5 Reasons Jiu Jitsu Is The Best Form Of Exercise
I’e always told myself and others that I don't necessarily consider myself an athlete, but simply somebody who really loves Jiu jitsu, and I end up doing the athletic things as a consequence.
I may not be the most unbiased voice in the fitness industry, but as somebody who grew up as an overweight kid, with no indication that I'd become a high-level athlete, I believe that my argument has some merit.
I, of course, am talking about people who exercise casually, be it for weight loss, health concerns or other reasons. I certainly won't be making the argument that a professional body-builder, or crossfitter, is better off doing Jiu Jitsu instead(although I would still advocate Jiu jitsu as part of their routine).
That being said, here are 5 reasons why I believe you’re better off doing Jiu Jitsu, than just joining a gym.
We Take The Thinking Out of The Equation
Have you ever walked into a gym and just felt lost? All those machines, people doing their own things, and grunting body-builders?
Perhaps you have an idea of what to do, but you just don’t know how to go about it. Is cardio good or bad? Should you train legs every day, or just dedicate one day for legs? Should you exercise 3 times a week, or 6? When is the best time to change your program and how?
Well from the moment you walk into a Jiu Jitsu academy(if it’s a good one), you are completely taken care of.
At Elements Jiu Jitsu Academy for instance, your first 3 classes are one-on-one with the instructor, and they don’t even cover the fundamentals, it’s more like a soft introduction to the introduction. From there, your attendance is tracked against your multiple curriculums, and as you advance through your ranks, you qualify for more and more levels. Like Fundamentals, Advanced, No Gi and Elite. Every class you walk into is pre-planned, and catered to your journey and your needs. All you must do is forget about your day’s worries, relax, and enjoy.
2. You Not Only Gain Friends, But A Community
There is something about training in a group together and theoretically trying to end each other every day, that creates a bond. What’s more, the majority or Jiu jitsu practitioners are extremely down-to-earth; it’s kind of unavoidable, coming in as a white belt, only to be bested by people half your size is a humbling and therapeutic experience, and we’ve all been through it.
What’s more, you get connected to a larger world-wide community; I probably can think of 20+ cities where people would offer me to crash on their couch during a seminar/competition.
Most importantly, Jiu jitsu is for everyone, so it truly does bring people of all sorts together under the same roof, and that is probably the most important thing.
3. It’s Always Fresh
If you ever got bored of going for the same jogs or repeating the same exercises, and felt increasingly diminishing returns, but also boredom, chances are, your Jiu Jitsu instructor has thought of that.
Again, this will depend on where you train, but a good instructor always makes sure that his content, class format and methodology are updated, ever-changing and keeps his students excited.
And to repeat point number 1, we are taking thinking out of the equation for you, let us worry about that part, you just show up, and enjoy.
4. You’re Still Exercising, But You Also Gain A Skill
The most obvious bonus of learning Jiu Jitsu is learning how to defend yourself. Self-Defense, however, only scratches the surface. The understanding of the human body, your own movements, limitations, what can be broken, what is safe, leverage, balance, well the list goes on and on, and the best part is that you never felt like you had to study any of it; you were just having a good time.
5. Your Average Jiu Jitsu Class, Burns A LOT
And similar to what I’ve said before, you barely notice it either. That’s not to say that having a hard session is effortless, but you were trying to survive, apply your knowledge and enjoy yourself the whole time, it wasn’t tedious or repetitive at all.
The best part is, if done right, Jiu jitsu activates muscles all throughout your body, it uses up a lot of fuel, your cardio-vascular system, and your nervous system as well. This means that you not only burn calories while you train, but long after you’ve stopped as well.
At Elements Jiu Jitsu Bahrain, we focus on the benefits of Jiu jitsu outside of only being a workout. Those interested in experiencing this first hand can enjoy a free trial class.