It’s true that most fights – whether they’re street attacks or professional bouts – end up on the ground or in very close proximity. There are countless videos of men or women getting slammed to the ground and pinned down, leaving them unable to defend themselves. Smaller, weaker people are at an even greater disadvantage. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art that teaches practical self-defense, helping women feel empowered rather than powerless. It’s important for everyone – young and old, tall and short, men and women – to be able to use these skills. Now, we understand if you need a little more convincing as some of you may still be on the fence about this. To help you out, here are four notable benefits of learning BJJ.
It Teaches You Self Defense
BJJ is 100% focused on self-defense and is perfect for people who aren’t physically imposing. BJJ guarantees that you can get out of any threatening scenario, even if you are much smaller than your attacker. The goal is to incapacitate your attacker while avoiding serious injury to yourself. If you study BJJ, you will be able to control your opponent with very little strength or size. BJJ is even more crucial for anyone with a background of being small, weak, or vulnerable.
It Boosts Your Confidence
Learning something new is very rewarding when it is difficult. Learning new techniques, overcoming obstacles and achieving goals makes you stronger physically and mentally. BJJ empowers you to overcome your fears and try something new, so you can progress and be confident in everything you do. With a diverse group of training partners, all with the same interests, you are able to step out of your comfort zone and explore new things. Learning anything new is hard; BJJ allows you to safely explore what does not work so that you can improve on it.
It Can Help You Get Fit
BJJ is a physically demanding activity. Depending on the class intensity, you can burn around 900 calories per session. If you’ve struggled to keep your weight under control and you don’t like going to the gym or exercising with traditional workouts, BJJ is an excellent alternative that you should consider. It might seem intimidating if you feel that you’re not in “good enough shape,” but don’t worry: it’s fun! While you’re practicing moves and techniques, you’re also burning calories and toning your muscles. It’s fun to learn new techniques and to improve your skills, so you’ll enjoy going. You learn to push yourself to new levels physically and mentally each time you train.
It Helps You Learn How to Navigate High-Pressure Situations
Aside from learning the physical techniques, you develop mental awareness and control. It is natural for anyone to panic or lose control when they are being held down, have trouble breathing, or are in pain. BJJ practitioners begin by learning how to become comfortable in high-pressure situations. Practicing the techniques in a controlled environment allows you to be calm and focused in bad situations. BJJ requires mental focus not only to perform techniques but also to prevent bad situations from becoming worse
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you better understand the benefits that BJJ can have for women. Aside from teaching you how to defend yourself in real-world situations, BJJ can also help improve your mind and body. If you’re looking to get into BJJ, we recommend looking for professional jiu-jitsu academies.
You can learn self-defense skills, get into shape, build confidence and make new friends. Want to find out more about jiu-jitsu for adults? Contact us today to make an appointment!