4 Ways BJJ Changed My Life

Brazilian jiu-jitsu, popularly known by its abbreviation BJJ, is a fast growing martial art and sport. Based in ground fighting (grappling) the martial art poses taking the fight to the ground as the solution against larger, stronger, or even faster opponents. Its effectiveness was first demonstrated against other martial art forms (boxing, wrestling, etc.) in the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where the smaller Royce Gracie was able to submit, through chokes and joint locks, all of his opponents.

Two heavyweights compete at a local tournament. BJJ has been growing in popularity since its introduction to the US in the 1980's.

I started training BJJ earlier this year and it changed my life. Here are four ways that it did that.

1. I lost a lot of weight. Before I started training, I weighed 275 pounds. In just 10 months of training, I lost 40 pounds. I’ve really been trying to get into shape for a while and ever since I started BJJ, everything seemed to click. Rolling (BJJ sparring) is a fantastic way to sweat off the pounds and blow off some steam from the day — speaking of which…
2. I’m a lot less stressed than I’ve ever been. It’s not secret that regular exercise is good for the body and the mind. Psychologists have told us for years that good physical exercise helps the mind to operate clearly and with focus — BJJ is good cardio. It’s good strength training. And because of that, it’s good for the mind. Being less stressed and more able to focus, my grades improved drastically.
3. I’ve made some of the most amazing friends. There’s something about trusting someone to let go of a choke or a joint lock that forges an unrivaled bond. I’ve been tapped out (if you didn’t know, BJJ is where the phrase comes from) countless times — and each time, I have to trust that my partner/ opponent will let go and not kill/ break me — literally. But even outside of that, you grow close to the people that you face challenges with and in BJJ, there are a lot of challenges to be had.
4. I feel confident and hopeful. Becoming healthier in both body and mind combined with amazing friends is the formula to successfully taking on the future challenges of life. I know that even when things get tough I’m happy and healthy and can always fall back on a support group that seems less like friends and more like family.

I can’t say enough good things about BJJ. I can’t stop recommending it to people — not only as an option for self defense but as way to elevate day-to-day well being. In just 10 months, BJJ has improved my life so much. How many ways can it change yours?