martial arts. It is very effective against other grappling styles.

Without the skills of BJJ, it becomes near to impossible to perform well in MMA. Initially one can sustain in their career without it, but later the grappling skills learned in BJJ will always help to win.

4. It is Perfect for All

Why BJJ is the best, you ask. Well, there are multiple reasons that we have talked about already. And there are many more we will discuss later. But one of the biggest reasons is that BJJ is not confined to any age. Nor it is gender-biased. Anyone can get into BJJ at any age.

And it is perfect for women as well. It can be very helpful for women as a self-defense technique. And it is very popular among them because it lets the physically smaller or weaker person give a strong fight against a much bigger attacker. If you are a woman and are concerned about protecting yourself while walking down a deserted street or in crowded places; choose to train yourself in BJJ. It can be a real-life savior!

5. It Builds Character

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu not only makes you physically fit, but it also helps to build your character as well. By enduring through the tough training sessions, you will go through a roller coaster of emotions.

With each challenge, you learn new ways to deal with difficulties in life. It puts in unforeseen situations and teaches the technique to not let those overpower you. Thus, it constantly keeps improving your perseverance and makes you more confident.

6. It Builds Your Mind

The rigorous training that every student of BJJ goes through prepares them for life as well. With so many moves to learn and apply on a fight, one must learn how to set aims and achieve the goal, which requires a lot of strategic planning. It also requires one to think fast and solve the problems.

In a sense, BJJ is a game of real-life chess that is played on the ground. As a result, through this training, a student becomes mentally sharp and attains fast-thinking ability. 

7. Continuous Self-improvement

This martial arts technique will teach you that no matter what level you reach in life you will never be perfect. And to be on top of the game all the time, continuous improvement is the only way.

It teaches you to work on your moves every single day without losing your focus. Whether you are a blue belt or a black belt, once out of practice, you will lose your skills soon. So, every BJJ students remain consistent in their training for the rest of their lives.

8. You Learn Valuable Life Lessons

As mentioned earlier, while training for BJJ, you get to acquire many life lessons along the way. Being focused, being present in the moment, learning to strategize and plan accordingly: these are the skills that most people lack but are also very important to lead a good life.

It takes a lot of effort to learn to use the art of grappling. Dedication and hard work are a must. BJJ helps you learn these skills and become the best version of yourself.

9. BJJ Training is Fun

BJJ is fun to learn especially when you start getting good at certain skills. This is one of the reasons why people from different parts of the world love being a part of it. It is also not as physically harming as most other martial arts.

That is why in many places people aged around 60-80 years also train for this. When you enjoy doing an activity, its benefits get multiplied. And that is what happens while training for BJJ. It is the fun and excitement of learning new moves that keep people motivated to perform hours of practice every single day. 

10. It teaches the Most Real-life Fighting Techniques

Most of the street fights happen on the ground. And BJJ teaches you how to use the art of grappling to pull your opponent down to the ground. If you ever get into street fights, BJJ lessons will surely help you get out of the situation with flying colors.

That is why it is said that you get to learn the most real-life fighting techniques from BJJ. It can save you in real-life self-defense situations.

Final Words

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an ancient martial arts technique. But it is still prevalent in today’s day and age and works perfectly with the modern time. That is why BJJ is the best martial arts form one could learn. If you want to learn it for self-defense, to pursue it as a profession or just for fun, this timeless martial art will serve all the purposes. While making you physically fit, it will also prepare you for life. With hands-on life lessons along with planning and strategizing skills, you will learn to be the version of yourself through this. So, if you haven’t already, think about starting to learn BJJ soon.

FAQs

1. What does a typical BJJ training session look like?

Ans: A typical Jiu-Jitsu class starts with a warm-up session. Since Jiu-Jitsu training involves a lot of pulling and tugging, it can cause painful muscle pulls. That is why a warm-up session is compulsory. After the drilling session ends, the rolling begins. Rolling means putting the techniques learned into practice.

2. What is the age limit to train?

Ans: There is no age limit to train for BJJ. People of all ages can learn Jiu-jitsu. It is because BJJ is physically less harming than other martial arts. Starting from kids to sixty-year-olds, people from all age groups train for BJJ.

3. What is Gi?

Ans: Gi is the uniform that is worn while training for Jiu-Jitsu. It has a jacket, a belt, and pants. It is made with a special material that can withstand the pulling and tugging of the daily practice sessions. It is treated with the same respect by many BJJ players as a Knight treats its armor. Because Jiu-Jitsu plays a very technical role in performing the BJJ moves. If the Gi is not strong enough to endure the grappling, one can hurt their finger joints because of it.

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Best BJJ Takedowns for Beginners – Improve Your Game

Want to know which takedowns you should learn as a BJJ beginner? 

Don’t get left behind and improve your overall game by learning a few important takedowns such as the double-leg or single-leg takedown.

A common trend with many BJJ practitioners is that they aren’t that good at takedowns. The thing is that when practicing Jiu-Jitsu, and rolling, many people just pull guard, therefore their takedown game isn’t as refined as it should be. 

When such BJJ practitioners try to transition into MMA or have to grapple against a wrestler, they can have problems. 

So, it is absolutely essential to have some good takedowns in your arsenal. 

Yeah, I get that you can pull guard in sport BJJ competition, but you can’t forget that at the end of the day, BJJ is a martial art, which means we have to consider the self-defense aspects of what we’re doing as well. 

I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to pull guard in a street fight, or an MMA fight. 

So, in this post you are going to learn about the best takedowns that every beginner should learn and practice. 

There are tons of different takedowns that you can learn, for instance, in Judo alone, there are 67 different standard throws with tons of different variations. Add the techniques from freestyle wrestling, Sambo, Greco Roman, and other grappling arts, and you’d probably have thousands of different takedowns that you can use. 

But, like the famous Bruce Lee quote, you don’t need thousands of different techniques, you just need a few that you have practiced thousands of times. Therefore the simple takedowns in this list should be your bread and butter for standup grappling, and believe me, it’s these simple takedowns that actually work at the highest level of the sport. 

So, here are some of the top takedowns that you should practice as a beginner.

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The Double-Leg Takedown

If you do any form of grappling, you have probably seen the double leg takedown. It is the first takedown you learn in any wrestling school, yet it is the most effective takedown at the highest level of the sport. 

It is prominent in BJJ, all wrestling styles, Sambo and MMA, however, Judo doesn’t allow it for some useless reason (to their own loss, I might add) 

Though it may seem like a brute force football tackle in hindsight, there are many technical intricacies to the double leg takedown. 

Firstly, you can’t shoot a double-leg takedown if you are afraid of commitment. You need to be quick and set up the takedown to get to your opponent’s legs before they sprawl. 

Secondly, it is important to shoot the double leg from the right distance. The general rule is, only shoot for a double leg if you can touch your opponent. 

Moreover, there are many variations of the couple’s leg, largely depending on your head position. Which can be on the side or in the chest. To complete the takedown, you can either drive through your opponent, or cut an angle, and drop them to the side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETpgDGw1ITs

The Single-Leg Takedown

The single-leg is another standard takedown that is very important in wrestling and BJJ. As the name suggests, all you have to do is reach down and grab one leg of your opponent, which is usually the lead leg, since it is closer. 

After that, there are loads of different ways to finish the single leg, you can run the pipe, trip the other leg and do a lot of other variations to make your opponent hit the mat. 

Single legs are also a great way to chain takedowns, which is essential at the highest level of the sport. Single legs can create openings for other takedowns like double legs and high crotches. Khabib Nurmgomedov was especially good at chaining takedowns, in multiple fights, he shot a low single from his own side, and chained multiple techniques to get the takedown. The initial grappling exchange in the McGregor fight is a great example of this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64z25NDWlQo

The Low Single Leg Takedown

Though a low single is still a single leg, its mechanics are quite different you have to shoot very low on your opponent’s lead leg and grab their ankle. After that, depending on your opponent’s reaction, there are many ways to finish the takedown. 

However, there are some things that you need to be aware of while trying a low single. Firstly, you should ideally spend as little time as possible on your knees, this is because when you are hitting a low single, you may save yourself from a guillotine, but it is possible to expose your back. 

Low singles can be shot from a longer distance than traditional single legs. And many fighters use them regularly, take Khabib Nurmagomedov for example, in both the Aquinta and Mcgreggar fight, he got the first takedown after shooting a low single from the outside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D40Hq6sBca0

The Hip Throw / O Goshi

The hip throw is one of the first techniques taught in Judo, and it is very effective, especially in BJJ, where you and your opponent are eating a Gi. It is also a good technique in No-gi, but without the proper grips, it can be a little challenging to execute.  O-Goshi roughly translates to the “big hip throw”, and though this name may have you think that it is a massive slam, however, done right, it is actually one of the most controlled takedowns in grappling. Therefore, it is perfect for beginners. 

There are several easy to initiate this takedown, however, the simplest way is to utilize an under hook. If you are training in a gi, you can also grab your opponent’s belt from the back. Whereas the other hand maintains a grip on your opponent’s wrist or sleeve. 

From there, you have to step in and lower your hips until they are below the level of your opponent’s. Then pull your opponent’s sleeve, and using your hips as a fulcrum, you can cause your opponent to hit the mat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBQXNxRsVjw

The Ankle Pick

The Ankle pick is another excellent low-risk takedown that can be very effective, and if you land it, you end up in a very favorable position to pass guard. 

To land the takedown, you need to place a grip on your opponent’s wrist, sleeve or lapel, and grab the ankle with the other hand. Then you need to elevate your opponent’s leg to disrupt their balance.

When you land the takedown, you already have a grip on your opponent’s ankle, which allows you to easily transition into different guard passes. 

The ankle pick has been used multiple times by Tony Ferguson, and Danier Cormier also used it to take down dark lewis in his heavyweight title defense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjwFc7FwHS4&ab_channel=ChewjitsuChewjitsu

The Front Headlock Snap Down

The front headlock is a very common position that you may end up in during a BJJ match. Most practitioners will pull guard when they have a front headlock and try to get a guillotine, however, if you use the snap-down, you can stay on top, and avoid taking any risks. 

When you have the front headlock, you need to make sure that you maintain shoulder pressure on your opponent, making them carry as much of your weight as possible. Then, you need to fall to your knees and snap your opponent down with you. 

They will end up in a turtle position, and from here you have a lot of transitions depending on your opponent’s response. You can take the back for points, and even string together submissions like the guillotine, Anaconda, and dance to get a high percentage finish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjvWqnaC5AI&ab_channel=AbsoluteMMAStKilda-Melbourne

The Arm Drag to an Inside Trip

This is perhaps one of the easiest takedowns to land in a BJJ match, and it is especially effective against larger and stronger opponents. Though it is effective in freestyle wrestling and MMA, it becomes a lot easier in BJJ, since you can grab your opponent’s sleeve to get a more effective arm drag. 

To initiate the arm drag, your rear hand will grab your opponent’s sleeve, whereas the lead hand will grab the material behind the tricep. You can then drag your opponent out of their stance, while simultaneously hooking the inside leg. 

Remember to throw your weight towards your opponent to off-balance them and secure the takedown.

When you land this takedown, you will probably end up in half guard, which is easier to pass an attack from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elQUepOQ4Gc&ab_channel=GracieBarraTXGracieBarraTX

The Tomoe Nage / Sacrifice Throw

Tomoe Nage is a Judo takedown also known as the sacrifice throw. It is named so because you temporarily put yourself under your opponent before throwing them over you.  

In hindsight, this may sound like a bad idea, but when executed properly, the sacrifice actually allows you to generate a lot of momentum and get  deep under your opponent’s center of gravity.

The Tomoe Nage is especially useful in BJJ, because you have the right grips to execute the technique, and even if you mess up, you end up in guard. Therefore, this is a great technique for competition, however, in a self-defense situation it isn’t that suitable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcyP84q9Knc&ab_channel=TravisStevensTravisStevens

Final Thoughts

Practicing takedowns is very important in BJJ, especially if you want to be effective in self-defense, and maybe want to transition into MMA. Even if you are transitioning from Gi to No-Gi, takedowns become more important, since positions like bottom guard become more expensive. 

Moreover, it is quite simple. If you don’t incorporate takedowns into your training, you will always be a step behind the competition.

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16 Benefits of BJJ: The Ultimate Guide for 2021

If you are fed up with following boring ways for healthy living and looking for a simple way to improve fitness while having fun, then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could be a perfect solution. BJJ is an exceptionally famous martial art through which you will get all kinds of fitness benefits. There are benefits for both your physical appearance and mental state.

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Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial arts for self-defense and fighting. This game grabbed individuals’ attention rapidly and has been developing ever since. In Japan, “Jiu-Jitsu” means “gentle art.”

BJJ is a combination of ground fighting, grappling, and submission holds. However, it’s a rewarding martial art; a hard one. This art’s primary focus is to bring the competitor to the ground and gain a dominant position through a wide range of techniques. 

The story of Jiu-Jitsu is pretty much ancient. It’s a family of martial arts that started in the Sengoku Era of the Muromachi Period in Japan in the year 1467. In Jiu-Jitsu, different tactics were used, but weapons were seen as impractical. Practitioners learned effective grappling methods for controlling their opponents. Now, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a renowned mixed martial art around the world and gaining popularity day by day.

BJJ is much more than a physical recreation or martial art. This gentle art can give you a healthy way of living, along with a vast range of mental benefits. A daily practice session of Jiu-Jitsu can completely transform your life by making a significant impact on your lifestyle.

Who doesn’t want to get a fit and healthy body? An appropriate amount of healthy foods, water, sufficient sleep, and exercise can give anyone a much better life. If you add BJJ to your regular lifestyle, it will change your life completely. Besides, you can make new friends at your gym, which will help you to stay fresh and anxiety free.

What Are The Life-Changing Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Physical Benefits

1. A Great Exercise

In Jiu-Jitsu, you have to give all of your nergy and muscle capability to perform. A variety of low and high-intensity efforts with short rest are needed in BJJ sparring rounds. A combined effort of arms and legs is necessary to take the opponent to the ground and toget into a dominant position by neutralizing the competitor’s strength. That make it a perfect exercise for maintaining body fitness.

2. Enhancing Strength Capacity

Multi-joint exercises such as presses pull, squats, and push-ups will improve your strength level by increasing the metabolic rate. These will activate muscle fibers and help in gaining muscle mass. During practice time, you have to lift heavy as fast as possible with fast-twitch muscles.

Deadlifts, squats, and bench-press tighten your legs and bottom part. In addition, it will give you the right balance. Bench-press is effective in building triceps, biceps, and chest. These exercises will provide you with a remarkable ability to do challenging and bulky tasks easily. You will be able to stay energetic all day and have a lively time.

3. Effective for Managing Blood Pressure

Physical exercises help to maintain blood pressure for a healthy lifestyle. BJJ provides many aerobic exercises that aids to lower blood pressure. If you are suffering from high blood pressure, then this martials workout is for you.

It can also pump up your body’s blood pressure via adrenaline. Daily training will lead you to a good conditioning by managing your blood pressure rate.

4. Reducing Fat

Who doesn’t dream of being lean? It’s proven that a BJJ athlete can burn approximately 500 calories through 30 minutes of hard rolling. This martial art lowers cholesterol levels and lessens your chance of getting fat gradually. Regular vigorous practice helps to enhance healthy HDL levels. By reducing cholesterol levels, it solves some high blood pressure problems.

5. Weight Loss

BJJ is an effective full-body exercise. At the starting time of the session, you will automatically cut a considerable amount of fat via continuous practice. So, you will definitely lose some weight. The difference will be noticed after a few months of your training. It helps to lessen fat from every part of your body, that’s why you will see change fairly soon.

In regular workout exercises, we have spent a lot of time on treadmill, cycling, and lifting-up, but in the case of Jiu-Jitsu, we just have to focus on the techniques and how we can defeat the opponent and attain a safe position. If you tired of lifting weights or running the treadmill regularly, then jiu-jitsu is might be your thing.

6. Maintaining Body Shape

Being fit and having a suitable lifestyle is everyone’s desire. BJJ will give you the perfect body shape with a healthy body. Squats, bench-press, lifting, grappling, joint locks, and many other techniques keep moving the body all the time. As it will burn a lot of fat from the first session, it can execute a highly active life along with physical fitness.

7. Improving Cardiovascular System

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a good cardio workout. It’s the best way to raise the heart rate and strengthen the heart muscles. An excellent working heart muscle is necessary for better body performance. For people who suffer from heart-related problems, it’s a great way to solve the problem naturally.

High blood pressure is the leading cause of many heart diseases. BJJ promotes the heart pump rate and increases heart strength bit by bit. When the fat amount decreases, it lowers blood pressure and allows your heart to pump correctly.

8. Closely Connected With MMA

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is relevant for MMA. It is one of the most widely-known combat sports which is based on several martial arts. If you think of learning MMA or conducting training, it will be a great addition as they are closely related to one another.

9. Self-protection

BJJ art is an excellent defense aspect compared to other martial arts. BBJ gives you a sense of handling the worst situation that may threaten your life. People are holding a misapprehension that striking will get success when two persons are in a physical quarrel, but that’s absolutely wrong. Boxing or karate have only the intention of protecting themselves by blowing their competitor. 

However, there is no involvement of striking in BJJ as boxing or hitting is not as effective as getting close to the opponent and controlling them. So, BJJ is a more efficient self-defense art than boxing, karate, or punching. Because only BJJ allows you to defeat your attacker without hurting them and yourself. Many law enforcement and military officers go through BJJ training programs for this reason.

10. Developing Courage

In these types of sports, you have to show a lot of courage. Because bravery and strong confidence levels can give you success against your opponent. When you execute with courage, everything is completely easy for you. You can handle anything easily as you have much confidence and belief in yourself.

11. Raising Mobility

Since during Jiu-Jitsu training you are always in motion, it will give you a quick and easy full-body mobility workout. The abundant movements in jiu-jitsu make the brain work fluently. It enhances the thinking ability and provides strong memorizing power. Whenever you come to the session, you can commit to memorizing every single detail of yours. BJJ will be able to give you a sharp memory with a fast working brain. This fantastic sport can also aid in the early response to any stimulus and give you good coordination.

12. Flexibility

BJJ improves flexibility as your body is placed in different directions and twisted or bent states. Great flexibility protects you from serious injuries and accidents.

Rolling on the mat enhances the joint and hip mobility and decreases body limitations.

Mental Benefits

1. Dealing with Depression or Anxiety

Jiu-Jitsu is a great way to relax throughout the day. When you fall into any type of unexpected or weird situation, you might panic. But this gentle and soft sport teaches you to handle all situations calmly without any fear. Endorphins and oxytocin allow us to fight with pressure and trigger positive moods.

Depression or anxiety is the worst part of anyone’s life. If you want to lead your life peacefully, you should get rid of these stresses. BJJ will improve your stress level and give you a subtle solution for all of your problems. Moreover, at your club or training center, you will make a lot of friends, which will drastically impact your mental and physical life. 

2. Patience

You have to try a lot to gain success during your rolls. It’s not an easy task of continuous dragging or pulling on each other’s collars. It takes a considerable time to get a black belt in your progression guard. So, you should maintain great patience and tolerance to survive in those situations.

BJJ trains you to attain success by working hard and establishing your own identity by doing something great. It’s not an easy process and can be time-consuming. Regular practice will raise your endurance and energy levels.

3. Critical Problem Solving

After starting your training session, you will find out that you can better understand situations and be able to solve challenging problems. This is not just a physical game. Mental stability is crucial to performing this combat sport. Critical thinking ability, confidence, patience, and calmness are the basis of this game.

Bit by bit, you become conscious of unexpected situations. You are also aware of the strategies that you can use for your opponent’s next move. This awesome grappling game makes you a critical problem solver.

4. Making New Friends

On your first day at the academy, you will make a lot of new friends. Daily training sessions bring people together and make them bond, as they spend a long time with each other going to different tournaments, attending training, belt progression, rolling on the mats together, etc.

People of any age or profession can take BJJ training if they like. They’re not required to participate in the tournaments. Merely coming and interacting with others while enjoying practice can also be a great way to know others.

Conclusion

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not only a game or martial art but also a way of life. It’s not like other ordinary exercises. The BJJ academy is a huge get-together that will improve your social life.  BJJ practice will provide you with a disciplined and happy life. It’s a great combination of achieving a goal along with excellent benefits. Hope you have a fabulous time at your BJJ academy!

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Jiu-Jitsu Street is a community of fun loving and hard rolling BJJ enthusiasts. Born out of our passion for the gentle art, we have decided to create this blog and help you on your journey. Let’s grow and learn together on this never-ending journey. Oss!

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu For Old Guys (Tips for Older Practitioners)

Jiu-Jitsu is not at all just a young-man’s game! Even when you are about to hit 70 or 80, you are still not too old to dip your toes into BJJ. Moreover, instead of just teaching you martial arts techniques; Jiu-Jitsu also benefits you in countless other ways during your senior years (or even if you are just 30+ and consider that “old”) while ensuring your overall physical and mental well-being.

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What is Jiu-Jitsu?

First things first, let’s talk about what Jiu-Jitsu actually is. Originating in Brazil, it is deemed to be one of the most powerful forms of martial arts. While Jiu-Jitsu is centuries old, it still remains true to its original concepts and techniques. 

The most interesting part of this art is that it allows a participant to turn the weight of his opponent into a weapon against him. It typically involves two participants, where one applies ground fighting techniques – chokeholds and joint-locks to bring his opponent on the ground. 

Upon going to the ground, he will lock his opponent on the ground to disable the benefits of his strength and weight. Jiu-jitsu first came into public around the 1920s. Carlos Gracie was the person who first introduced it in Brazil and later along with his family, he progressively modified it to bring its present form.

Does Jiu-Jitsu Have Anything to Do With Age?

Unfortunately, not everyone got to know about Jiu-Jitsu at the peak of their younger years. Also, its benefits were not widely known by many. However, because of the blessings of the internet, now we know that Jiu-Jitsu has so much to offer. 

Aside from being just a combat sport, it educates you to become self-competent to tackle every means of iffy situations. Its benefits do not end here, as it also improves your physical and mental health, boosts your confidence and working spirit, and what not!

Due to all these benefits, people of all ages now aspire to train themselves in Jiu-Jitsu. But as age gradually decreases the strength and endurance, older citizens often worry whether or not they will be able to ace the art of Jiu-Jitsu. 

If you too happen to be a bit older and found out about Jiu-Jitsu only recently; this is to let you know that Jiu-Jitsu is a sport where everyone can partake in regardless of their gender and age. So, if you are planning on going at it, scroll down to learn why!  

Benefits of Jiu-Jitsu for Old Practitioners

Undoubtedly, aging gradually makes us weaker in strength and sicker in health. So, to keep yourself fit and sound during your senior age, the importance of regular exercise is beyond mention. Thanks to Jiu-Jitsu, as it will change your life for the better and will make you feel stronger than ever! However, Jiu-Jitsu not only takes care of that but also benefits you in more ways than you can imagine. Here are a few of its benefits for your consideration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6q8jlw5YlY&ab_channel=Chewjitsu

1. Keeps Your Body Healthy

If you want to do something fun for good health whilst discovering how far your athletic skills can take you, Jiu-Jitsu is for you! For its cardiovascular advantages, it is one of the most recommended martial arts for seniors. It keeps high-level cardio in check, all the while strengthening the muscles and bone joints. A regular session of Jiu-Jitsu can also help you to get into shape. By keeping the body fit you can prevent chronic illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure which mostly come with the age. 

2. Takes Care of Your Mental Health 

It’s no secret that a healthy and active body and good mental health are tied with the same knot. For older people, their brain doesn’t perform as well as it did in their formative years. The regular practice of Jiu-Jitsu can significantly help you deal with this condition. Just like other muscles in our body, our brain muscles need to be exercised too. Jiu-Jitsu allows you to let off your steam and boosts your cognitive ability for the better. It works like a charm by wiping off stress and putting you in a better mood.

3. It Reverses the Effects of Aging 

As we get older, our bodies go through major changes both inside and outside. Perhaps, it mostly happens because of the great deal of inactivity during that time. Thereby, the reduction of collagen production also results in signs of aging. Jiu-Jitsu helps to rejuvenate collagen and strengthens ligaments, joints, and connective tissues. That’s how you can slow down aging and improve the posture of your body. 

4. Helps Make New Friendship 

After retirement, it often becomes difficult to make new friends. BJJ is a community of people who share the same interests and challenge each other to push the limits. It may come as a surprise to you to know how Jiu-Jitsu training can provide you with opportunities to socialize and build new friendships.

Things to Keep in Mind

Keeping all the positives aspects aside, we have to accept the fact that for old practitioners starting Jiu-Jitsu certainly comes with a number of potential risks. So, before stepping into the world of BJJ, below is a list of things you should keep in mind.  

1. Make Sure You Don’t Have Serious Ailments

If you suffer from intense muscle or joint pain every now and then or have a previous history of dealing with arthritis and cramps, then rolling for Jiu-Jitsu would not be a smart move for you. Even though it is raved to be the gentlest and risk-free art form compared to all the other martial arts out there, it can still worsen your health. So, it is better to do some health checkups before getting yourself enrolled in this journey.

2. Have a Goal 

Just the fact that you are starting out late should not stop you from your goals. List down the things you want to achieve from Jiu-Jitsu and come up with a plan to bring those into reality. The small goal that you have set for yourself will push you through the hard times and motivate you to keep going. Otherwise, it will be hard for you to continue at times.

3. Do Not Compare 

In your 60’s or 70’s, you cannot expect you to have the same physical strength you had in your 20’s. If you compare yourself to a young guy who has all the time and energy, you will only end up demotivating yourself. Hence, do not compare yourself to your fellow mates as it only brings disappointments. Rather, set your bar low and have faith in yourself. 

4. Eat a Healthy Diet

If you want to ace the art of Jiu-Jitsu, eating clean is a must. Now that you are old, you cannot eat unhealthy foods and get away with it. The consequences will not wait and is meant to give you a hard time. So, it is better that you set up your diet plan that will boost your nutrition and optimize your energy levels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGj94Bij1OM&ab_channel=Chewjitsu

This article covers all the tips and tricks that can help an oldie to sail through the game of Jiu-Jitsu. As you have done reading this, we genuinely hope all your doubts regarding whether Jiu-Jitsu would be great for older guys or not have evanesced now. So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and kick off your Jiu-Jitsu training journey soon keeping all the tips and tricks in mind!

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First BJJ Tournament: Things you need to know before your first competition

Are you planning to join your first BJJ tournament, but don’t know what to expect? Don’t let uncertainty keep you from a successful and fun-packed (important!) BJJ tournament. 

In the next sections, we will discuss the top things you need to for your first BJJ tournament.

So, let’s talk about it.

Jump to Section

How long are Jiu-Jitsu matches?

In a Jiu-Jitsu match, the players can win by submitting their opponents in a limited time, or by winning by points. 

The time limit of a Jiu-Jitsu match depends on the belt level of the players, a typical match between white belts is 5 minutes long, and it can be up to 8 minutes long for more experienced belts. For black belts, the match is 10 minutes long. 

Now, these are the rules used in IBJJF compliant tournaments, however, submission-only tournaments are also becoming common, which have time limits of up to 20 minutes for a single match. 

Here is a complete breakdown of round lengths for different belts

• White Belt: 5 minutes
• Blue Belt: 6 minutes
• Purple Belt: 7 minutes
• Brown Belt: 8 minutes
• Black Belt: 10 minutes

In other tournaments, Like the ADCC, the round lengths can be different. The qualifying rounds are 10 minutes long, whereas the finals are 20 minutes long. If there is a draw, overtime for qualifying matches in 5 minutes, and 10 minute overtime rounds are done for finals. There is only one overtime round in qualifying rounds, and two overtime rounds in the finals.

How Do You Get Points in Jiu-Jitsu?

The Scoring system in Jiu-Jitsu Matches can be confusing sometimes, so let me break it down for you. In Jiu-Jitsu, there is a common saying, which goes like “Position before Submission”. Therefore, in Jiu-Jitsu, you can get points for advancing positions. 

Here is a breakdown of the scoring system

• Taking an opponent to the ground: 2 points (not applicable if your opponent pulls guard)
• Sweeps: 2 points
• Passing your opponent’s guard, or getting to side control : 3 points
• Full mount, or back mount with both hooks in 4 points

How many rounds are there in a BJJ tournament?

The number of rounds you may have to fight for in a Jiu-Jitsu match depends on how well you perform. If you keep winning you’ll have to play more matches. Typically, you may have to play 3-5 matches in one tournament, depending on the size of the bracket. 

If you also compete in the open weight category, you could have to play more matches in a tournament. Therefore, when you are preparing for a BJJ tournament, you should be comfortable with at least 6 to 7 matches. 

In the case of some submission-only tournaments, there can even be more than one round in a fight. If no one can submit their opponent in the 20-minute match, sometimes, there can be some overtime.

When should I start competing in BJJ?

Competition is a very important part of training Jiu-jitsu, and it is as safe as any other sport. I believe that everyone training jiu-jitsu should start competing as white belts because it can be very good for their progress. 

The simple thing is that there will always be an excuse as to why it’s not the right time to compete, no matter how long you’ve been training. Of course, you can always delay competition until you become better, however, if you don’t compete early, it can be very difficult to start and get over the jitters once you advance to a higher belt. 

So, in general, I believe that if you are training regularly, you should start competing after 4-5 months of training. A regular athlete can get two stripes on their white belt at this time. Moreover, a white belt will compete against other white belts, and at that level, competition isn’t as challenging as it would be later. 

Competing early has a lot of benefits, first of all, it gives players a chance to grapple with new people, rather than their teammates, whose style they are used to. This can help them develop a more versatile style. Furthermore, Competition develops confidence and gives athletes a reality check about their skill. So, don’t wait too long before you start competing. 

What should I do before my first BJJ competition?

The first and foremost thing you should do is not overthink the outcome of the tournament. More often than not, overthinking can lead to being overly nervous and then not being able to pursue your game plan.

Second, develop a basic game plan and drill the most important techniques. The game plan should involve drilling a couple of basic defensive techniques to escape from bad positions such as full mount or side guard. Also make sure to get more practice on improving or getting to basic positions, which can be giving you points. A focus on points should be more important than going for submissions for your first tournament.

Third, know the rules. This goes without since a tournament is a rule and points-based, unlike your end-of-training sparring sessions. There are also many BJJ beginner books out there that can help you understand the sport better and be better mentally prepared.

Fourth, get enough sleep and focus on a good diet. Having enough sleep will make sure that your concentration is at peak and eating clean and healthy food in the weeks before, will allow your body not only to make weight but also to at top performance levels.

Last but not least, have fun! This is your first BJJ tournament and you should absolutely prioritize fun. Don’t get carried away by your ego telling you to have to prove yourself. Be open to learning about the ins and outs of a tournament experience first and just simply enjoy being there and competing as well as meeting people who share this same newfound passion for Jiu-Jitsu.

If you’re thinking of getting a new Gi for your competition, check out our review of the best BJJ Competition Gi.

How often should you compete in BJJ?

As we have established before, competing in Jiu-Jitsu tournaments is very important. I believe that if you train regularly, about 4-6 days a week, you should try to compete for at least 4 times per year. You should try to compete in a tournament every 2-3 months to stay active and keep your skills sharp. 

Staying in over-exertive competition also keeps you motivated to train better, and strive for better physical fitness. 

Still, too much of anything can be bad, it is important that you pay attention to your body, and don’t over-exert it. In the case of any injuries, whether they happen during a causal role in the gym, or competition, it is important to take some recovery time off. 

So, you should try to compete as often as your body and mind allow you while staying healthy.

Final Thoughts

Jiu-Jitsu is an amazing sport, and it is gaining more and more popularity every day, all over the world. Some people believe that it may even become an Olympic sport in the near future. Either way, the future of the sport is undeniable. 

Moreover, training and competing in Jiu-Jitsu has an incredible impact on your personality. Jiu-Jitsu has changed many lives and it makes people more confident, happy, and healthy while teaching you how to defend yourself as well.

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The History of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: From Its Roots to Today

History is not everyone’s cup of tea. Nevertheless, knowing history is important. Especially when it is about a versatile combat sport such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which has a complex as well as rich history. 

Read on if you like to know more about the history of BJJ from its humble beginnings to the global phenomenon it is today.

Jump to Section

Introduction

The word Jiu-Jitsu is derived from the Japanese language. “Ju” means gentle and “Jitsu” means art. So, the direct translation of Jiu-Jitsu is the – gentle art. If the translation is strictly interpreted, Jiu-Jitsu is a non-violent martial art.  

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a combat sport that involves grappling, torsions, submission holds, and pressure points to dominate and pin the opponent to the ground. It requires knowledge of human anatomy. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu allows a small and weak person to defend himself against a stronger person because it focuses on techniques rather than physical strength. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most popular forms of martial arts in the world right now and it is growing. It is a popular combat sport all around the world and an effective self-defense mechanism as well. 

As it is a form of martial arts that is of Japanese origin, it has a rich history that left its trail from several centuries back. We will discuss elaborately the history of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu starting from the very root which is Japanese origin. 

Jiu-Jitsu as the Last Resort of Defense

The roots of Jiu-Jitsu cannot be accurately traced back to its very origin because many similar combat techniques were seen from China to India. The origin of Jiu-Jitsu was developed by the warrior caste in feudal Japan who was also known as “Samurais”.

Samurais used to engage in intense sword fights on a battleground by foot or sitting on horseback. At one point, it was very likely for the fighters or the samurais to lose their “katanas” also known as samurai swords, and get disarmed by their opponents. Physical strikes were not effective at all because samurais were dressed with heavy armor. So, they needed a method of self-defense that required no weapon and took advantage of the human anatomy leading to takedowns which led to the development of Jiu-Jitsu.

The concept of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu was to achieve maximum effectiveness with bare minimum effort. This later on created different subdivisions of different versions of Jiu-Jitsu. The different versions of Jiu-Jitsu focused on different aspects but the core concept was always the same. 

The Early Development of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu

In the 1800s, a major political and economic change in Japan occurred which was led by emperor Meji. A national conscript army was introduced and the warrior class also known as the samurais were severely nerfed. The decline of feudalism led to a decline in martial arts, which were on the verge of extinction but then rescued in the late 1880’s, thanks to Jigoro Kano. 

The early development of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu was led by Jigoro Kano, who studied traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. In 1882, he opened a martial arts training school which was known as “Kodokan”. Jigoro Kano conducted expansive research on the traditional combat techniques that he learned from Tenshin Shin’yo Ryu and the Kito Ryu. He refined and combined these techniques which led to him giving birth to “Kokodan Judo”. Kokodan Judo consisted of the most effective techniques of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu which he taught his students in his martial arts training school. 

One of the most highlighted innovations of Kokodan Judo was the implementation of “Randori”, which was a non-cooperative live sparring practice. Randori emphasizes throws, joint locks, chokes, and many other techniques. Randori helps the practitioner to build up reflexes and use techniques against fully armed opponents. This style of Jigoro Kano was put through a test in a big martial arts tournament that was hosted by the Tokyo Police back in 1886. Fighters of Kokodan fought against various opponents who used different styles of Jujutsu and they didn’t lose a single match. They won 13 matches and drew 2 matches out of 15 matches. This proved Kano’s hybrid technique to be the most efficient amongst all the techniques.

The Odyssey of Mitsuyo Maeda

Mitsuyo Mayeda is the son of a sumo wrestler who was born in Funazawa Village which was situated in Hirosaki City on 18 November 1878. He joined Kokodan in 1894 and began training. He was very determined and hardworking. Soon he became the top student of Kodokan. He mastered every single technique but he was especially known for his expertise in ground fighting. 

Mitsuyo Maeda decided to travel the world for the quest of showing the effectiveness and spreading the techniques he learned from Kano’s Kodokan. After his success in a Judo tournament where he remained undefeated, Kano sent him to the U.S.A in 1904. 

Throughout Maeda’s career, he fought more than hundreds of matches in the U.S.A, Mexico, Cuba, Great Britain, Continental Europe, and many more. He took part in different types of mixed matches where different fighting techniques were used and still managed to stay undefeated his whole career. Everyone started to know about his success and became more and more interested in the fighting techniques he used. 

Another reason for Maeda’s internationally recognized success was the diplomatic relationship between U.S.A and Japan. Even President Theodore Roosevelt was impressed and took lessons from Yoshiaki Yamashita who was another apprentice of Kano. This diplomatic relationship paved his way to spread Jiu-Jitsu throughout America and its surroundings. 

Finally, Maeda set sail towards Brazil in 1914. He decided to settle down in Brazil and opened a Jiu-Jitsu academy there. One day a capoeira artist named Pé de Bola challenged Maeda. Pé de Bola was 6’3” weighing almost 220 pounds; he was significantly bigger and physically stronger than Maeda. Maeda accepted the challenge and even allowed his opponent to use a knife. Maeda took him down barehanded and managed to drop a fair amount of jaws. 

Maeda launched the first tournament of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil for the sake of promoting it. This tournament was held in the form of a festival that dragged a lot of attention towards Jiu-Jitsu. 

Maeda used to challenge famous fighters and even Boxers of Brazil and was successful every time. A boy named Carlos Gracie was fascinated by the success of Maeda and got interested in learning his techniques. Maeda was friends with Gastão Gracie who was a local businessman and Carlos Gracie happened to be the son of Gastão Gracie’s. Hence, Maeda, later on, accepted him as an apprentice in his Jiu-Jitsu academy.

Carlos Gracie’s Jiu-Jitsu Academy 

Carlos Gracie was a sincere and committed student of Maeda’s Jiu-Jitsu academy. Carlos studied and mastered Maeda’s versatile Jiu-Jitsu techniques for years. He wanted to circulate his knowledge and decided to take his younger brother as his student.

One of Carlos’s brothers named Helio Gracie was having a hard time learning the techniques of Maeda because he was comparatively weak and had a feeble body. This made Carlos research more on Jiu-Jitsu and make adjustments to it so that it becomes possible for people to learn regardless of their physical structure and strength. 

Out of love and compassion for Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Gracie opened his own Gracie family Jiu-Jitsu academy where he dedicated himself to the development of Jiu-Jitsu and spread it through teaching. They even promoted themselves by advertising in newspapers and challenging people. Legend says they advertised their academy with such headlines as “If you want a broken arm or rib, come to Gracie Academy.”

Carlos Gracie along with the other Gracie’s launched the famous “Gracie Challenge” where they introduced No-Hands-Barred (NHB) challenge. Any fighters could challenge the Gracie’s in an NHB match. Renowned fighters all around Brazil took the challenge. In this challenge, the Gracie’s remained dominant most of the time. This challenge introduced the Gracie family to different types of combat techniques. As a result, they found different scopes of improvement which contributed to the development process of Jiu-Jitsu even more. 

With the help of Jiu-Jitsu, the people of Brazil who were physically small and weak learned to defend themselves against strong people. They could take down muscular men easily by applying Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Helio, the younger brother of Maeda became an instructor of the Gracie Academy later on. He introduced innovations and technical advancements as being physically weak and inferior among all brothers. He was a role model for all the weaker people of Brazilian society and he was a successful instructor as well. 

Jiu-Jitsu as Brazil’s National Sport

The Gracie family became more and more popular because of their prevailing dominance in combat sports all over Brazil and the rivalry between other top academies. Another main reason for its popularity was also because of its versatility in self-defense. 

In the 1960s, Carlson Gracie took the baton of his uncle, Helio Gracie, as the head of the academy which was an important step that led to the consolidation of Jiu-Jitsu as a sport. In 1967, the Guanabara Jiu-Jitsu Federation was founded in Rio which was authorized by Brazil National Sports Confederation. 

A detailed ruleset was introduced as it got recognition as a national sport. The matches were conducted on a point basis with a time span of 5 minutes with 3 minutes of overtime for adults. One point is fixed for different moves and the fighter with the most points will be announced as the winner. There were penalties set for non-compliance of the rules as well. 

Jiu-Jitsu Going International 

In the late 1980s, many members of the Gracie began to migrate to the U.S. The Gracie family took part in the world-famous Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Royce Gracie was selected by the Gracie family to represent the family and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in front of the whole world. Royce had a slim body which is very unlikely of UFC participants and he was the smallest participant. However, he shocked the whole world by easily taking down his opponents one after one. 

The legendary Royce Gracie impressed people with his dominant performance throughout UFC and bagged a handful amount of victories against fighters of different techniques in NHB matches. Other members of the Gracie family also dominated in many other international events. Rickson, brother of Royce was undefeated in an event in Japan. 

In most cases, fighters who were only focused on offensive moves such as kicking and punching couldn’t stand against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters because their strength was ultimately used against them. The continuous success of the Gracie family made Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu famous worldwide and proven it as one of the most effective self-defense techniques.  

Carlos Gracie Jr. continued and upheld his father’s legacy by hosting tournaments and advertising Jiu-Jitsu as a regulated sport. He founded the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) back in 1994 to promote it globally. In 1996, the first Jiu-Jitsu tournament was launched by International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) which got a huge response worldwide. In this event, more than 50 countries participated with participants more than 3000.  

With the goal of upholding Jiu-Jitsu as an Olympic event, the Sport Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (SJJIF) was founded in 2012. Jiu-Jitsu Global Federation (JJGF) was founded in 2014 by Rickson Gracie to put emphasis on the philosophy of Helio Gracie of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is self-defense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqU6kgWHj_Y

Jiu-Jitsu Competitions Throughout the World

Competitions and tournaments are one of the main reasons for the growth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Competitions are arranged since the 1990s and they are governed under a central governing authority. However, there are other authorities arranging competitions with different rules and different forms of Jiu-Jitsu. Let’s learn about some of the most famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. 

The World Jiu-Jitsu Championships (Mundial): This is considered the biggest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament which was first introduced in 1996. It has been constantly running until now after its initial introduction. It is organized by CBJJ/IBJJF.

The Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship (Pan American): This is considered as the second-best Jiu-Jitsu tournament. It’s hosted by IBJJF, which is gaining more popularity day by day. 

World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (World Pro Cup): Though this is a newer addition to Jiu-Jitsu events, this is one of the biggest tournaments in the world right now. This tournament is organized by UAE. Best participants are selected for the main event by hosting continent-based qualifiers. The prize pool is very attractive and this motivates more participants to take part in it. 

Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu (Brazilian National Championship): This is the most important and prestigious national Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. This event gives Jiu-Jitsu experts all over Brazil the opportunity to display their skills and become the best. 

European Open Championship: This is the biggest Jiu-Jitsu tournament for the European continent. This event is held every year in January in Lisbon, Portugal organized by CBJJ/IBJJF. 

Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC): This is the biggest and most prestigious submission grappling based tournament in the world. Though it is not specifically for Jiu-Jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu has been the most dominating and successful technique in this event. 

The Current Form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

By now, we have covered most of the history concerning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Now let’s talk about the current state of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has many similarities with Japanese martial arts like judo and jujitsu. The philosophy behind judo is to use the strength of the opponent against them. It was defensive rather than offensive. However, by the recent course of time, sports were more emphasized than defense. As a result, the purpose of Jiu-Jitsu shifted from being defensive to achieving victory. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also went through many changes. The Gracie race participated in many challenges to promote Jiu-Jitsu. They even went global. Many new aspects and rules were introduced to Jiu-Jitsu and it got divided into three categories. They are self-defense, free fighting competition, and sport grappling with and without the Gi. 

Self-defense can include offensive techniques such as striking and techniques involving bare hands against armed opponents. Free fighting competitions are now popularly known as MMA and sport grappling with and without Gi are matches that are based on submission techniques without striking. 

Conclusion

Overall, the core concept of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it is an effective method of self-defense that allows a physically weak person to defend himself against a strong person, whether that person is armed or unarmed. It took a lot of time to develop and form its present state; we are talking about centuries in development.  

Self-defense is very important for the sake of survival and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is proved to be one of the most effective self-defense mechanisms in the world. So, anyone can learn it regardless of their physical strength or size. Anyone is also free to learn any form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu depending on their purpose. 

This is also a great form of combat sport which proved its superiority in many international events. There are many tournaments with attractive prize money which is a great opportunity for Jiu-Jitsu experts. It can be noticed that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is growing fast globally and has much potential in the near future.

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Jiu-Jitsu Street is a community of fun loving and hard rolling BJJ enthusiasts. Born out of our passion for the gentle art, we have decided to create this blog and help you on your journey. Let’s grow and learn together on this never-ending journey. Oss!

Recent Articles

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Jiu-Jitsu Street is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to our Affiliate Partner companies.