Top 10 Benefits of BJJ (Well-Researched & In-Depth Guide)
Jiu-Jitsu, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), is a self-defense martial art in which a smaller and weaker person can effectively defeat a larger and stronger opponent. Thanks to the Gracie family, who introduced BJJ from Japanese Jiu-Jitsu in 1914, they include many techniques from Judo and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, especially those focused on ground fighting.
There are many benefits of BJJ, including self-defense, weight loss, improved mental focus and problem-solving skills, making valuable friends in the BJJ community, increased heart rate and stamina (better cardio), better sleep, improved flexibility and movement, using technique over strength (which reduces the chances of injury), boosting self-confidence, and having fun. Let’s explore these benefits in detail to understand how they can build up your life.
Let’s get started the Benefits of Jiu-Jitsu:
1. Learn Self-Defense for Street Fights:
One of the first and most important benefits of jiu-jitsu for men, women, and even kids is its effectiveness in self-defense and street fights. In the history of jiu-jitsu, we find that when Buddhist monks traveled from one place to another, they were not safe from robbers or attackers. To defend themselves, they developed jiu-jitsu techniques.
Over time, these techniques evolved into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), which continues to focus on self-defense. BJJ teaches you how to protect yourself effectively, regardless of your size or strength.
Today, many people learn jiu-jitsu for self-defense. It is specifically designed for individuals who are physically weaker or smaller, helping them defend against stronger or larger opponents. Many police officers and military personnel practice BJJ for self-defense. Learn more in-depth about whether BJJ is good for self-defense here.
2. Easy Weight Loss:
Today, eating unhealthy food, sitting for long hours at work, and spending time on computers are some of the reasons why people gain weight. Losing this extra weight can be hard. To deal with this, many people go to the gym, run every day, or do different exercises to burn calories.
However, with BJJ practice, you can lose weight more easily. When you practice BJJ, you use many different muscles in your body. There is a lot of movement, from warm-ups to actual grappling, which includes a full-body workout. This helps improve your overall strength and applies techniques quickly, which supports weight loss.
This full-body workout increases the number of calories you burn compared to exercises that only target one part of your body. After a few weeks, you will notice a decrease in your weight.
Research shows that 30 minutes of sparring rounds can burn around 500 calories.
Here are the details of calorie burn rate of different Jiu-Jitsu activities. While there isn’t an exact science to how many calories you’ll burn because it depends on factors like your weight, fitness level, and intensity of exertion, here’s a table that gives you a general idea:
| Activity | Estimated Calorie Burn (per hour) |
| Drilling Techniques | 400-600 |
| Sparring | 600-800 |
| Rolling | 800-1000 |
Pro Tip: To effectively lose weight with BJJ practice, make sure to follow a proper diet plan. Consult with your BJJ teacher or doctor for a diet plan, as losing weight without a proper diet can be very difficult.
3. Improving Mental Focus and Problem-Solving with BJJ:
Many people, including myself, struggle with staying mentally focused. Often, we find ourselves working on one thing while our minds are distracted by something else. This lack of focus can be mentally tiring.
However, in BJJ, you find the problems and solve them during practice. Practitioners understand that failures are the steps toward getting better. If one technique isn’t working, you try a second technique, and if that doesn’t work, you look for another technique that might help.
This process can improve your mental focus, attention, and critical thinking skills which is also important in life. When you’re focused and have strong critical thinking skills, you can solve any problem and achieve anything in your life.
According to research by the University of South Florida, training for this sport will also decrease the symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety. The participants even decreased the use of alcohol after being involved in BJJ training.
Another study by the University of Tennessee and UNEFS Romania states that this spot helps in building motivation in people for physical fitness and martial arts games. Motivation is what keeps you going when you’re starting and working towards your goals. This survey was conducted with 227 participants and most of them were highly motivated by enjoyment, competence, and staying fit.
4. Make New and Valuable Friends in BJJ Community:
In the BJJ community, you will not only learn from masters but also from friends who hold a higher belt rank than you. If you are familiar with the BJJ ranking system, you know that ranking is not just based on practice time on the mat but also on teaching techniques to beginners, especially if you are at the 4th brown belt or higher.
Starting BJJ provides an opportunity to form valuable friendships with your seniors. From them, you can learn a lot, often even more than from the masters, because friendships can offer deeper learning experiences.
Note: If you’re shy or prefer being alone (introvert type person), you might not find this part as interesting, so you can skip it. This benefit might not be for you.
5. Increases Your Heart Rate & Stamina (Better Cardio):
By learning BJJ, you gain more energy than a normal person because you use grappling techniques, where you grapple with your opponent for around 6 minutes. This is a longer and somewhat challenging time for practitioners.
Over time, you’ll build the stamina to handle it and this will help you build stamina and improve your cardio. Your heart rate increases during these sessions, which helps you keep going longer without getting tired, and your lungs will work better.
6. Better Sleep:
BJJ can help you sleep better. This is a form of physical exercise that can reduce stress, anxiety, and even improve your overall mood. When you engage in regular physical activity like BJJ, your body becomes more physically tired, which can make it easier to fall asleep and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.
Additionally, the mental focus required in BJJ can help clear your mind, making it easier to relax at night.
7. Improves Flexibility and Movement:
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is great for making your body more flexible and improving how you move. When you practice BJJ, you do a lot of bending, stretching, and moving your body in different ways. This helps you become more flexible, so you can reach and move in ways that might have been hard before. Plus, it helps you move more smoothly and easily. BJJ is a fun way to keep your body strong and flexible!
After a few weeks of training, you will notice how your body becomes flexible like rubber, and the way you stand and move will get a lot better.
8. Technique Over Strength: Fewer Chances of Injury
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), using smart moves is more important than just being strong. Instead of trying to beat your opponent with power, you use clever techniques and leverage to win. BJJ helps people who might be smaller or not as strong defend themselves against bigger opponents.
By focusing on technique, you use less energy, get tired less, and can still control or defeat your opponent. Because you are using techniques instead of strength, you’re not forcing your body too much, so there are fewer injuries when you practice BJJ compared to other martial arts.
9. Boosts Self-Confidence:
As you progress in Jiu-Jitsu, you’ll notice improvements in your skills and abilities. This progress can greatly improve your self-confidence. Knowing that you can defend yourself and handle challenging situations can make you feel more assured in everyday life.
Additionally, BJJ has a Belt Ranking system that starts with the white belt. This means that when a practitioner begins BJJ, they start with a white belt. After practicing on the mat and dedicating enough time, they move up to the next belt, which is the blue belt, then brown belt, and so on. There are a total of 8 belts (although some people list 7 belts). When a practitioner earns a new belt, their self-confidence is boosted to the next level. Learn about the BJJ Ranking System.
10. Having Fun:
Jiu-Jitsu is not just about serious training and competition, it’s also a lot of fun! The excitement of learning new techniques, rolling with different partners, and seeing your progress can make each class enjoyable. Jiu-Jitsu often feels like a game where you’re constantly discovering and improving yourself with your friends and growing together.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Jiu-Jitsu offers a wealth of benefits for both your physical and mental well-being. It’s a fantastic way to improve self-defense, lose weight, boost your mood, and gain confidence. Whether you’re looking for a challenging workout or a fun way to learn a new skill, Jiu-Jitsu is a great option to consider.
So why not give it a try? Sign up for a class at your local gym or academy today!
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