Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a very practical martial art that concentrates on bringing a fight or confrontation to the ground and controlling an opponent from there. To be successful at this task takes a tremendous amount of energy for the untrained or newly trained person. This aspect alone highlights how BJJ can greatly improve all aspects of fitness. 

Subsequently, the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano, who heavily influenced the origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, began training in Jiu Jitsu to improve his health and combat bullying as a teenager. In the early 1900’s he sent his Judo black belts around the world to teach. Some made their way to Brazil, but one Judoka in particular, named Mitsuyo Maeda, got it all started. Maeda taught Carlos Gracie, a self-proclaimed weakling and fearful person, his version of Jiu Jitsu. This led to Carlos continuously training, getting physically fit, and eventually teaching his brothers what Maeda had taught him.

However, it wasn’t until Carlos’ younger brother Helio started training that we began to see the root origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as we know it today. Helio was a smaller, weaker man who used Jiu Jitsu training to help him improve his physicality. Due to his size, he innovated ways for the smaller fighter to use better techniques to help him overcome bigger, stronger fighters. There is a certain degree of fitness that needs to be achieved for this to happen. No matter your size, you will develop your strength, endurance, and power in BJJ. As you can see, all of the early major players in Jiu Jitsu used it to improve their fitness and health.  

Physical Fitness Benefits of BJJ 

Practicing BJJ will enhance your physical and mental fitness in a relatively short period (2-3 days/per week for a few months). I attribute some of this to the unnatural requirements of the art from the standpoint of proficiently moving around on the ground. Most of us, at first, have to learn a completely new and foreign way to move (on our back, sides, and belly). Sometimes, it is hard enough to learn a basic dance move on our two feet, but to move on the ground can be challenging at first. This requires you to use your whole body all at once, which burns lots of calories.

1. Cardiovascular Endurance and Weight Loss 

• BJJ gets the heart rate up, and you breathe hard because of its total body workout. You can burn 600 or more calories per one hour of class! 
• The caloric expenditure alone, while taking 3-4 classes per week, will surely help you shed those excess pounds. 

2. Build Strength and Power 

• BJJ involves using every muscle in your body (usually with someone on top of you). You learn how to use your legs, hips, core, and arms, all at once, to maneuver from underneath your training partner. This builds strength in those areas of the body while also developing power, as some moves require explosiveness to escape a position. 

3. Improved Balance and Coordination 

• The dynamic movements of BJJ will improve your balance and coordination. 
• In BJJ you’ll learn takedowns and throws, which demand good coordination and balance to execute. In addition, many dominant positions of control on the ground also necessitate these attributes for successful engagements. 

Mental Fitness Benefits of BJJ 

1. Self Discipline 

• BJJ requires discipline to be effective. 
• You’ve got to show up to class, even on the days you may not feel like it, and dedicate a lot of time to practicing and drilling techniques. This ensures proficiency over time, as BJJ is a very technical art that cannot be done effectively without such discipline.

2. Self Esteem/Confidence 

• BJJ teaches you how to defend yourself from many of the possible scenarios you might find yourself dealing with in real life. The training used is hands-on from day one with a resisting partner, so you know what works and doesn’t almost immediately. 
• In a reasonable amount of time, you’ll develop confidence and esteem, knowing you’ll be able to handle situations that likely would’ve made you fearful in the past. 
• The confidence and self-esteem gained from BJJ training will positively impact every aspect of your life. 

BJJ is an amazing martial art for your overall fitness, as well as being very effective and practical in real-life encounters. You’ll get fit, learn how to defend yourself and make lots of friends! 

Professor Ken Pytluk