BJJ Versus Anxiety, And BJJ Is Winning

Ash Gibson
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read

I imagine those close to me probably, get tired of hearing it, but I tell everyone they should train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and here’s why.

Now I’m not saying BJJ is the answer to all your problems, but it sure answered a few of mine. Like the majority of the UK, I’ve often felt swamped by crippling anxiety that has limited the amount of social interaction I participate in which all stemmed from a negative experience I had in my late teens.
I’ve tried many sports, but for various reasons they didn’t work out, usually due to being unable to train in a big team and injury preventing me from solo sports, so BJJ was perfect for me, it’s neither a single sport or a team sport. You compete alone, and your performance is based entirely on your ability, but it’s within a group of peers that you will learn those skills and enhance your performance. So how did BJJ help improve my anxiety? It wasn’t one big thing that helped me. Instead, it was lots of small things;

1. Breaking the comfort zone

BJJ involves being very close to people you’ve never met before. You’ve got to forget everything you think you know about what it means to be a guy/girl. You are going to have a stranger try and control your body with the clear risk of choking you or bending a body part in a way it shouldn’t go. Although strange at first it quickly became one of my favourite games to play and there was a weird satisfaction to be found when being dominated by another person and knowing you are in safe hands.

2. Finding comfort in danger

They say if you want to get over a fear you take micro steps to introduce yourself to it. In fact, there is business set up to do just that for people with fears of spiders! BJJ works in this same way for me, my anxiety is based on a fear of danger, and by placing myself in these danger zones multiple times per session I could progressively improve my tolerance to the situation to the point, I am comfortable with the risk and embrace it as a challenge.

3. Developing confidence

When you place yourself in these situations of discomfort and danger it’s only short amount of time before your confidence begins to increase, suddenly you are doing things you didn’t dare dream you’d ever do, and you are doing them like it’s an average day in the office!

4. Belonging to a community

After a while of going to the same classes with the same people something is going to click and suddenly you will feel like you belong there, the people you train with will become your friends and if anything like me they will form an important part of your day. The feeling of belonging to a community is a powerful tool for aiding anxiety especially when that community is one with no ego and friendly faces.

5. Becoming healthier

This one is a no-brainer, with fitness comes health and this improvement in health are going to activate all sorts of psychological changes in your body which will make you feel better and look better.

A Long Road Ahead

I still have a long way to go on my journey to an anxiety free life, but in a short six months the changes I have experienced have been amazing, and my social interaction has exploded. This is just a quick read on what BJJ has done for me so far, and I hope it encourages just one person to take a step towards improving themselves.

Ash Gibson

Written by

Aspiring entrepreneur in the martial arts business.

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