grapplersgraveyard
Are you looking for a new way to train, elevate every aspect of your life, and pursue a journey that builds both mental and physical toughness all while having a good time doing so? Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners around the world love to boast about the great treasure they have seemed to find in the martial art, but how do you know which one is best for you? We almost exclusively train BJJ at this point (trained boxing, kickboxing, and karate) and will tell you that it may be the most superior form but don’t let our biases sway you. Read on in this article and find out what you will experience when taking on Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as your form of training!
Types of Martial Arts
First, let’s dive into all the forms that you could find yourself choosing from!
There are so many forms of combat that someone can train that are pretty much endless. There are new art forms probably being developed right now, to be honest. But, just because there are many does not mean that all of them are effective.
Technique is the most important aspect of BJJ/grappling performance. But want to increase your chances of landing submissions, finishing takedowns, and maintaining position? This program will have you man handling your opponents making them ready to tap.
Combat Sports
There has been a massive amount of growth in the idea of practicing martial arts due to the popularity of the UFC. The history of mixed martial arts (MMA) has been well documented and the meteoric rise in popularity is just in the beginning stages. We believe that over the next 10 years, fighting and training some form of martial arts is going to be the norm. A bit of a contrarian belief but it is a bet we are willing to take.
There are many different forms of martial arts that someone can take on. While we do think there is merit in most art forms, it is being proven time and time again that grappling (specifically wrestling, sambo, and BJJ) is producing the most champions at the highest level.
BJJ and wrestling may be the two most sound martial arts on the planet just based on the fact that most of the primary fighting styles of past champions come from these two art forms. You cannot argue with the fact and statistics on this one.
Now one thing that we understand about people is that most do not enjoy getting punched in the face on a daily basis, it is not a pleasurable experience, so the popularity of MMA and other forms of striking-based martial arts, is limited, but on the other hand, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is perfectly crafted for a mass group of people to train in a safe manner.
Jiu-Jitsu schools are everywhere at this point and as more black belts hit the market the word will spread about how great the art form truly is. Everyone that sticks around the jiu-jitsu community falls in love with it for one reason or another. It is very common to hear that the martial art changed someone’s life for the better. The physical benefits and mental benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is something we have written about extensively on other posts but for those that are on the fence, here is a list of seven things you will experience when training.
Just What You Need. We designed the Sanabul Essential Jiu-Jitsu Gi to set a high bar for what you can expect from a BJJ gi whether this is your first Jiu Jitsu gi or an addition to your current line up. Quality construction, clean design, and incredible value make this Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi the #1 Best Seller in the industry
Seven Things You Will Experience Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
1) Constantly Fighting your Ego
The first day you walk onto the mats is going to be one you remember. You walk in like a wide-eyed baby with no idea about the journey you are about to embark on. Faster than you could imagine, you will find yourself in a bad position, either getting choked, unable to move, or incapable of exhaling properly.
Immediately you are humbled when you realize that you’re helpless and without any clue how things happened. This is normal and 100% expected for newcomers. Everyone has experienced this feeling.
It’s very healthy to have an ego, in fact, having an ego and experiencing the above situation makes you want to come back and get better! Each day as a newcomer you must bury your ego at the door and get ready to learn.
Remember: getting 1% better each day = a 365% increase over a year.
2) Dealing with “defeat” or “failure”
We put defeat and failure in quotations because we don’t believe in those words. When you start your journey into Jiu Jitsu no matter how down on yourself you may feel in the beginning, you get better EVERY day you decide to walk through those doors.
It takes a special kind of person to continuously come back after getting beat up time and time again. Don’t forget this. You are a different kind of human if you can rally yourself through the first couple of months while you try to get those training wheels off is the best way to learn lessons and to learn them fast. This goes way beyond the four walls of your martial arts studio. Life is full of twists and turns, just look back at 2020. How you react will translate to everything in your personal life outside the four walls of your gym.
Remember: Everyone at your gym or academy is going through the suck with you. Jiu-jitsu is not easy by any means but the personal rewards you get from practicing are way more valuable than the price.
3) Developing a Warrior Lifestyle
For some people that just enjoy going a couple of times a week, this may not be too applicable, but there is a vast majority of you whose lifestyles will be completely changed.
You feel like a different human being after going jiu-jitsu. When you feel different, you will act differently. You may experience a shift in the way you think about nutrition, rest, fitness, and stretching. This is a development of the warrior lifestyle.
4) Reaching & setting attainable goals
Reaching goals is hard, you have to put conscious effort into something each day to get the desired outcome. For the most part, when we are setting up goals we inadvertently set ourselves up for failure by not making them S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T goals are the way to break that wall within yourself and accomplish things. S.M.A.R.T stands for:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Relevant
T – Time Orientated
ex: You want to lose 20 lbs. No easy task by any means.
S.M.A.R.T Goal: You want to lose 20 lbs within one year by going to jiu-jitsu 2 times per week while going for a 30-minute walk each day.
Setting yourself up for success always comes as a positive side effect when you start to go down this rabbit hole in the sport of jiu-jitsu
Find the top-rated BJJ Gi's here. Helpful information on what to look for, how to find the best gi, and which brands suit you best based on your budget!
5) Pushing yourself to the limit
This will be a learned trait. If you have never pushed your body to its limit or it has been a long time since you’ve done it, it will happen on the mats. To get the desired outcomes you want when you start setting goals this will be a must for you. You are forced to become a better version of yourself
If you are not willing to at least try, jiu-jitsu is NOT for you.
6) Becoming process driven vs outcome-dependent
How often do you start something and immediately want the desired outcome? You start a new diet and get frustrated when you don’t see results after 2 months. Maybe you try to start a business and it takes much longer than originally expected to get off the ground.
Jiu-jitsu is one of those things that takes time to get good at and teaches you to trust the process.
If you walk into the gym knowing that you are starting from day one and come in with a student mentality, you start to adapt and become more focused on the process over being outcome reliant.
Focus on the journey.
Focus on learning and getting better each time you walk in those doors.
Some days are better than others, but that is okay. You will LEARN to love the process of practicing jiu-jitsu.
7) Stepping out of your Comfort Zone to handle immense pressure
Jiu-jitsu is simulated fighting in a controlled setting. You will have someone across from you ready to hurt you at a moment’s notice if you don’t stay sharp. This is by no means a stress-free zone, but oddly enough it is extremely stress-relieving.
This all comes down to the willingness to learn and grow.
The BEST part about this sport is that all these things you learn are transferable to other areas of your life. This experience has been life-changing for me and so many other people.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu For Self-Defense
People start training for a number of reasons and one of the main ones would be to learn how to protect themselves if a bad situation were to arise. The unfortunate truth about the world we live in is that evil does exist and taking responsibility to protect ourselves is becoming a growing interest for both men and women around the world. Learning how to properly take someone to the ground, secure a dominant position, and successfully defend yourself from an intruder in your personal space is a skill that anyone could benefit from.
A True Pursuit of Excellence
We are under the belief that Brazilian jiu-jitsu will be the way millions of people will choose to train in the next decade. The martial art pushes you in ways that cannot be found in any other setting and we are saying this from experience. It is hard for adults these days to find a fun way to push themselves with a community of people who enjoy doing the same thing but we think we have found it on the mats of a BJJ studio.
The highest level you can reach in any martial art (that has a belt system) is the black belt. A BJJ Black belt takes anywhere from 7 – 12 years to attain, far longer than other combat sports out there. This tells us that those who can actually attain this level of expertise are people who think long-term, can dedicate themselves to something for long periods of time and push through sucky periods (because they will come) and are loyal to their own personal development journey.
Practicing martial arts (but specifically Brazilian jiu-jitsu) is bound to level you up in some way but we believe that jiu-jitsu is the best way to go about it. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and in some cases spiritually. If the things listed above are things you are unwilling to experience, we do not think this sport is for you. If you come into a gym with a bad attitude or ill intent it will most likely get snuffed out and you’ll either get yourself hurt, someone else hurt, or get kicked out entirely.
Pingback: How Long To Get Black Belt in BJJ - The Grapplers Graveyard
Pingback: Jiu Jitsu Belts - The Grapplers Graveyard
Pingback: Self-Improvement Tool for Becoming the Greatest Version of Yourself - Grapplers Graveyard
Pingback: Jiu Jitsu Spiritual: The Modern Day Warrior | Grapplers Graveyard
Pingback: The BJJ and Weightlifting Lifestyle
Very descriptive post, I liked that bit. Will there be a part 2?
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed!
Extremely helpful information specifically
the last part 🙂 I care for such info much. I was seeking this particular info for a very long time.
Thank you and best of luck.