In my 25+ years training and teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu aka BJJ….I can’t stress enough how many times that I’ve had students say to me “Jiu-Jitsu Changed My Life”!
From weight loss to alcoholism, to dysfunctional family, to a bad criminal history, to being bullied, domestic violence, failing in school….. the list is endless. Jiu-Jitsu indeed helps change peoples lives for the better.
Why is BJJ so effective in helping people ‘turn things around in their lives’?
I think there are many reasons , but I’ll concentrate on 5 things:
1. Discipline: for starters, you must show up consistently to become proficient in BJJ. Success breeds success, and the more success you have on the mat, the more you want to train. If you can commit to 3 months in trying BJJ, you can change your world.
2. Commitment: as mentioned above, if you commit to 3 months you’ve built habits that you reinforce each time you visit the mat. You are simply committing each day in becoming a better you. You can lose weight, eat better, sleep better, quit drinking, quit smoking, get your family involved. The benefits are endless
3. Confidence: with learning Jiu-Jitsu you learn so much about yourself that your confidence increases. Having a goal , committing to it, and following through is a huge confidence builder. The fact that you are learning to protect yourself and your family allows you an air of confidence that many will never know.
4. Sense of Family:on the mats we train hard and we train smart. We stress safety among our training partners, and we develop a trust, friendship and bond among our team. We live the Jiu-Jitsu life as tight knit group.
5. Facing Difficulty: Jiu-Jitsu is not easy. You will be put in many uncomfortable situations and you will learn how to handle these situation. When you can conquer your fears, while exercising, training with friends….it’s a big win for you.
Examples:
Weight loss: I have a woman who was my massage therapist, tell me for over a year that she was going to come train to lose weight. It took over a year for her to commit; but when she did commit she lost over 120lbs in about 1.5 years.
Alcoholism: I had a young Navy Sailor tell me that had he not found BJJ that he would have become a raging alcoholic!
Criminal Background: I had a man with a significant criminal history come to me saying he wanted to turn his life around. That was over15 years ago. He is now a BJJ Blackbelt, gainfully employed with a wonderful family.
Being bullied: dozens upon dozens of our children have been able to shutdown bullying behavior with out ‘bully buster program’.
Domestic violence: multiple women have told me that the newfound confidence and BJJ training has literally saved their lives in domestic situations
Poor grades: again BJJ can help with focus, commitment and confidence. Good habits of BJJ indeed crosses over to the class room
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu may not be for everyone, but it can be for everyone who would like to experience positive experience in their lives.
Does Jiu-Jitsu change lives? ABSOLUTELY! I’ve seen it time and time again.
Can Jiu-Jitsu save lies? Yes indeed, I’m living proof, and I’ll share that story with you in a later post.
”Train Hard, Train Smart…Train for LIFE”!
Professor Larry Shealy