What Does Jiu-Jitsu Actually Teach You
Jiu-Jitsu can be traced back thousands of years with it’s believed origins starting with Buddhist Monks in India. More recently, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu was brought to South American in the early 1900’s and from there was brought to America and popularized by the Gracie family. Since Jiu-Jitsu has such an impressive lineage and has continued to gain even more popularity in recent years, it seems that it would be worth looking into what exactly Jiu-Jitsu teaches you.
There is a lot to cover here, so this will be broken down into two sections. The first will be the technical side. What literally will you learn to do in Jiu-Jitsu? What kind of physical skills will you gain?
The second will be the mental aspects of Jiu-Jitsu. This side is more why I believe that Jiu-Jitsu has been and continues to be so popular.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
What Does Jiu-Jitsu Teach Technically and Physically
The main aspects of Jiu-Jitsu that you will be taught are how to ultimately take down, control, and submit an opponent. There are a hundred ways to do each of these, and a lot of great instructors to walk you through all of them.
I personally recommend Knight Jiu-Jitsu, The Grappling Academy, and Bernardo Faria if you would like to learn some specific moves. In this post though, we will dive into some of the higher level aspects of each.
Learning Good and Bad Positions
This is fundamental Jiu-Jitsu. It’s hard to tell when you start what a good or bad position is. Through learning sweeps and passing, you can quickly learn where you should and shouldn’t be. And whether you are in an actual confrontation or just wrestling around, you can more safely and effectively learn the positions that will keep you in a good spot.
Takedowns
Every Jiu-Jitsu competition starts on the feet. Because of this, being able to get an opponent to the ground and (ideally) land in an advantageous position is hugely beneficial. From a confrontational aspect, taking an opponent to the ground can be one of the safest and most useful tactics there is to prevent injury and control a fight.
Controlling an Opponent
Controlling and being able to hold down an opponent is a key part of Jiu-Jitsu. It is one of several reasons why it is so effective in MMA, and is a reason that a number of police academies have taken Jiu-Jitsu on as part of their training curriculum. In taking on Jiu-Jitsu, you will most certainly come out of it with the ability to out-grapple your friends and kids.
Getting Out of a Bad Position
One of the best things you will learn in Jiu-Jitsu is how to get out of a bad position. If you had an older or larger sibling, chances are you got sat on at one point in your life and were unable to get up. While you may not have to worry about that scenario as much at this point, having the ability to move and get away from someone on top of you in some way or another is never going to be a bad skill to have.
Now, these points are barely scratching the surface of Jiu-Jitsu and everything it entails. They are however some good higher level skills you would learn in trying out Jiu-Jitsu for yourself!
The next section will be more about the non-physical aspects. As stated at the beginning, I believe these mental aspects are far more valuable and a major part in what keeps Jiu-Jitsu growing the way it has been.
What Does Jiu-Jitsu Teach You Mentally
For those that haven’t done Jiu-Jitsu before, you may be rolling your eyes at this. It’s also possible that someone you know has told you all of the things they love about it and you are skeptical.
While skepticism is understandable, the stories and positive view of peoples time in Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t seem to have an end. So why is that exactly? Why do people have such a positive experience? What does Jiu-Jitsu do for you mentally?
How To Be Calm Under Pressure
This is a major benefit. It can be taken literally, which is true. But the mental benefit of being able to remain calm in a stressful situation can’t be overstated.
If you can’t remain calm and try to get out by forcing your way out, you will burn yourself out and the pressure will become even worse. Sounds remarkably similar to life, doesn’t it?
So to be successful, you have to be strong and calm. You have to feel your and your opponents position. Then you quickly and precisely make your move. To go through that struggle and stress to then ultimately escape and reverse position or get out of a bad spot is hugely rewarding. And the benefit of putting yourself in a bad position makes a lot of other places outside of the mat less intimidating.
It Builds Confidence
This partially comes from the above point, but it definitely deserves to have it’s own section. All of the insecurity, self-doubt, and emotion you have will leave when you get on the mats. And if you have a big ego, then entering onto the mats only to be easily thrown around will humble you greatly.
Through either scenario, you will intentionally be bringing yourself to a place that your emotions have to be regulated. And if you can regulate those emotions while dealing with getting beaten on the mats, then you will come out more able to face whatever the day has for you.
I’ve seen the effect it has on adults and kids alike. A personal friend of mine noticed a huge difference in the confidence of his son after taking up Jiu-Jitsu. And that is just one of a massive number of stories I’ve heard with a similar outcome.
If you’re unsure about signing your kids up, for Jiu-Jitsu, check out my other post, Should I Sign My Kids Up For Jiu-Jitsu?
It’s a Physical Chess Match
For anyone who has played video games and know what a “skill tree” is (getting nerdy in here, I know), then you can imagine Jiu-Jitsu having a very similar thing. Every move and position has both multiple attacks and multiple counters. From those attacks and counters, there emerges a number of other attacks and counters. And this builds into a massive “skill tree” that you build only after years and years of practice.
It’s easy to think that it’s just about brute strength and overpowering your opponent, but that is far from the truth. There is a reason that it takes most practitioners over 10 years to earn their black belts. And ultimately, it is incredibly fun to do something that is both mentally and physically challenging.
Closing Thoughts
Jiu-Jitsu teaches a lot. And in case you didn’t gather it from the post, it takes tremendous mental and physical ability to conquer everything that Jiu-Jitsu has to offer. I’ve seen and experienced the benefit myself and absolutely believe it is worth trying at some point in everyone’s life.
If you have other questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out directly in the form below!
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