Jiu-jitsu is a great workout, but beyond that, it adds so much more to your life! From self-defense to strategizing and dedication, it’s a challenge in life. But it’s a challenge because it forces you to grow.
Defend Yourself
Jiu-Jitsu is a form of martial arts, and this means you’ll learn how to defend yourself. But instead of learning how to throw a punch as you would in boxing, you learn a more valuable skill: how to take down larger opponents. Jiu-Jitsu strongly believes smaller and weaker fighters can take down bigger and stronger opponents. That’s because you’ll learn strategies to use leverage and weight distribution in your favor. You’ll also learn how to take the fight to the ground, and once on the ground, you’ll use your Jiu-Jitsu training to use joint locks and chokeholds to make your opponent submit.
Jiu-Jitsu focuses on ground fighting, and most altercations end up on the ground. Think about it. You might start with both of you standing, but once someone throws a hit or kick, someone ends up on the ground. This is where Jiu-Jitsu becomes useful. As you continue to practice Jiu-Jitsu, you’ll become more comfortable defending yourself on your back and controlling your opponent from on top. This is safer than a fist fight since your hands aren’t protected like they are in the gym.
Real Life Practice
The only way to get better is to keep practicing. And with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it’s different than other mixed martial arts like Karate, Taekwondo, boxing, and Muay Thai, which rarely spar. Instead, they focus on drills and repetitions. To fight competently, you’d need to practice sparring in addition to the drills and repetitions.
Jiu Jitsu is different because it relies so heavily on sparring. It’s usually part of every class. Most classes follow the format of techniques and drills and then live practice. Jiu-Jitsu students are encouraged to spar with as many sparring partners as possible in class. And because of how low impact Jiu-Jitsu is, you can practice for longer periods of time. In other mixed martial arts, to win you have to physically beat your opponent. But in Jiu-Jitsu, it’s about bringing your opponent to the ground and controlling them until they submit. And all this practice pays off so you can become a better Jiu-Jitsu practitioner but also a better fighter in real life.
Increase Confidence
Jiu-Jitsu believes winning is not based on power or size, compared to other mixed martial arts. Instead, it gives the smaller and weaker individual the skills and techniques to bring down their large opponent. Jiu-Jitsu is about the application of those skills and techniques, not how strong or powerful an opponent is. Not only is Jiu-Jitsu great for self-defense, but applying these skills on and off the mat increases your confidence when you know you can bring down someone twice or thrice your size.
Maximize Control
Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t punch or kick. It’s not about brute force or power. Instead, we use control through joint locks and chokes. The aim of every sparring session is to control the opponent. You learn to do this by being taught how to grapple so your opponent is without a weapon. Without weapons, you’re on an even playing field. From there, you isolate limbs in order to control and force your opponent to submit.
This control takes time and effort. It’s why receiving a belt in Jiu-Jitsu takes longer than it would in other martial arts. That is why Top Mount Apparel celebrates that first belt so proudly! We know a white belt is the beginner's level belt, but we know how much it takes to get there. It’s one of the most challenging levels in Jiu-Jitsu because, in the beginning, you fail a lot. And coming back to the mat after each failure means you have the resilience to fix your failures. That should be something you’re proud of! It’s why we created the Proud BJJ White Belt gear!
Start your Jiu-Jitsu journey today with Top Mount Apparel to support you along the way! Shop our tees here. From funny graphics to serious sayings, we have a shirt for every personality and to match every step along your journey.
