What’s so special about Jiu-jitsu?
Why is Jiu-jitsu so popular?
Jiu-jitsu, Ju jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, BJJ, Gracie Jiu-jitsu, Jitz (my least favorite one)…the artform that has taken the world by storm is known by many names. It seems like everyone and their grandmother has dabbled with or trains full time in this wildly popular martial art. But what is it about Jiu-jitsu that makes it so special to millions of practitioners worldwide? The rise in popularity of the UFC and super stars like Conor McGregor and Rhonda Rousey has certainly contributed. Celebrity grapplers like Joe Rogan, Tom Hardy, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and even Gisele Bundchen have brought a ton of attention to the artform. For the first time in history, the top athletes are making upward of a million of dollars to compete in addition to royalties and fees to teach and put out instructional videos. Grappling champions such as Gordan Ryan are rubbing elbows with Hollywood elite and today Jiu-jitsu is officially a household name. I would be willing to bet that just about everyone you know also knows someone who is a BJJ student. But is Jiu-jitsu really so unique by comparison to the other martial art forms? Well, yes and no…and YES!
How is Jiu-jitsu different?
The most obvious difference between Jiu-jitsu and more traditional martial arts is the emphasis on grappling as opposed to striking. Just one look at 2 students sparring in Jiu-jitsu and you will immediately notice just how different it appears. No flashy kicks or punches. The stance is more akin to wrestling than anything else and when a competitor’s arms extend away from their body, the intention is to grab, not punch. Half the time, one or both competitors will intentionally fall to their backs to attempt an attack from the guard position. It seems bizarre to lay to your back to try to win a fight but a skilled will often achieve victory using this strategy. While Judo is the most similar and, historically speaking, is actually the same art, modern Jiu-jitsu has evolved in a very different direction. There is much debate and controversy surrounding Jiu-jitsu as a form of self-defense vs. competition style Jiu-jitsu. People are equally divided between training in Gi vs. No-Gi. In more recent years, emphasis on leg locks has completely revolutionized the art. Once considered taboo and unsportsmanlike, leglocks have earned their place as technical and effective submissions that every Jiu-jitsu student must learn and respect. As for me, I love it all and I encourage people to approach learning a new skill with an open mind and an empty cup, regardless of the particular style you may prefer. UFC legend George St. Pierre was famous for training gi and no-gi Jiu-jitsu, wrestling, karate and boxing. He even did gymnastics and ballet!
Benefits of Jiu-jitsu
As a skillset that provides realistic self-defense and practical fitness, Jiu-jitsu checks all the boxes. It is an activity that teaches kids and adults the value of discipline, effort, attitude, and teamwork. Like so many martial arts, Jiu-jitsu provides the framework for how to become a person of high character and integrity. This is something that all martial arts schools, regardless of style, should aim to provide their students. 2 particular areas I do feel are unique to Jiu-jitsu are the proximity of the training partners during practice and the physical chess match that each training session provides. The simple fact is that Jiu-jitsu training is up close and personal…literally. You are squeezing or being squeezed nearly every moment of the match in a concentrated effort to gain a winning position and force your partner to tap. You are simultaneously working to avoid being caught in their submission. What is successful on one training partner may fail completely on another. You use your entire body during a Jiu-jitsu match, and it can be utterly exhausting. Sometimes you are seconds away from tapping out your opponent, so you give every ounce of effort only to have them escape. Now you’re too exhausted to put up a fight and they are motivated to tap you out having survived your best attempt. And, despite what some believe, size, speed and strength do make a difference…a rather big difference. Especially when skillsets are evenly matched! But technique can always overcome a gap in physical qualities. The challenge is to constantly uncover the next level of technical mastery and find the solution to your problem. And that’s what Jiu-jitsu teaches us, how to solve problems with technical, elegant and often humbling solutions. You must develop the discipline to drill technique over and over again, even when you don’t feel great progress. Yes, Jiu-jitsu can be frustrating, but eventually you experience a breakthrough in your comprehension. A lightbulb goes off and you see things so clearly. You start hitting the techniques and you feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment…at least until the higher belt shuts it all down and brings you back to Earth. Then it’s back to the lab again. It’s fun, frustrating and enlightening. The trust required to train with someone who is trying to subdue you, manipulate your joints and strangle you must be at level 10 in order to avoid injury and maintain respect among teammates. That is why Jiu-jitsu teammates are usually very close with one another and have tremendous mutual respect for their training partners and opponents. Students learn quickly that in order to improve, they must cultivate strong relationships with likeminded, goal driven individuals like themselves. When you have the right environment where there is an emphasis on safety and trust, students can push themselves and their teammates and injuries are very rare.
Summary
Indeed, there is no better way to be fully emersed in the present moment than training or competing in Jiu-jitsu. When you experience a high level of physical and mental challenge with a teammate whom you trust to not only keep you safe but also push you to improve, something magic happens. The problems in your life don’t disappear, but you are able to view them through a different lens and identify solutions more easily. As the years pass, students become humbler yet more confident. They rely less on strength as they become physically stronger. Their fighting skills increase while their tempers decrease. Jiu-jitsu is so much more than the moves you learn, it’s the relationships you build and the lessons you acquire that will ripple across your life and those you touch. Yes, I believe that Jiu-jitsu and all martial arts are unique in their ability to transform people into better versions of themselves. It is a vehicle to bring forth hidden potential and tap into a dimension of endless self-improvement.
Oh, and learning how to choke someone twice your size is just, plain awesome!
