There are several reasons to learn jiu jitsu. While almost any reason is a good one, here are Thomas’ top 3 reasons:
- 1. Mental toughness:
- Jiu Jitsu helps to develop a number of skills and attributes that increase a person’s character. Mental toughness is one of my favorites that transfers to everyday life. I see it all the time in Jiu Jitsu, people’s perseverance shines through whether it be at work or at home. In my classes I put my students in what we call “worst case scenario.” This usually involves a student starting in a dominant position and the other student has to remain calm, trust what they’ve learned and see the technique through until they escape. This style of teaching makes for a great self-defense drill but is also a good reference for when things seem impossible outside of the academy.
2. Discipline:- It takes discipline to go to class, get thrown around, tapped out, become sore, and want to come back to improve, especially if you have had a long day at work, are stressed about something, or just plain don’t feel like it. It’s when you overcome these speed bumps and goto class anyway that you see the benefit. Your mood lightens, (yes Jiu Jitsu is fun), your thinking becomes more clear (those tough decisions aren’t so tough anymore), and you are proud of yourself for overcoming self-doubt. Discipline is easily transferred to work, school, home, etc. It’s very easy to make excuses not to do what must be done but that gets us nowhere fast. Having Jiu Jitsu as a reference in our back pocket is a great asset.
- 3. Character:
- Jiu Jitsu is a wonderful filter for the ego. The techniques are so efficient that no one is safe from submitting to good technique, regardless of your fitness level or previous martial arts background. If you don’t tap, you go to sleep. Period. This can be problematic for many because they have been telling themselves something different. I have seen 115lb women crawl all over 220lb bodybuilders and there’s nothing they can do about it. So they then have two choices: 1. they can leave, make excuses for themselves and go back to their lives, or 2. they accept that they have to lose for a while and it’s worth it.
Come find your own reasons for jiu jitsu at Balanced Bodies.