Home Blog Page 9

BJJ vs Krav Maga: Pros & Cons of Each Martial Art

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
BJJ vs Krav Maga: Pros & Cons of Each Martial Art

Recently, martial arts have become increasingly popular, not only for the same reasons as some of the most ancient practices, self-defense, and discipline, but also for their now known health benefits, and even for entertainment. Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are two martial arts forms that have been on the rise as of late.

What is the difference between Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – and what are their pros and cons? Both Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have similarities and differences, as well as pros and cons. In this guide, we’ll look at both sides of each practice in terms of:

  • Fitness
  • Mental Agility and Fortitude
  • Traditional Martial Arts
  • Self-defense

With mixed martial arts gaining popularity thanks to televised events, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) has received more interest. Also getting more attention recently has been Krav Maga. We’ve got all kinds of important details to share, and hopefully, you’ll finish with a better understanding of why people have been doing martial arts for so long. 

A Quick History Lesson of Krav Maga and BJJ

But first, a history briefing. Not the boring history class kind, just the facts here. Because both Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have such different backgrounds, it’s important to lay a little groundwork before we dive in. And, both have pretty interesting birth stories.

Krav Maga

This is possibly the newest form of martial arts, only a slightly fresher on the martial arts scene than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Developed by Imi Lichtenfeld in the 1930s, Krav Maga was created as a means of self-defense and protection. 

Lichtenfeld grew up in Slovakia during a time when the Nazi party was threatening all Jewish people in Europe. Along with most of the young men in his community, especially wrestlers and boxers, Lichtenfeld had to protect others from those that were threatening their safety. 

The son of an acrobat and Chief Inspector for the police, Lichtenfeld channeled some techniques he’d learned from his father, along with a knowledge he picked up during actual experience fighting. He systematically put all the moves together to create what we know as Krav Maga.

“Krav Maga” is a Hebrew phrase that literally means “contact combat.” This name is a perfect fit for the fighting system that Lichtenfeld invented, as it would be used by the Israeli Defense Forces. Krav Maga’s combination of boxing, wrestling, aikido, judo, karate, and street fighting skills is extremely effective in neutralizing a threat during a real-life, hand-to-hand combat situation. 

When Lichtenfeld retired after WW2, he saw many people that were still struggling to protect themselves. Although the fascist gangs were no longer around, there were still many lingering dangers as the communities were faced with other post-war challenges. He began teaching Krav Maga to anyone that wanted to learn, and eventually built a network of instructors that would take it worldwide.

With such a rich history, it’s no wonder that Krav Maga grew so quickly in popularity. In fact, it’s become so popular that even celebrities have used it as a means of training for movies. Not to mention, it’s a fantastic workout. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ, as it’s known the martial arts community, is the baby of all martial arts. It’s only been around since about the 1950s. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is also a martial arts form that’s focused on self-defense. But just because it’s young doesn’t mean it’s not equally as effective in its purpose. 

It originated from the Japanese Kodokan Judo. When Geo Omori started a Jiu Jitsu school in Brazil, he taught his students the fundamentals of judo. Omori’s students took what they’d learned and began to pass it along in their own teachings, making adaptations along the way.

One of these students instructed a young man named Helio Gracie, who would eventually move on to develop what’s now known as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. However, because his family members were such large supporters of this particular martial art, it was also known as Gracie Jiu Jitsu for a while. 

Because BJJ was derived from one form of martial arts, but as it evolved the instructors added their own adaptations, the BJJ we see today is quite a mix of old and new, making those that practice BJJ effective in self-defense, no matter their own size or their opponents. 

Today, when we see martial arts during televised events, the most common skills we see are from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As mentioned, the size of the fighter doesn’t matter, since BJJ uses different takedown techniques that use the ground as leverage to engage an opponent in different chokeholds and joint locks. 

Pros and Cons of Krav Maga and BJJ

Now that we know how each of these fighting styles evolved into what we see today, we can get into the meat of why you’re here. The pros and cons of Krav Maga vs. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. There are so many different advantages and disadvantages of each, as well as reasons why people choose to practice BJJ or Krav Maga. 

Fitness

Let’s first look at why someone might practice Krav Maga or BJJ. People in the mainstream have taken an interest in both BJJ and Krav Maga recently as a means of getting fit. While both are effective in creating overall physical health, this doesn’t come without positives and negatives. 

Krav Maga

Since its development, those that practice Krav Maga have noticed overall health benefits. Here are just a few of the fitness-related benefits:

Pros

  • Increased strength through localized muscle movements
  • Improved muscle tone from repeated combat moves such as kicks and punches
  • Consistent movement and elevated heart rate provide a great cardio workout
  • One session burns a ton of calories but also teaches practical skills that might come in handy one day. 

But, as with anything, there’s always a downside. Although, if you’re learning how to save yourself from a potentially life-threatening situation and burning fat, these negatives might seem pretty negligible. 

Cons

  • Krav Maga fitness classes can be expensive because they’re typically offered to teach a specific skill set, which is done in short and intense sessions. 
  • It can be intimidating. Many people who have taken classes are nervous because they’ll be acting out real-life situations. 
  • Krav Maga classes can be hard to find, especially ones that are created for those wanting a serious workout. Many are geared toward those that want to learn a specialized set of self-defense skills. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Most of the mixed martial artists that we see in the media are seasoned BJJ fighters. And, they’re pretty darn fit. There’s quite a high ratio of muscle to fat, which makes BJJ very appealing for those that want to get in shape.

Pros

  • There’s a lot of rolling around on the ground or grappling as it’s known in the martial arts community, which means you’re using a lot of different muscle groups.
  • BJJ is for anyone. You don’t already have to be fit in order to start practicing. 
  • Training in BJJ really zeroes in on repeated movements, practicing a certain move until it’s done right. This increases coordination while also burning calories and fat. 
  • Even though BJJ teaches a special set of skills and moves, everything you’re doing as you work toward that goal is a workout. 

So, you’ve got the pluses, now onto the minuses. But again, if you’re getting in a workout and learning something, it’s hard to find many faults. 

Cons

  • In order to really practice, you have to be comfortable rolling around on a mat with someone, often times a stranger, which might be a little much just for someone wanting to get a good workout. 
  • BJJ is fairly technical, which again can be a turn off if you’re looking for a new workout. 
  • When practicing BJJ, fighters aren’t allowed to use elbows, knees, kicks, and punches. But they will practice takedowns and chokeholds that are taught. This can be intimidating for someone’s first class, especially if you’re not committed to learning the art, and you’re just there for the cardio. 

Mental Agility and Fortitude

Mental health is so important. And, as we learn more and more about what we can do to increase our own mental health, we’re finding out new ways to maintain a healthy mindset. Martial arts have been around for so long; it’s been proven to strengthen not only the body but also the mind. 

Krav Maga

There are many ways that Krav Maga can help build a strong mind. Dating back to its inception, Krav Maga has had a positive effect mentally on its followers.

Pros

  • Krav Maga has such a strong historical presence; it’s hard not to gain some mental strength when you learn the same skills that were actually used to fight Nazis. 
  • Learning Krav Maga and knowing that’s it’s been effective in real-life situations gives those that practice it a heightened sense of confidence and self-esteem.
  • There are times when people are more vulnerable but having Krav Maga skills in your back pocket does enable you to feel more confident in these instances, like walking to your car in a parking garage. 
  • Having experience in Krav Maga can prevent someone from freezing when they’re under pressure, especially if they’re confident in their skills.

While Krav Maga can really help build a healthy mind, there are some cons that come along with it. Here are some of those negatives, as related to mental toughness.

Cons

  • Again, kind of like with physical strength, there’s some intimidation that comes with learning Krav Maga.
  • Classes involve a lot of visualization and mentally preparing for potential attacks, which can be a lot for some to handle. Especially if your instructor really likes to provide details.
  • Even though some might be looking for a Krav Maga class to take recreationally, the mindset is still going to be a full out Krav Maga session. You have to be mentally ready to go all in. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ takes a lot of mental strength, just like Krav Maga. But, BJJ focuses on a different skillset and takes a different approach, even though the outcome is still the same. Next, you’ll read some pros of how this can help maintain a strong mind.

Pros

  • BJJ teaches students that being undersized isn’t necessarily a disadvantage, so it really promotes confidence.
  • Learning to be calm and relaxed during a pressure situation is a mental strength.
  • Increasing body awareness and control gives those that practice BJJ an edge that carries into other areas of life.
  • Visualization techniques are used frequently in BJJ, which is another way that students learn to channel their thoughts and create mental toughness. 
  • Ignoring negative energy and learning to handle problems by controlling your own approach is another main component of BJJ, which is really a great strategy for most parts of life. 
  • Practicing BJJ, because there’s so much physical contact, is a great way to relieve stress. 

While the effects of BJJ, just like Krav Maga, are mostly positive when it comes to mental strength. But there are a few things that are worth noting in the “cons” department.

Cons

  • Teachers of BJJ can sometimes demand a lot of their students, so you have to be ready to commit to the cause.
  • Although the visualization techniques are meant to help improve preparedness, they can be a lot for some to handle.
  • Intimidation can be a huge factor with new students when they first try BJJ. But just knowing that this is all part of achieving a high level of  mental strength makes it a little easier to approach. 

Traditional Martial Arts

Both Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are different from other forms of martial arts in that they are so new to the game. While both BJJ and Krav Maga have roots in traditional martial arts forms, neither necessarily adheres to the methods or ceremonial practices that we think of with martial arts. 

Krav Maga

Krav Maga was created with a very practical purpose in mind: for protection. This comes with its advantages.

Pros

  • Krav Maga does have a belt system like most martial arts, but it’s slightly different than others. There are no actual belts that are handed over with each level of achievement.
  • Students of Krav Maga are given a specific list of skills they’ll need to perform in order to reach each belt level, whereas, in other martial arts forms, it’s up to the instructor, or master, to determine this.
  • There are a certain number of hours required for students before they can test for the next level, and again, this is something that’s all laid out for students, so they’re aware of the expectations. 
  • The entry-level white belt to yellow belt achievement is for the most basic skills, but just earning one is enough to keep most students going and looking for that next belt. 

Krav Maga is very practical and meant to encourage students to feel safer with their new skills. But there are plenty of martial arts traditionalists that have a few cons when it comes to Krav Maga.

Cons

  • There are many that practice traditional martial arts that do not consider Krav Maga to be a form of martial arts.
  • Krav Maga doesn’t adhere to the same traditions used in other martial arts, and the traditions that have been developed are quite different, so this does not appeal to those that are looking for that level of tradition. 
  • Krav Maga encourages students to use whatever they’ve got, including weapons, which is against what other martial arts forms ask of their students. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ does stem from judo, so it’s a little easier to see the traditional martial arts skills and ceremonial aspects. Here are some of the pros that relate to BJJ as a form of martial arts.

Pros

  • Although newer in age, BJJ was created as an adaptation of judo, so martial arts purists are able to see that direct lineage, which earns it a little more respect. 
  • There are actual belts and belt ceremonies in BJJ, which appeals to those that want to practice martial arts in the truest sense of what they know.
  • A true BJJ master is skilled in applying the aspects of this martial art to all areas of their life, which is very true of other traditional forms of martial arts. 

But, on the opposite end, just because BJJ does come from traditional martial arts, doesn’t mean that it’s as widely accepted as the other forms. There are still a few cons that come with BJJ when it comes to the traditional martial arts perspective.

Cons

  • BJJ can be very humbling at first, even for those that have reached high levels of other martial arts, because of the amount of groundwork it requires.
  • Traditional martial arts encourage the practice of protection of vital parts of the body, whereas BJJ doesn’t offer much focus on this. 
  • BJJ encourages fighters to get their opponent on the ground as fast as possible, and if this isn’t the direction that the other person is going, BJJ will put you at a slight disadvantage.

Self-defense

All forms of martial arts are geared toward self-defense. However, they do differ in their philosophy on self-defense. We’re focusing on Krav Maga and BJJ, both of which teach students that they can still defeat an opponent, even if they’re smaller. But, their approach to self-defense differs in the strategies and teachings, and there are naturally pros and cons to each.

Krav Maga

Because it was developed for the sole purpose of self-defense, Krav Maga is widely known for its ability to teach anyone, of any size, any age, of any physical ability to protect themselves when necessary. This in itself is a major positive, but here are a few more to think about.

Pros

  • Since Krav Maga’s development was at a time when it needed to be put to use right away, it’s been adjusted to fit real-life situations, and actually tested for self-defense. No trial and error needed; it works. 
  • Krav Maga does teach avoidance strategies first, but then students are instructed to end an altercation as fast as possible, doing the most damage to the opponent.
  • Krav Maga is great for beginners or those that want to just learn self-defense. Many of the most useful tactics are able to be taught in one short lesson. Not to perfection, of course, but at least enough to use if necessary. 

There’s no doubt that Krav Maga offers anyone a fighting chance when it comes to self-defense, but there are a few things to be aware of when it comes to a downside.

Cons

  • Krav Maga does encourage the use of weapons, as previously mentioned, so it is dangerous. And, sometimes illegal, depending on the situation.
  • We also briefly touched on the basic Krav Maga principle of ending a fight as quickly as possible, which also means inflicting as much damage to your opponent as you’re physically able to. 
  • The basics of Krav Maga for self-defense can be taught rather quickly, but to be the most effective, it requires a lot of practice.
  • Actually, using Krav Maga at full strength will ultimately cause someone a lot of harm and might result in serious injuries, so it’s difficult to practice in a classroom setting. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ is an incredibly effective self-defense strategy. There’s no question as to how effective it is. And, just like Krav Maga, anyone can learn as long as they’re dedicated. But there are even more bonuses to learning BJJ, although many are similar to those of Krav Maga. Here are a few specific advantages of BJJ.

Pros

  • There are no weapons used in BJJ, so the teaching focuses on using your own skillset and strengths to exploit an opponent’s weaknesses, no matter what size you are.
  • BJJ teaches students to neutralize an opponent and escape a dangerous situation, without purposely causing permanent damage to them.

Although BJJ is very effective for competitive fighting, there are several flaws in using BJJ for self-defense. This isn’t to say that BJJ won’t work in a self-defense scenario; it there are just a few negatives to be mindful of.

Cons

  • In terms of someone that’s a student of BJJ, using it during a non-sanctioned or recreational setting, or practicing for self-defense, can lead to a false sense of confidence and even reinforce bad habits. 
  • In almost any self-defense scenario, there’s an element of unpredictability, which can be challenging for someone that’s trained in BJJ and relies heavily on planning and awareness.
  • Because BJJ teaches students to get to the ground as soon as possible, this might not be ideal for many self-defense situations, where the ground might add to the danger.
  • BJJ trains someone to fight against one opponent, which will not help you at all if you’re being attacked by several people at once.

What Does It Feel Like to Be an Opponent?

If you’re considering learning Krav Maga or BJJ, you’re most likely going to be on the receiving end of a few kicks and punches. So, just for the sake of giving yourself a little mental preparation for what you’re up against, we’re going to put it out there for you to consider from a different perspective.

Krav Maga

Clearly, this is an effective martial arts form in taking down an opponent. But what if you are the opponent? Here are a few things that would be considered pros from that standpoint.

Pros

  • Krav Maga is all about preparedness, so if you and your opponent are both aware of the same things, you’ll be able to anticipate their next move.
  • In most Krav Maga classes, you’ll be working with people that are right around your own skill level, so it’s less intimidating if you’re less experienced.
  • Because Krav Maga is a specific set of skills, again, you’ll be able to tell what your opponent might do, which can limit their success.

But, on the contrary, there are plenty of cons to being on the receiving end of someone’s Krav Maga knowledge.

Cons

  • As we know, Krav Maga can be dangerous, so if you’re sparring with someone that’s particularly strong or really intense, you could wind up getting hurt.
  • Since it’s tough to practice all of the skills you’ve learned in Krav Maga, it’s hard to determine the force that your opponent will be able to use. In fact, your opponent probably hasn’t ever practiced at full strength either, so he or she might not know what they’re capable of either, which does leave you open to injury. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

If you’ve ever seen a martial arts competition or fight portrayed in the media, you’ve most likely seen someone using elements of BJJ. So, consider what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a takedown or a chokehold. 

Here’s where we’d usually discuss a pro of BJJ, but I can’t really think of a positive to being on the opposite side of a BJJ beat down. It’s unpredictable, and even if your opponent is smaller than you, he or she might have all kinds of hidden skills. 

But there are definitely some cons for anyone that’s seeing BJJ from the opponent’s perspective. 

Cons

  • When your opponent gets you on the ground, even if they’re new in BJJ, they’ll still make it incredibly difficult to get back up and that right there is half the battle.
  • The different holds that are taught in BJJ are very, very painful for anyone that’s put in one. 
  • It’s not fun to get beat up, period. 

For more martial arts comparisons check out out BJJ vs. Everybody Section.

BJJ vs MMA: What Discipline Should You Choose?

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
BJJ vs MMA: What Discipline Should You Choose?

With over 170 martial art disciplines available to try, you may feel daunted by the decision of which is best suited to your athleticism, style, and goals. It may seem silly to overthink which one to start with, but it can be quite impactful, setting you up for success with other martial arts and also encouraging you to stick with it. If you choose the wrong discipline that is ill-fitted to your ambitions, you could quit before really giving it a chance and finding the best discipline for you. 

BJJ vs. MMA: What discipline should you choose? MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) are interesting to compare because one is a larger expansion of the other. MMA is ‘mixed,’ meaning it combines martial arts like Muay Thai, judo, taekwondo, karate, boxing and wrestling. On the other hand, BJJ is a groundwork martial art of floor-grappling that is more specialized.

Our goal is that by the end of this article, you understand the pros and cons of MMA versus BJJ and can determine which is best for varying purposes. You may end up loving both sports, but you’ll never know until you learn what they’re each about! 

What is MMA?

You can say you’re ready to start Mixed Martial Arts – but that could mean hundreds of things! It is not nearly as specific as saying you want to begin at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is only one type of martial art.

MMA is comprised of hundreds of styles, and you can learn at any age! Children and grandparents alike enjoy getting in touch with their bodies, learning some self-defense, and slowing down their approach to grounding. 

Some of the most popular MMA varieties include:

  • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – lots of chokes, leg locks, compression locks, grappling on the ground, submission holds, and floor-work. 
  • Judo – A more modern category of martial arts, this combat sport originates in the late 1880s in Japan. It is a full-contact sport that is mostly comprised of keeping your balance while your opponent attempts to throw you to the ground, flat on your back. Judo is responsible for the hip toss and other notorious throws. 
  • Classic Boxing – Often, people consider this MMA based on the televised format of ESPN’s MMA. And yes indeed, the kickboxing form of grappling and punching is MMA, there is simply more to it than this. 
  • Muay Thai – This complex sport is wonderful for those progressing in their martial arts journey, but not always the easiest place to start for a beginner. The real highlight of Muay Thai is your ability to utilize your entire body. It is called the ‘Art of Eight Limbs’ because one has to shift their knees, hands, elbows, forearms, and every small aspect of their body to control their opponent. It is very calculated and beautiful to watch.
  • Wrestling- Submissions, choke holds, arm holds, mounting and jumping on, uppercuts, any of these performer-oriented defense mechanisms. Western and Televised wresting such as the WWE have transitioned the sport to be even more of a theatrical experience with the winner almost always being pre-determined. 

These are just a few of the varieties that comprise Mixed Martial Arts, a wide-ranging artform indeed! 

If you are looking for a comprehensive look at all martial art sports, MMA can be incredibly useful for this purpose. You will obtain clarity of what each discipline is about, and later be able to focus on the one you connect with most. 

What is BJJ?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (shortened to BJJ) is incredible to watch because it doesn’t matter the size of each opponent, as with wrestling, for example, where weights are greatly considered in each fighting class.

BJJ is inclusive and will teach anyone, any age, of any size – how to defend themselves more and feel confident in their body’s capabilities.

BJJ courses are not easy! It is an interconnected practice that will help you tap into your body and release your hold over the mind. It is a therapeutic practice like making art or running a mile. Sometimes the only way to control surfacing thoughts is to get out of your head and into your body.

You might think BJJ is from Brazil, but this is incorrect. Originating in Japan, it was formerly named the shortened, ‘Jiu Jitsu,’ and was utilized in samurai training.  It moved from family to family around Japan through the 1800s until the 1900s when a man named Mitsuo Maeda traveled to Brazil. 

As the History of BJJ describes, “The art of BJJ continued to evolve over the years, eventually incorporating aspects of wrestling and other grappling arts into the curriculum. However, BJJ would remain relatively unknown outside of Brazil until Hélio’s son, Rorion, immigrated to the United States to spread the art of BJJ—a move that would forever change the way the world viewed the art of fighting.”

There are 4 major pillars within the artform of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

  • Classic BJJ
  • No-Gi Version
  • MMA Version
  • Self-Defense

There are different styles, head guards, and even garments for each style, taking their own signature approach to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. 

BJJ will be ideal for someone that doesn’t want to be thrown into dozens of different fighting styles at once. If you want to focus your attention on one martial art at a time, BJJ is a wonderful place to start. 

Pros of MMA

The tried and true tactic of pros and cons never fails! Yes, overused. And yes, effective.

By offering you the pros and cons of each, you should instinctively know which direction sounds more appealing for you to move in. 

The pros of MMA include:

  • MMA offers you a taste of every flavor! If you’re undecided, you can sample them all and then move forward with a clearer concept of each practice. Just because you walk into a Martial Arts facility, does not mean you have to know what you’re seeking to learn about. Just as you can walk into an ice cream shop and sample the rainbow, MMA will give you a snippet of each. 
  • It is a very athletic sport that involved striking – so you will learn to fight. It may cause you some pain depending on the discipline you are working with, but you will see some degree of improvement over time in your ability to defend yourself. 
  • You will recognize danger more easily – Again, with this being a more physical and fighting-oriented sport compared to BJJ, which is more about grappling, you will have a heightened radar for situations of conflict. They will train you on surprise attacks. If someone dangerous tries to harm you in public, and of course, self-defense. All of this will lend itself to you being a more instinctual human that is able to recognize harmful situations and environments. 
  • MMA is believed by many to be the purest form of combat.
  • You don’t have to pay for multiple memberships for Judo, BJJ, Kickboxing, etc. You only have one membership with everything all in one place. 
  • May be best for self-defense, being that it is so versatile.
  • Will be more concentrated on standing-combat rather than ground-fighting. 
  • Weight loss is common
  • Increase in focus is common

Cons of MMA 

Everything is a double-sided coin. Along with the wonderful positives, there are, of course, noteworthy negatives to consider.

Some of the cons of MMA you should consider include:

  • Most Importantly – You’re a jack of all trades, master of none. 
  • It is a more violent sport.
  • Many argue not as good for self-defense as BJJ. Many argue better than BJJ, but this is a debatable point. 
  • Not always recommended for young children due to its high-combat orientation. It is great for children to be offered a start to self-defense, and most classes for young children are adapted for each age group.
  • You will learn some of each combat methodology which can lend itself to future combat, but also could affect your long-term approach or ability to adapt to other disciplines. MMA is argued by many to be the best place to start, yet, others say it will affect your style too much due to it being so versatile.  
  • MMA is more expensive because you are paying for the versatility and oftentimes, multiple coaches/trainers.
  • You may end up paying for more than you want. If you only want BJJ, Judo, and Muay Thai, yet you are paying for wrestling, kickboxing, and karate – you could be losing money in this deal.
  • Starting off with MMA will almost certainly impact your approach to other martial arts sports. This can be good, and oftentimes, this can be bad because you are not starting out on an even playing field to absorb the foundations of those smaller niches. 
  • Some say to start with MMA only if you want to end with MMA. If you don’t want to get trapped in that mentality or approach, practice each discipline independently and then later come to MMA. 

Pros of BJJ

More and more people are starting to recognize the incredible value of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with more than 13,000 per capita rate of, “BJJ practitioners, divided by 13,000,000,’ offers, ‘a total of 324,000 people doing BJJ in the U.S. alone,” according to The Martial Arts Stack Exchange.

Some of the pros to consider about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu include:

  • You can compete with any opponent of any size! This is one of the most unique aspects of BJJ. As compared to MMA and forms like wrestling where you will have an opponent similar to your size and weight class, BJJ will permit any two people to grapple. 
  • Since the sport is not about your size, only your strength, and ability, it does not discriminate in height or weight. 
  • Great for all ages! 
  • It is more heavily-focused on close-combat, and grappling on the ground, instead of striking or self-defense combat that we see with MMA.
  • You don’t have to pay for classes you’re not even taking. As with MMA, where you may only enjoy 3-6 out of the 10 classes offered, it may be more feasible for you to only pay for the specific courses and disciplines that you favor, instead of all.  
  • Frequently cheaper than MMA, depending on the instructor’s reputation, skill-level, and the geographical location. 
  • It is considered a more submission-based art that teaches you to get your opponent to submit, less violence being required. Some of the things you will be taught include chokes, sweeps to known someone down, ankle-locks, head locks, bars, and other submissive-movements. Practices never get violent because the student simply taps the ground when they are ‘tapping out.’ 
  • It offers the champion power but not in a disturbing way as some violent MMA’s can be perceived. It is often more powerful for an audience to watch someone win for strength without blood, rather than watching someone whale mercilessly on a weaker opponent. 
  • You will learn more about body balance, coordination, and physics through BJJ than most other MMA practices. You will learn the foundations of physics on a physical level (no pun intended) because you are constantly practicing knocking someone to the ground. 
  • Continuing that point, BJJ is considered more intellectual than many disciplines within MMA, more strategic with step-by-step methodologies that incorporate physics and balance. This is a matter of debate and will also depend on the trainer you select.
  • Perfect for self-defense in an unarmed 1-1 combat.
  • It can be less overwhelming than MMA to start with. 
  • Great exercise! If you’re just looking for a good work out or to burn off some physical energy, BJJ is sure to do that.
  • You are focusing on one style, therefore able to be a master of one instead of a jack of all trades. 

Cons of BJJ 

Now that you’re getting the hang of each, a synopsis on the cons for BJJ include:

  • Fighters like Mackenzie Dern that practice both MMA and BJJ, say that both are indispensable. Dern says that after starting with BJJ, she moved to MMA once she felt all of her goals had been reached in BJJ, and there was nowhere else to grow to. We list this as a con against BJJ because MMA is broader and, therefore, can take you further. 
  • Less violent – which could be a negative-quality for some people.
  • Not the best for cardio or striking. As we’ve covered, striking will be covered in MMA.
  • It does not teach you protection as deeply as other comprehensive MMA sports. It is more focused on what you’re putting out to grapple, not positions to protect your groin, weak spots, etc.
  • Not ideal for combat that is not one-on-one. If you are attacked by a group, BJJ training will not be as helpful as MMA training.
  • Not always applicable to real-world scenarios because there won’t be a cozy, soft mat there to land on.  It can offer you a false sense of confidence from practicing in a cushioned arena. 
  • It can increase skin-infections and issues because you are rubbing directly with sweaty opponents, direct contact that can cause skin irritations, rashes. Etc. It is also linked to conditions such as Hematomas (known as cauliflower eyes), and Polyarthralgia (joint weakness). 
  • Some feel BJJ is only worthwhile when you combine it with other skills such as Wrestling, Muay Thai, or Judo. 

Questions to Consider Before Making Your Choice

Some questions to ask yourself in determining the best martial arts discipline for your needs is to consider the following:

  • Do you thrive learning through versatility or narrowed-focus? 
  • Do you have specific practices you want to learn more about (Judo, BJJ, Karate, etc.)? Which practice would offer you the most of what you (technique-wise) are seeking to do? 
  • Do you want to strike or avoid striking? 
  • Are you learning self-defense because you were recently attacked or harassed? You want the best approach for self-defense in a non-gym environment. 
  • Would you prefer to set your attention on one discipline at a time, or do you thrive under the pressure of being thrown into all?
  • Do you want to be a jack of all trades or a master of one?
  • Would you prefer to be a master of one, and then progress to other disciplines? 
  • How much time will you have to master a martial art? Will narrow focus fit into your schedule better?

Weighing and Comparing the Differences? 

Now taking what we know about each discipline, consider the differences:

  • MMA is like going through a large-scale school, while BJJ will be more akin to a single class.
  • You will probably have multiple teachers in MMA (one for Jiu Jitsu, one for Striking, one for Kickboxing, one for Judo, etc.) With BJJ, you won’t be shifted around to multiple instructors, so perhaps it is easier to find one that you connect with most.
  • Learning everything all at once can be daunting. At the same time, there are scientific studies behind how our brains shut down with stability. If it becomes too consistent and predictable, we literally stop learning. In this piece called, “Science Has Just Confirmed That If You’re Not Outside Your Comfort Zone, You’re Not Learning,” they describe that stability is the murderer of learning. Due to this, perhaps you should choose the discipline that is most challenging and overwhelming for you, as a methodology to approach it and stick with it longer. If you’re unstimulated, you may give up prematurely. 
  • It is usually easier to take on one discipline at a time, especially under the condition that you are brand new to both Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
  • If you start with one, you can build upon that later, which tends to be easier. This is the framework for elementary school even (think, addition, then multiplication, then division). It all builds upwards instead of throwing each technique at you all at once. 
  • If you’ve wrestled before or have some kind of physical-contact-sport experience, perhaps BJJ will be a great contract to the work you’ve already done in standing-combat. 

Other Martial Art Practices to Consider

If these two are already starting to feel like the wrong fit, let us offer you more alternatives!

Some great martial arts to consider (in tandem with BJJ and MMA, or as a substitute), as well as their core-strengths, include: 

  • Aikido – Not the best for self-defense but very fun! It teaches you things like wrist-locks and controlling your opponent into submission, similarly to BJJ. Used to train swordsmanship, it is very focused on grabbing the wrists and limbs of your attackers. 
  • Muay Thai – A form of boxing, Muay Thai has always been greatly recognized for its self-defense value. You will see lots of knee-strikes and hits that really disorient your opponent. There are large repercussions in this sport and a higher likelihood of injury, so perhaps this practice is best suited to older teenagers or adults, less-suited for young children. One thing to note about Muay Thai is that it won’t teach you ground sparring, grappling, or the key takeaways that BJJ will offer you, so maybe it is best to learn both!
  • Karate – How can we leave this off of our list of alternatives? One of the most popular disciplines in the United States and Globally, with over “100 Million people on five continents and 192 countries,” currently practicing Karate, it is undeniably a global phenomenon. Karate is recommended for young children and even adults as an ideal starting place for beginners.
  • Wing Chun – This lesser-known style of kung Fu has been used since the early origins of Buddhism. Created by a woman that wanted a self-defense style that would transcend her gender, Wing Chun is a meditative practice that is focused on balance primarily. The inspiration for the martial art form came from animals like the Crane, displaying poetic balance and grace. 
  • Judo – Since it comes from a rich history with the samurais, this ancient practice will teach you about choking, armlocks, and blocks. It will not focus on strikes, so it may not be best for self-defense, but of course, this is all useful and fluid information that applies throughout MMA. 
  • Krav Maga – This is a Hebrew term that literally translates to ‘Contact Fighting.’ If you’re looking to strike, this is the place to learn, while also combining aspects of kickboxing and wrestling. It is often considered the best practice for self-defense. 

This list from Home Alarm Report ranks BJJ as #1 for self-defense, Muay Thai as #2, and MMA as the last on the list at #5. This is only one perspective but add it to your cultivated list of research. 

Final Thoughts on Each Discipline

As you can see, it is a subjective matter and highly dependent on your own personal goals for martial arts. Both MMA and BJJ offer great value to any fighter and will contribute skills to your life that can ripple into everything you do.

For each discipline, you will see the commonalities of:

  • Getting stronger
  • Becoming more balanced (physically and emotionally)
  • Finding a community of like-minded individuals
  • Learning respect for your opponent, and therefore, other people. 

Most gyms will offer you a free lesson or complimentary consultation. Take advantage of these to determine which practice you’d prefer to start with. You really won’t know until you experience the difference for yourself. Each is a martial art practice that demands immersion and engagement.  

Beginning with either MMA or BJJ are wonderful moves to make, and neither could be considered ‘wrong.’ You can only determine which is calling to you most, which offers the tactics you want to learn the most, and which seems to give you the best foundation.

Verdict: MMA or BJJ? 

No matter what decision you make, the gym won’t matter more than your mentality and confidence going into a new discipline. Your attitude will determine your success.

Some final tips to help simplify the above research are:

  • If you don’t want to be hit in the face – Choose BJJ
  • If you want to learn how to strike/punch/hit – Choose MMA
  • If you want to learn more balance and coordination – Choose BJJ
  • If you want more real-life applicability – Choose MMA
  • If you are younger (or a parent) and want the less violent practice – Choose BJJ
  • If you are older and prepared for strikes – Choose MMA
  • If you are shorter/larger/taller/smaller, etc. and don’t want that to determine your opponent – Choose BJJ
  • If you want your opponent to match your height/weight class and not be 5xs larger or smaller than you – Choose MMA 
  • If you want a taste of everything – Choose MMA
  • If you want to master one skill before moving forward – Choose BJJ

Clearly, it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Our overall goal for this guide is to encourage you to try both!

Both of these practices will offer you community, confidence, and discipline that can be applied to every aspect of your life. 

Your gym will become a home away from home find a place you truly connect with as this will help you stick with it longer, creating an environment where you can learn about multiple MMA practices. 

No matter what you’re seeking from MMA, there is a discipline for you. 

For more martial arts comparisons check out our BJJ vs. Everybody Section.

BJJ vs. Sambo: Pros & Cons of Each Discipline

Let's Roll BJJ
-
1
BJJ vs. Sambo: Pros & Cons of Each Discipline


Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ is a popular grappling style in the West. Still, another fighting style sambo has also been building up steam ever since it came to prominence with Russian MMA superstar Fedor Emelianenko in 2010. Both styles are arguably effective grappling skills, but there are definite differences between the two. 

So which is better, sambo or BJJ? Sambo is an aggressive fighting style from Russian that focuses on quick striking paramilitary techniques. BJJ is a popular fighting style focusing on strong groundwork and chokeholds, designed more for ring competition than street fighting. This makes it harder to use in practical applications.

While there are some similarities between BJJ and sambo, there are distinct pros and cons of each fighting style that set them apart from each other. Keep reading to learn more about these two grappling schools, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The Art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial arts style that focuses on grappling and is designed as an unarmed self-defense technique. Jiu Jitsu originated in Japan as an unarmed combat style of the Japanese samurai, where used as a last resort technique once a samurai was unhorsed and left disarmed. Eventually, this style of Jiu Jitsu branched off into several other fighting styles, one of which was Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

With the advent of MMA, BJJ has become a very popular foundation style for mixed martial arts that can be built on by cross-training into other styles. If the BJJ gyms cropping up on every other street corner in America are any indication, this is a versatile fighting style that will be around for a long time. 

Advantages of Using BJJ

As a fighting style, there are many benefits of making BJJ your go-to discipline, whether you’re looking for a last-ditch self-defense style or you want to learn a grappling martial art for competition purposes. Here are some of the benefits of BJJ

  • Guard-based techniques: In BJJ, guard is a variety of positions on the ground where the BJJ practitioner is trying to control an opponent on top of them by using their legs. This is an effective fighting style for when you’ve been sucker-punched, and someone already has you down on the ground before you realize you’re in a fight. Using BJJ, a fighter on their back foot can turn the tables quickly. 

  • Focus on chokeholds: Along with a general focus on groundwork, BJJ zeroes in on chokeholds as a means to control one’s opponent. Like guard-based techniques, chokeholds are a great way to weaken a larger, stronger opponent who otherwise has a weight and height advantage. Choke holds are also a good way to incapacitate an opponent without causing lasting damage.
  • Lots of schools, plenty of places to learn: BJJ is arguably one of the most popular fighting styles in the United States and abroad due to its versatility in the MMA arena when learned in conjunction with another style that is more focused on strikes. The fact that it is so popular means that if you want to learn BJJ, you have plenty of options for gyms.

  • A more complete style than sambo: BJJ is a derivative of Japanese Jiu Jitsu, which has been around for centuries. In comparison, sambo was only developed in the early 1900s. BJJ incorporates a lot more techniques from other martial arts than sambo, which is a more restrictive style (at least in its sports version—combat sambo is a different story).

  • Incorporates all groundwork: BJJ offers a lot more options in ground grappling than many martial arts. While the throws in BJJ are impressive and typically result in an instant victory, in practice, they only make up about 10% of the moves practiced in BJJ. The rest of the fighting in BJJ is floor grappling.

  • Goes after multiple targets: BJJ is designed to go after legs, arms, wrists, spine, basically anywhere that can result in a broken limb that will cause a submission in the fight. Between that and its focus on chokeholds, BJJ gives you a lot of options against your opponent once you end up on the ground.

  • Effective against a single opponent: In a fight where you can focus all your energy against one enemy, BJJ is an effective style. BJJ allows a smaller fighter to use agility and leverage to their advantage even if they end up beneath the other fighter.

  • Emphasizes a meticulous approach to discipline: BJJ teaches fighters to think in moves ahead, with limited opportunities to act. It’s sort of like chess in that way. This means in comparison to some martial arts, BJJ could be considered a very intellectual sport. At higher levels, the amount of moves to finish a match is minimal, so every move must be decisive.

  • Lots of sparring: BJJ is a great fighting style for people who want a lot of “on the job” training in their martial art, rather than focus on forms or concepts. The best way to learn BJJ is to actually fight, so people training in this sport will get plenty of opportunities to hone their skills against their fellow fighters.

  • Complimentary to other fighting styles: While BJJ has some weaknesses when used as a martial art on its own when used together with other fighting styles, it can easily become the cornerstone of an MMA cross-training regimen. The techniques used in BJJ can be found incorporated in the personal styles of the major competitive MMA fighters in the world.

Unlike fighting styles that focus on relentlessly attacking one’s opponent, BJJ is designed more as an ace-in-the-hole sort of fighting style that can be pulled out when an attacker already has you on the ground or is in the process of putting you there and needs to be subdued quickly. 

Disadvantages of BJJ

BJJ has a lot to recommend it as a fighting style, but like all martial arts, it has its drawbacks as well. Here are some of the disadvantages of choosing BJJ as your fighting style

  • Ineffective against groups: BJJ is not a good martial art to try and use against a gang of attackers. While a BJJ practitioner might be able to take down the enemy that is directly on top of them in guard position, that doesn’t help when there are three or four other attackers kicking at him from all sides.

  • Not effective against armed opponents: BJJ focuses on waiting for an attacker to strike first, and the close-range proximity required to make an effective move in BJJ puts the fighter in danger of a concealed weapon like a gun or knife.

  • Inconsistent focus on leg attacks or guarding them: Some schools of BJJ have a negative view on leglocks and other leg-based attacks and believe that they are “cheap” moves that don’t belong in competitive BJJ. This can lead to some BJJ schools teaching leg attacks and others that don’t. If you end up in a BJJ school that puts no focus on legwork, you might find yourself at a disadvantage against a fighter who knows how to fight with their legs.
  • Street application different than gym practice: Rolling around on a soft mat in a BJJ gym in groundwork is a lot different than tumbling around on asphalt in an alley with a real attacker. Because sports-based BJJ is a far removed from real street fighting, BJJ fighters can find themselves unprepared in an actual self-defense scenario.

  • No striking: BJJ doesn’t focus on striking or what to do in response to being struck, leading some BJJ fighters to go down like a sack of potatoes if they catch a headbutt or an elbow in the face. Since many real street fights focus on heavy offensive striking rather than floor grappling, a fighter who knows how to strike may be at an advantage over a BJJ fighter who doesn’t.

  • Can be weak against wrestling-style fighters in MMA matches: Since a BJJ fighter really needs to get their opponent down on the ground, fighters that are heavyset upright wrestling types can be difficult for a smaller BJJ fighter to ground without leglocks.

  • Can cause skin problems and other medical problems: One of the downsides to grappling martial arts is that they tend to cause medical issues like skin infections. These problems can be prevented to an extent through strict hygiene at the gym, but at the end of the day, a lot of grappling-based fighters end up with some kind of skin infection or turf toe at some point in their martial arts career.

  • Focus on groundwork leaves it generally weak as an upright style: Because so much of BJJ focuses on floor grappling rather than throws or strikes, this means the BJJ fighter is usually at a disadvantage against many other fighting styles until the fight hits the ground. 

BJJ is a strong martial art, but its drawbacks mean that it is usually better suited as a complementary skill, rather than one’s only fighting style.

The Art of Sambo

Sambo is a martial arts style formulated in the early 1900s for use by the Russian army. This aggressive, hard-hitting fighting style uses a combination of judo, Greco-Roman wrestling, and European folk wrestling, combined with modern-day paramilitary suppression techniques. 

The sports version of sambo is quite different than the combat version of sambo, with extreme mixed martial arts techniques such as head butts and groin strikes allowed in the latter category. Combat sambo is the type of sambo that is actually used by the Russian military, while sports sambo is a more stripped-down version that focuses more on catch-wrestling. 

 

Sambo is not as widely known as BJJ because of BJJ’s popularity boom in the 1990s. However, with the arrival of several sambo-trained MMA starfighters in the early 2000s, sambo became a more well-known branch of martial arts. 

Pros of Sambo

While it isn’t as well known as BJJ, there are still several advantages to sambo that mark it out as a worthwhile discipline to pursue. Here are some of the benefits of learning sambo

  • Leg locks: While many schools of BJJ don’t put much focus on leglocks, sambo dedicates a lot of training to them, which can give a sambo fighter an advantage against a fighter who is only trained in BJJ alone.

  • Belt turn: In sambo, fighters are allowed to grip their opponents by the belt, which is a grip that is not allowed in traditional judo. This technique was introduced through the Russian wrestling schools to the broader MMA audience and is considered an advanced tactic in sambo fighting.

  • Striking techniques: Unlike BJJ, sambo puts a lot more emphasis on hard-hitting striking techniques designed to put an opponent on the ground as quickly as possible, rather than having the opponent put you on the ground.

  • Similar to judo: Sambo’s similarity to judo makes it easy for those with previous judo training to pick up the fundamentals of it quickly and incorporate them into their MMA style. It could be argued that combat or American freestyle sambo is simply a more versatile form of judo that allows for “dirtier” fighting tactics.

  • No sudden victories: While a BJJ match can be won with a single ippon throw, there are no such total victory moves in sambo. Instead, the victor must accumulate a higher number of points through move combinations.

  • Allows all grips and takedowns: Unlike BJJ, which limits the types of grips that are allowed, sambo allows all grips, including a grip on the belt. Sambo also allows any style of takedown, including body slams, scissor takedowns, and arch throws. The many different wrestling applications you can use in sambo gives the fighter a ton of options both upright and after they hit the ground.

  • Rare and unique fighting style: Everybody and their brother is learning BJJ, but sambo is a much more uncommon style of fighting. If you want to learn a martial art that people don’t run into every day, sambo is definitely the way to go. Because it is so rare, if a fighter finds themselves in a position where they have the opportunity to train in sambo, it’s a chance that might not come up again later in life.

  • Combat sambo allows for all strike types: In essence, combat sambo was MMA before MMA was invented. Combat sambo is also meant to be used in offensive street fights rather than designed for ring combat, which makes it a rough and ready martial art for practical self-defense. Combat sambo reasons that if your opponent is going to fight mean, you might as well fight mean too. 

Sambo doesn’t mess around, and if you’re trying to find a fighting style that is just as effective upright as it is on the ground but still has a strong grappling foundation, sambo is definitely an option you should think about looking into. It’s hard to find an MMA opponent that can stand up against a fully trained combat sambo fighter, and even the sports version is more aggressive than traditional judo. 

Disadvantages of Sambo 

Sambo has a lot of advantages as a martial art, but like any discipline, it has its share of drawbacks as well. Here are some of the downsides to learning sambo as opposed to a different fighting style:

  • Limited groundwork: Sambo focuses as much on upright striking and leglocks as it does on groundwork, which means that fighting styles with more focus on groundwork (such as BJJ) can overcome a sambo fighter once the fight hits the floor.

  • No closed guard: It’s against the rules of sambo to use a closed guard. There is some guard usage in sambo, but it is a much more temporary loose position than the rigid grappling guards utilized in BJJ and other groundwork-focused martial arts. In sambo, a closed guard is considered a stalling tactic and is subsequently penalized.
  • No chokeholds: For many fighters, the fact that sports sambo bans chokeholds is a major disadvantage of the fighting style as a self-defense method. The rules of sambo force the fighters to go for submissions quickly, so extended ground tactics like chokeholds and guards don’t come into play.

  • Can only submit with armlocks and leglocks in sports sambo: Other types of locks such as wristlocks, spine locks, neck cranks, heel hooks, and kimura locks are banned. In American freestyle and combat sambo, the types of submissions allowed are much more varied and MMA in style, leading to a freer interpretation of the fighting style.

  • Mostly Russian fighters: Even a century after its foundation, sambo is still very much a Russian-dominated sport, with attempts to elevate it to the Olympic level kiboshed totally after the Olympic committee removed even traditional Greco-Roman wrestling from the summer Olympic line-up. That means that if you’re lucky enough to find a sambo trainer, it’s probably going to be Russian-dominated.

  • Funny outfits: While the jackets used in sambo are actually useful grappling points during a sambo fight, some fighters find the jacket-and-short combo to be goofy-looking and uncomfortable to wear in a competitive match. The fact that sambo allows belt grips also gives a fighter’s opponent the chance to use their own outfit against them.

  • Not many places to train: In comparison to other grappling martial arts like judo or BJJ, where you can find a gym practically on every other street corner, there are very few places where you can get authentic sambo training. If you do manage to find a gym where you can train sambo, you’re not going to have many alternative options, and you may end up having to commute pretty far for training. 

How BJJ and Sambo Are the Same

There are some distinct differences between BJJ and sambo, but there are also some basic ways that they’re alike. 

  • Both grappling styles: As opposed to martial arts like Muay Thai or karate, BJJ and sambo both focus on grappling, which is a form of combat that focuses on grasping or gripping the opponent to manipulate their body weight, rather than striking out at them.
  • Both are the continuations of older fighting styles: BJJ is the spiritual successor to older Jiu Jitsu schools and other unarmed Eastern martial arts traditions that came before it, while sambo is a cut-and-paste conglomeration of judo mixed with Greco-Roman wrestling and strike-heavy Eastern European paramilitary street fighting.

  • Both are restrictive in competition: While the restrictions involved in BJJ and sambo aren’t the same, both fighting disciplines have distinct rules with regards to what kinds of holds are legal, how long fighters can spend locked on the ground, and what kind of strikes or holds are permissible. Unlike no-holds-barred MMA, these foundation fighting styles are much less freewheeling.  

  • Both are most effective in conjunction as cross-training for another fighting style. Sambo alone leaves fighters vulnerable to groundwork, while BJJ fighters are weak to upright strikes and leg attacks. The two fighting styles combined are much more effective than either style is separate, which is one of the reasons why MMA is so popular.  

BJJ and sambo may have been developed on opposite sides of the planet, but they’re a lot more alike than they are different. In both fighting styles, swift leverage and forceful technical moves used against the other opponent is the key to a sure victory.

How BJJ and Sambo Are Different 

Sambo and BJJ might both be grappling-based martial arts, but when it comes to their development, the two fighting styles originated in completely different ways. 

  • Sambo was designed for the military; BJJ was designed for the ring: This means that in a lot of cases sambo wins out for a practical application in a self-defense situation—it was designed for use against unarmed attackers, armed attackers, and even multiple opponents, rather than a single opponent in a controlled environment.

  • Sambo matches are shorter than BJJ matches: Sambo matches the last five minutes, while most BJJ matches last between five and ten minutes depending on the aptitude of the fighters involved. Sambo fighting involves aggressively coming at your opponent as fast as you can, while BJJ is a more studied, methodical way of fighting.

  • Sambo was developed in Russia, BJJ was developed in Brazil: Sambo was developed by Russian military scientists as a program of unarmed combat taught to soldiers and special operatives—it even has a “softer” version called Samoz that was designed for use by weaker combatants such as secret agents or wounded soldiers.  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was carried to Brazil from Japan in its original form by one fighter—Mitsuyo Maeda. 

How to Choose Between Sambo and BJJ When Choosing a Martial Art

By now, in this article, you’ve learned pretty much all the basics there is to know about these two fighting disciplines inspired by old school judo techniques. So how do you choose which grappling martial art is the right discipline for you? 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to decide whether you should learn sambo or BJJ as a martial art: 

  • Is this going to be my only form of self-defense or martial arts training?
  • Do I want to use my martial arts training for exhibition, competition, or practical self-defense? 
  • Is there a BJJ or sambo gym close enough for me to train with? 
  • Do I want to learn how to street fight, or fight in a sports ring? 
  • Am I learning this martial art as a cross-training discipline for MMA competition? If so, how will it affect my overall fighting tactics? 

If you’re trying to build up your repertoire of moves for MMA sparring and competition, you’ll be best served to cross-train in multiple fighting disciplines to have the largest toolbox at your disposal when it comes time to hit the ring.

Even if you really want to take sambo training, unless you’re in a place with a large Eastern European population, chances are you might have to travel pretty far to find any sambo gym, much less a choice of several to pick from. So that means you might end up having to fall back on BJJ whether you want to learn sambo or not. 

At the end of the day, sambo is a great martial art to learn if you have access to it, and if you know of a sambo gym nearby, you’d be doing yourself a favor to check it out and see what kind of training is available. But if you’re stuck with BJJ as a backup (or simply prefer it), then you’re in luck—BJJ is still considered one of the best martial arts to start your training in MMA fighting styles.

Grappling Fighting Styles Are the Key to a Strong MMA Background

While hard-hitting strikers are impressive in the MMA ring, Jiu Jitsu and wrestling based fighting disciplines have become some of the most dominant styles seen in MMA competitions today.

Whether you favor the chess-like tactics of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or the overpowering submission-based moves of sambo, having a strong grappling background can allow you to take out a physically superior opponent. 

Check out our other articles where we match up Jiu Jitsu against other martial arts BJJ vs. Everybody.

Best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Schools in NYC

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
Best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Schools in NYC

Best Gyms To Train Jiu Jitsu In New York City

New York City, the city that never sleeps has something very special. Aside from a variety of culture and food, this city has another very special thing. Jiu Jitsu.

Jiu Jitsu in New York City is one of the strongest Jiu Jitsu scenes on the planet. Some of the best academies in the world are located, where numerous world champions train. The best part is a lot of the schools are a short walk from one another.

Check out this list of the best gyms to train Jiu Jitsu in New York City.

Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu Academy

One of the all time greats in BJJ has his Jiu Jitsu school in the heart of New York City. Marcelo Garcia is considered by many one of the best BJJ athletes of all time.

In the late 2010s, Garcia  made New York the home base for his Jiu Jitsu school. You will not find better quality Jiu Jitsu in New York or in the world for that matter.

Aside from being a world class BJJ athlete, Marcelo is quite an accomplished coach. He has coached many of the best BJJ athletes in the world including Edwin Naijmi and Bernardo Faria.

Marcelo may also be the nicest guy in BJJ and his classes are always full. His passion for BJJ has created one of the most popular and successful academies in NYC.

See below for all the info about Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu Academy

Classes Offered At Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu Academy

*BJJ classes only

  • Intro to BJJ
  • Kids and Youth Programs
  • Fundamental Classes
  • Gi and No Gi

Instructors At Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu Academy

  • Marcelo Garcia (Head Instructor/Owner)
  • Various Marcelo Garcia Instructors(names not listed on website)

Special Offers: 2 Free Trial Classes Are Offered For Potential New Members

Address: 250 W 26TH ST. – 3RD FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10001

Phone: 212.414.0044

Visit Website

Renzo Gracie Academy

Anybody that trains BJJ knows Renzo Gracie and knows about his world famous gym. This academy has produced many of the top BJJ and MMA athletes in the world. Renzo Gracie Academy is synonymous with Jiu Jitsu in New York City. 

Students including Georges St Pierre, Matt Serra, and Ricardo Almeida.

This school is known for quality and has some of the best instructors in the world teaching here. Of course we can’t talk about Renzo Gracie Academy and not mention John Danaher.

The Danaher Death Squad make their home here and the classes John runs are filled with BJJ’s top athletes. Names like Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Nicky Ryan, and Nick Rodriguez are on the mat everyday here.

Read below on the info about this world class.

Classes Offered At Renzo Gracie Academy

  • BJJ
  • Muay Thai
  • Kids Jiu Jitsu
  • Submission Grappling(No Gi)

Instructors At Renzo Gracie Academy

BJJ Instructors:

  • Renzo Gracie(Head instructor and owner)
  • John Danaher
  • Rolles Gracie
  • Igor Gracie 
  • Gregor Gracie
  • Neiman Gracie
  • Rafael Costa
  • Robson Gracie
  • Harley Flannagan
  • Bridget Gracie

Muay Thai Instructors:

  • Joe Sampieri
  • Jamie Crowder
  • Mike Mckee
  • Elijah Clarke
  • P.J. McMahon
  • Joshua Brandenburg
  • Lucas Noonan

Special Offers: 1 free trial class for BJJ or Muay Thai

Address: 224 West 30th Street New York, NY 10001

Phone Number: 212.279.6724

Visit Website

Unity Jiu Jitsu

If you need more reason to train Jiu Jitsu in New York City look no further than Unity Jiu Jitsu. Murilo Santana runs one of the best gyms in the city and is known for its hard training style.

Murilo is known for being a great BJJ competitor, but he is also a fantastic instructor as well.

They are always training for competitions in this academy, so you will definitely get a lot of drilling and rolling in. 

This academy is also home to some of the best BJJ competitors in the world.

On any day, you could be training next to the Miyao brothers, Luiza Monteira, Eddie Cummings, and Devhonte Johnson. The instructors are also some of the best competitors in the world that include world BJJ champions.

Read below for more information on the school.

Classes Offered At Unity Jiu Jitsu

*BJJ classes only are offered at this school.

  • Kids Classes
  • Foundation Program(fundamentals)
  • Open Drilling
  • Jiu Jitsu Class
  • Submission Grappling(No Gi)
  • Pro Training

Instructors At Unity Jiu Jitsu

  • Murilo Santana(Head Instructor/Owner)
  • Ana Lowry
  • Paulo & Joao Miyao
  • Leandro Lo
  • Devhonte “Bones” Johnson
  • Edwin “Junny” Ocasio
  • Gene Kobilansky

Special Offers: 1 Free Trial Class

Address: 144 W 14th ST, Stair Door A, New York, NY 10011

(Behind 6th and 7th Avenues-Basement of Pratt)

Phone Number: 917.409.5550

Visit Website

Team Fabio Clemente

If you want to visit a historical gym in New York, then you should check out Team Fabio Clemente. This was the first Jiu Jitsu school in New York City that opened in 1995.

Professor was the first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor in the city and started the BJJ boom in NYC. Today his gym is still going as strong as ever. 

Fabio’s school is a welcoming atmosphere that is open to people of all skill levels. Programs that include beginner classes to competition classes.

See below for more information on Team Fabio Clemente.

Classes Offered At Team Fabio Clemente

*BJJ classes only at this academy.

  • Beginner Program
  • Intermediate Program
  • Advanced Program
  • Competition Program

Instructors At Team Fabio Clemente

  • Fabio Clemente(Head Instructor/Owner)
  • Pedro Fernandes
  • Mike Kalika
  • Louis Levy
  • Eduardo Capeluto
  • Zata Toscano
  • Vedha Toscano
  • Michael Rivas
  • Matt Ramirez

Special Offers: 1 free trial class

Address: 123 E 12th Street New York, NY 10003

Phone: 212.529.7675

Visit Website

Serra BJJ Academy

MMA legend and former UFC champion Matt Serra has two academies located in Long Island just east of NYC. After getting his black belt from Renzo Gracie and teaching at his academy, Matt wanted to open his own academy.

He went back home to Long Island and realized his dream of opening his own school. Today his schools are the premiere gym in Long Island.

Serra has many black belt students and has trained multiple world champions in MMA and BJJ. He is famous for  his heavy NY accent and loud voice you can clearly hear when he’s coaching on TV.

Since Renzo is his coach this makes Serra’s school an affiliate of Renzo’s. This means you may have access to both if you train at one of these schools. If you’re in Long Island go check out these world class schools.

See below for more info on these schools


Instructors at Serra BJJ Academy

  • Matt Serra(Head Instructor/Owner)
  • Jason Rau
  • Dan Astarita
  • Mike Piccolomini
  • Vinny Melillo(Muay Thai coach)

Special Offers: 1 free trial class

Multiple locations

Address Location 1: Serra BJJ Levittown: 2949 Hempstead Turnpike , Levittown NY 11756

Phone: 516.520.2052

Address Location 2: Serra BJJ Huntington: 365 West Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 11743

Phone: 631.385.2312

Vist Website

Igor Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy

Over in Westchester, NY lies another one of the best Jiu Jitsu Academies in New York. Igor Gracie aside from teaching at Renzo’s school runs his own that is a world class academy.

After retiring from BJJ and MMA competition, Igor began teaching at Renzo’s school. Eventually he opened his own school and now teaches at both academies. He is also a part time model  when he isn’t coaching oddly enough.

Igor has helped train numerous high level BJJ, MMA competitors, and celebrity BJJ practitioners. He teaches the classic Gracie Jiu Jitsu system that was passed down to him by his family.

This is another Renzo Gracie Academy affiliate, so you may have access to the main school. Inquire with Igor Gracie Academy to find out for sure.

Read below for more info on this BJJ academy.

Classes At Igor Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy

*This school offers BJJ classes only

  • Kids Classes
  • Beginner Class
  • Intermediate Classes
  • Advanced Classes
  • Submission Grappling(No Gi)

Instructors At Igor Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy

  • Igor Gracie(Head Instructor/Owner)
  • *No other instructors listed on their website

Address: 175 Main St, New Rochelle, NY 10801, United States

Phone: 914-235-2605

Visit Website

Vitor Shaolin ‘s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Another world champion that has opened in school in New York. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro is among the most respected figures in BJJ. He is known as being a former top BJJ competitor and now runs a very successful Jiu Jitsu school in New York City. 

Shaolin offers some of the top BJJ and MMA classes in the city. Another great thing about Shaolin’s school is he has 5 in various boroughs of New York.(Also one in New Jersey)

This school offers great Jiu Jitsu and has various locations depending where you are in NYC.

See below for more information.

Classes Offered At Vitor Shaolin’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

*Classes Vary Depending on each school

  • BJJ Beginners
  • Kids Classes
  • Advanced Class
  • No Gi
  • Purple Belt and Up
  • Blue Belt Only
  • MMA

Instructors At Vitor Shaolin’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  • Vitor Shaoin(Head Instructor/Owner)
  • Jen Sung
  • Krystle Wilson
  • Freddy Martinez

Special Offers: 2 free trial classes

Address(es): Below are the two main locations in NYC. Affiliates are listed on the website.

Address Midtown: 7808th Ave(@ 47 St) New York, NY 10036

Phone: 212.957.4045

Address Upper East Side: 220 E 86th Street, Fl 2 New York, NY 10028

Phone: 646.649.3269

Visit Website

Clockwork Jiu Jitsu

Clockwork Jiu Jitsu is located right in downtown New York. Sometimes overshadowed by big name schools, but this gym offers some of the best Jiu Jitsu in New York City.

On their site, they say that their school is an ego free space that is welcome to all skill levels. This school is led by 3rd degree black belt Josh Griffiths that is located in lower Manhattan.

There is not a bad review to be found about this school. If you’re in the Manhattan area and need a place to train, definitely check them out.

Classes Offered At Clockwork Jiu Jitsu

*BJJ classes only at this school.

  • Kids Classes
  • White Belt Class
  • Blue Belt Class
  • Mixed Class
  • Competition Class

Instructors At Clockwork Jiu Jitsu

  • Josh Griffiths(Head Instructor/Owner)
  • Sebastian Guerriero
  • Kyle Jackson

Special Offers: One free trial class.

Address: 650 Broadway, 2nd Floor New York City, NY 10012

Phone: 212.675.0300

Visit Website

A Force Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy

A Force Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy rounds out our list of the best gyms to train Jiu Jitsu in New York City. 

This school is owned by 4th degree black belt Andre Monteiro, who has over 20 years of experience. Monteiro is a very successful athlete and instructor with championships that include Brazilian national champ and multi time NY state champ.

The style Monteiro teaches is more of the traditional Gracie Jiu Jitsu style focusing on self defense and a healthy lifestyle. Reviews for this academy are very positive with having a positive atmosphere and great instruction.

Classes Offered At A Force Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  • Kids Classes
  • Adult Beginners
  • Adult Intermediate
  • Advanced Adult
  • Competition Classes
  • Adult Muay Thai

Instructor At A Force Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  • Andre “Time Monteiro”(Head Instructor/Owner)

Special Offers: One Free Trial Class

Address(es): 3 Locations in the great NYC area

Great Neck Location: 340 Great Neck Road, Great Neck, NY 11021

Manhasset Location: 8 Hillcrest Avenue, Manhasset, NY 11030

Port Washington Location: 937 Port Washington Blvd. Port Washington, NY 11050

Number: 516.344.7812 Same for all 3

Visit Website

Extra Tri State Area Academies

This article is supposed to be about the best gym to train Jiu Jitsu in New York City.

These extra two schools are actually in New Jersey. However there are two reasons why they have been added.

First reason is because the good thing about the tri state area is they are an hour or less away.

The second reason is because they are affiliates of two of the NYC BJJ schools listed with some notable names in BJJ.

Ocean County Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Just a short drive from New York is Tom Deblass’ academy Ocean County BJJ. Tom is a black belt student of Renzo is highly respected in the BJJ community.

His academy is where Garry Tonon and Gordon Ryan got their start in BJJ. Deblass frequently cross trains at Renzo’s and his school is an affiliation of the academy.

Visit Website

Bones BJJ Academy(Unity Jiu Jitsu New Jersey)

When Bones isn’t teaching at Unity Jiu Jitsu NY, he is running his new school in New Jersey. Like Matt Serra, Johnson wanted to open a BJJ school in his hometown.

Bones just recently opened his school, but it is getting some great reviews. If you train with him in NYC, you may get invited to train at his school in New Jeresey.

Visit Website

Thanks for reading

Hope you find the right Jiu Jitsu gym in New York and have fun training.

If you’re interest in top gyms in other locations check out our Travel Section.

Which BJJ Gi Size Should You Get? A Comprehensive Guide on Gi Sizes

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
Which BJJ Gi Size Should You Get? A Comprehensive Guide on Gi Sizes

The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi, most commonly referred to as a “gi,” is the official uniform used by practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or better known as BJJ.

It often consists of a jacket, pants, and a belt made of cotton or a similar fabric. If you intend on training and competing for BJJ, there are a number of requirements that your gi must adhere to. 

Which BJJ size should you get? A number of factors that go into finding a gi of suitable size i.e. your weight, height, gi brand, etc. Generally, a Jiu Jitsu gi should fit just right, not too baggy or too tight. Unlike regular clothing, BJJ gi’s follow a standard sizing system using letters and numbers. 

Depending on your body measurements, components of your gi uniform should reach a certain length to and from where they sit at certain body parts such as your wrist or ankle for example. 

It’s also important to take into consideration that your gi must meet certain requirements for competition. The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) has a specific set of uniform requirements for practitioners competing in their competitions. 

The IBJJF Gi Requirements

The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation, the official federation of BJJ worldwide, requires practitioners competing in competitions adhering by their regulations to wear gis that meet their specific requirements. 

Gi uniforms must meet requirements pertaining to several categories:

  • Material
  • Color and patches
  • Measurements
  • Additional requirements

Material

Only gis of cotton or cotton-like material are permitted to be worn during competition. The fabric or material of the gi should not be so thick that it prevents an opponent from grabbing onto it while competing. 

For juvenile to senior practitioners, the federation mandates only gis made of pearl woven material be worn during competition. 

Color and Patches

The permitted gi colors for competitions are:

  • White
  • Royal blue
  • Black

Both tops and bottoms must match in color as well as tops that have collars.

The only items allowed on gis are patches or logos of the academy to which you belong or sponsor designated ones. These items may only be placed where authorized by the IBJJF and should be of the same cotton or cotton-like material of your gi. 

Measurements

Gi tops should come to the thigh and rest just below to the gluteus muscle. The sleeves should reach no more than 5 cm away in length from the wrist when you extend your arm straight forward. 

The width of the sleeve opening must reach 7 cm at a minimum. The collar, spanning from the top of the gi jacket to the bottom, can be 1.3 cm thick and 5 cm wide at a maximum. 

Gi pants must reach to the ankle and should not be more than 5 cm away in length from the ankle as well. The pant openings must be at least 7 cm wide.

Before competing, a certified inspector will measure your gi uniform using a special measuring stick that has the required length and width measurements etched into it. These measurements are important as one missed requirement can make the difference between qualifying and disqualifying for participation in a competition.

Additional Requirements 

Gi belts are required to be 4 to 5 cm wide and should be of the appropriate color that represents your rank i.e. white, blue, purple, etc. The IBJJF requires that all belts worn by participants have a black at the end, except for black belts, whose tips are either red or white. 

Belts are to be worn around the waist of your top and should be fully wrapped around twice. The ends of the belt should be tied in a knot to securely hold your gi top in place and once tied, there should be about 20 to 30 cm in length left to each end of the belt.

Some additional requirements differ amongst gender as well. 

Only females are permitted to wear a shirt beneath their gi top. Shirts worn beneath the top must be of an elastic or similar material that will sit close to the body. The sleeve length and color of the shirt do not have to follow any requirements. Females may also wear a one-piece swimsuit beneath their uniform if preferred. 

Additionally, only female participants are permitted to wear pants of elastic material under their gi pants. Pants worn underneath cannot be longer than the gi pants. 

Further information on gi uniform requirements set in forth by the IBJJF is available either on their website here or in their official rule book here (Article 8 pg. 30). 

General Aspects of a Gi

Regardless of federation requirements and such, if competing, you are only permitted to wear a gi of the following colors:

  • Black
  • White
  • Blue

This, however, is only required for competition and not training so you are free to buy a gi of any color for training as long as it’s permitted by your trainer or the academy that you attend if those factors pertain to you. 

Some other aspects besides color and size to take into consideration when trying to find a gi are:

  • Weave patterns
  • Material and fabric
  • Style

Gi Weave Patterns

Choosing a gi with the right weave pattern is important, as the weave pattern determines the thickness and durability of the gi. It’s recommended that you buy a gi that is light enough to allow movement and opponent grappling but not so light that is rips or tears easily during training and competition.  

Common gi weave patterns: 

  • Single weave cotton—this is the most common type of weave and is much lighter than other weaves. It is also the cheapest quality of weave and for that reason more likely to deteriorate faster. 
  • Double weave cotton—this type of weave is double woven which makes it thicker and heavier than a single woven gi. Double woven gis are also warmer and more durable because of their thick fabric. This weave tends to be higher in expense compared to single weave cotton.
  • Gold weave cotton—this type of weave is a combination of a single and double weave cotton, it has the durability of double weave cotton but maintain the lightness of single weave cotton. Gold woven gis are much more expensive and their durability can often be hard to predict depending on the brand. This weave used to be the standard weave required for IBJJF competitions. Similar weave patterns include pearl and honeycomb weave cotton.
  • Ripstop weave cotton—this type of weave can also consist of other fabrics besides cotton such as silk, polyester, and nylon. Ripstop weave combines the characteristics of single, double, and gold weave into one by producing an extremely durable and light gi made up of a combination of cotton, silk, polyester, and nylon. This type of weave is often lighter than a single weave, but stronger because of its combination of materials.

At the end of the day, it comes down to which weave pattern you believe is best for you. If you heat up easily, but don’t want to sacrifice durability, consider purchasing a double-woven or ripstop woven gi that provides lightness and durability. It’s all up to you!

The IBJJF does not specify what gi weave patterns are allowed or not permitted, they only require that you wear a gi of cotton material that is not so thick that it would prevent your opponent from grabbing onto it during competition.

Gi Materials

In addition to weave patterns, the material of a gi also impacts its overall durability. Other factors that impact durability are training routine, care routine for your gi, and delicate areas along your gi. These areas can include the collar, sleeves, and belt loops, to name a few.

“Spots like the cuffs of sleeves and pant legs, knees, armpits, inseams, belt loops, and the edges of the gi top should all be heavily reinforced with extra stitching and layers to prevent premature tearing. If even the cheapest gi doesn’t have that, it’s probably not worth it.”

Source: Jiu Jitsu Gi Buyer’s Guide

Gi Styles

Of course, when choosing a uniform regardless of the function or purpose, there’s always the debate of functionality vs style.

For the reluctant newcomer to BJJ, the idea of having to wear a stiff bland gi may make you cringe more than the fact that you have many years of grueling training ahead of you. 

If not, then perhaps you’re more concerned with the functionality of your gi and how it will help you defeat your opponents during training and competitions. 

The style of your gi may only be a point of concern or importance if you are considered a master of the sport and wish to impress fellow competitors with your style. Sometimes fanatics of BJJ are interested in purchasing a limited edition gi that is considered a collectible of some sort. 

Overall, style shouldn’t be of that much importance to you if you’re just starting out in BJJ. It shouldn’t help or hinder your technique, so preference is all up to you.

Finding the Right Gi: Size and All

Finding the right gi size can be daunting for many reasons like making it sure it follows competition guidelines, feels comfortable to train and compete, and fits correctly, to name a few. 

The first thing to take into consideration when finding the right gi size is the fact that in addition to general BJJ gi sizing guides, gi brands and manufacturers also have their own specific sizing guides as well.

This is important to remember if you are purchasing your gi online as opposed to an IBJJF event or physical storefront. 

Typically in gi sizing guides, sizes are represented by letters:

  • A: adults (men & unisex)
  • F: adult females
  • M: female and male youth (5 to 14 years)

“The most common size you may have to deal with that are also included in a BJJ GI size chart are the following because they’re typically what fits most people:

  • A1-A4: for men Gis
  • F1-F4: for women Gis
  • M0-M4: for kids Gis

There are manufacturers that offer extra sizes such as A0, A5, A6, ‘L’ for men and M00, M000 for the children.”

Source: Doug Freeman of BJJ Gi Reviews

Depending on the specific brand, however, sizes and guides may vary due to a number of factors such as height and weight.

Regardless of the general size guide for BJJ gis, you should follow the sizing guide of the specific brand that makes the gi you intend to purchase.

Sizes by Popular Brands

Whether you are buying a gi for the first time or you’ve outgrown your current gi and are looking to purchase a new, the process can always be tricky.

The upside of having already purchased a gi before is that you can use it as a guide for buying a new one. This of course only comes in handy if the difference in the size you have and the size you need isn’t that big!

Some brands offer unisex sizes and guides while others offer both female and male sizes and guides from youth to adult. 

Inverted Gear, an online retailer that sells BJJ gis, provides only one size chart for adult customers regardless of their gender.

The sizes for their gi uniforms range from a size A00 to an A5 with an A00 ranging from a height of 4’8” to 5” and an A5 from 6’4” to 6’6”.

The weight range from an A00 to A5 is 90 to 280 lbs. 

Inverted Gear’s sizing guide can be found on their website here. 

Venum, another online BJJ gi retailer, also provides one adult size chart regardless of gender.

Their sizes range from A0 to A4, with an A0 for customers below 110 lbs and an A4 for customers 225 to 249 lbs. Their sizing guide also provides sleeve and pant length measurements.

They provide a size match as well. Their sizing guide can be found here. 

Michael Peachey of Rolling Around also provides a comprehensive guide on different gi brand sizes here. 

Tatami

Tatami is one of the most popular brands of BJJ gis. The gi retailer provides a comprehensive guide to finding the right gi size according to its own specific sizing guide. They offer guides on buying the right gi size for adult and youth males and females. 

Measurements for Tatami gi span across five areas:

  • A: the horizontal length from the tip of one gi top sleeve to the tip of the other 
  • B: the vertical length of the gi from the top of the collar to the very bottom of the top
  • C: the width around the largest part of chest (bust area)
  • D: the outer length of the pant leg from top to bottom
    E: the width around the largest part of the hips

For females, Tatami offers gis that come in long and curvy options to accommodate all body types. 

More information on Tatami sizing for BJJ can be found here on the sizing guide or their website here. 

Other Important Factors to Weigh In Buying the Right Gi Size

In addition to measurements, competition requirements, and overall preference, there remain a few other factors that you should consider when searching for the gi size. 

Shrinkage

One of the most important factors to consider when buying a gi is how much it will shrink, this is where material and weave pattern come into play for buying the right gi size. 

The material and size are not a matter of whether or not your gi will shrink because it will without a doubt shrink just like any other piece of clothing!

How much your gi will shrink after you’ve worn and washed a few times varies upon the style, material, and brand. This is important to find out before you buy a gi as it can save you both time and money. 

One of the well-known BJJ retailers, Tatami, provides the shrink percentage of each other gi models. Once again, this information can be found here.

They also provide tips on caring for your gi such as washing and drying it correctly. Some other gi retailers like Fuji, have pre-shrunk gis available for purchase if you prefer to have a gi that fits right out of the package. 

Under no circumstance is it ever recommended that you put your gi into a tumble dryer nor wash it at a high temperature.

Doing so will certainly guarantee your gi to shrink and all your hard work in finding the perfect gi will go to waste.

Competition Gi vs Training Gi

It’s not required that you have one assigned gi for training and another one for competitions, but it is highly recommended.

One reason for this is because you don’t want to fight in the same gi that you use for training. However, for those with a limited budget, this may be the only option.

If you have a limited budget and have no option but to train and compete in your gi, consider investing in a durable gi that will also meet IBJJF measurement requirements. 

“Here’s where a shrink-to-git may be better, as you can gradually get it down to right gi shirt, sleeve, and trouser lengths. The cuff widths may be a little harder to control.”

Source: Michael Peachey of Rolling Around 

Durability is important if you only intend to buy one gi as you don’t want to compete in a worn-down gi and risk disqualification.

If you have the option to purchase both training and competition gis, the durability and size of your training gi are not specified to meet any form of requirement.  

Now that you how which gi size you should get check out how much a gi weighs for extra credit!

How Much Does A BJJ Gi Weigh? Everything you need to know

Is Jiu Jitsu a Good Workout? My Opinion

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
Is Jiu Jitsu a Good Workout? My Opinion

Is Jiu Jitsu a Good Workout? My Opinion

From karate and judo to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there is an expansive arena of martial arts. Each uses the body and mind and their respective power in unique and different ways. Harnessing this power can bring you quite the experience.

So, is Jiu Jitsu a workout? Yes. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu uses your whole body to help you subdue your opponent. Your arms, legs, and core will be strengthened through each move, also improving your coordination and power. Your overall balance and control will be enhanced by studying Jiu Jitsu. 

At first, learning the basics of Jiu Jitsu may not seem as powerful a workout as lifting weights at the gym. While you will not become ridiculously muscular overnight, Jiu Jitsu will give you greater control of your muscles and your mind. Read on to find out more about the hidden workout found in learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

All About Jiu Jitsu: Working Out Gracie’s Way

Initially used by samurai as a last line of defense, Jiu Jitsu has become known as a beautiful form of self-defense. It gained traction under Mitsuyo Maedo as it slowly broke out of Japan. Known as Conde Coma in Brazil, Maedo landed in Brazil to teach his master’s art to those in the country. He quickly found Carlos Gracie, a struggling teenager, and took him under his tutelage. 

Gracie, being a petite man, began perfecting techniques that allowed people of small stature to win mixed martial art, or MMA, fights against people of all sizes and weights. When he started his first school, many of his siblings joined. Thus, the Gracie family truly helped Brazilian Jiu Jitsu take off.

Basic Jiu Jitsu Movements That Give You a Workout

Basic Jiu Jitsu drills can actually provide quite an intense workout. One of the basic movements, shrimping, is a movement that needs to be practiced and perfected for a long time. It involves lying on your back, rolling from side to side, and pushing yourself back on the mat with your legs.

This creates space between you and your opponent, giving both of you a moment to collect yourselves before sparring again. Lifting your back off the mat reduces friction and quickens this movement. This helps with body coordination, core strength, and gives a killer thigh workout. 

Sometimes it is necessary to create space between you and your opponent before shrimping. Bridging is an excellent tool for this. To bridge, lay on your back and bring your feet up to your glutes. Pushing the balls of your feet into the ground, push your hips into the air. This should release some of the weight from your opponent off of you, giving you enough time to shrimp away. This is another great leg and core workout. 

Grip strength is a focus of Jiu Jitsu as well. With the need to grip your opponents’ wrists, arms, and other joints, your ability to grip often coincides with your ability to win a match. While training consistently in Jui-Jitsu will improve this over time, there are many grip strength training tools available today, like using stress balls. 

What to Expect from a Jiu Jitsu Workout

Jiu Jitsu uses weight and leverage to bring down an opponent. So, people who practice Jiu Jitsu will learn a great deal of control over their bodies. This control will increase your strength without bulking you up too much. 

Jiu Jitsu’s initial goal while sparring is to bring the opponent down to the ground. This lessens their ability to use brute strength to overtake you. Once on the ground, one can use a variety of choke-holds and pins to hold their opponent. Training for this involves strength conditioning and a variety of drills. 

Since Jui-Jitsu is not about being the strongest in the match, participants will not be focused solely on strength training. Instead, the rolls, pins, and other movements can be considered whole-body conditioning with an emphasis on your core. Stamina in cardio is also involved when full sparring takes place. While practicing Jiu Jitsu, there will be personal drills, technique drills, positional drilling, and full sparring. Each of these will be a different workout. 

Personal Jiu Jitsu Drills

While Jiu Jitsu is known for helping a little guy take out a big guy, what happens when two people are equally matched in weight and skills? Most likely, the stronger opponent will win. So, personal drills are done to increase your strength and promote muscle memory of certain moves. 

Trainers prefer you to do exercises that engage your whole body at once, as this compliments the style of Jiu Jitsu. So, practitioners will often do squats, lunges, and planks to improve their strength training. While these are not strictly Jiu Jitsu moves, they compliment the art. 

Technique Drills

During a technique drill, you will first watch the instructor demonstrate the move on an opponent. Then, you will be asked to practice the move on a classmate who will not fight back. This helps to develop your muscle memory.

As you begin by practicing things, such as a traditional side roll, you will slowly do them faster and faster until you move up to isolation sparring. As you are rolling, sparring, and continually adjusting your weight and moving around, you will get quite the core workout. 

Technique drills are first and foremost about perfecting your technique, though. Just as one needs to have a solid stance when deadlifting weights, your instructor may critique things about your moves to help you be safe and more effective. With this, know that technique will come before speed and strength. 

Isolation Sparring

When you move on to isolation sparring, also called positional drilling, you will begin putting your moves into more realistic practice. At this point, you should have the move into a smooth flow. This time, however, your opponent is allowed to fight back using only a few select steps.

Positional drilling will work on your cardio and overall strength as you begin practicing and being practiced upon. Additionally, it will quicken your reaction time as you learn how people react to different moves.

Full Sparring

Full sparring is where the most intense workout can be found in Jiu Jitsu. This is when all moves are out, and each opponent is hoping to win. These matches are often done as a culmination of your training for a specific belt. 

Other Jiu Jitsu Drills

Depending on your instructor’s training and variety of Jui Jitsu, it is likely that some will incorporate more self-defense into the practice, while others may focus more on strength and conditioning. If you are genuinely looking for a Jui Jitsu workout, talk with the instructor beforehand to get a feel for their goals and philosophy for the class. 

For example, if the instructor is similar or follows the Gracie family applications, they will often focus on the self-defense aspects. A standard drill is for the students of a class to surround one student in a circle. Then, randomly, one student will attack the one in the middle to better simulate a real-life scenario. 

Health Considerations of Jui Jitsu

If you are hoping to work out, lose weight, or get better control of your body, Jui Jitsu can be a spectacular place to start. One main reason is that it has a very low injury rate. The study “Assessment of Injuries During Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Competition” reports that the competition injury rate is around .02%. 

However, Jiu Jitsu uses many joint locks to win competitions. If you have weak or dysfunctional joints, it is essential to consult your doctor before beginning the practice. While knee and spine attacks are not permitted, injury to these areas is still possible. 

In Conclusion 

Jiu Jitsu is all about precision and knowing your body. As you begin to train, you will get both a physical and mental workout. By focusing your strength into specific moves, your understanding of your potential will skyrocket. 

This allows you to be confident in self-defense and in what your body is capable of. This newfound confidence can help boost your self-esteem and desire to work out more. 

All in all, you can see why we love Jiu Jitsu for a well-rounded workout that strengthens the body as one unit, rather than focusing solely on one part of the body. With this, we can be healthy and whole through our martial arts practice. 

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Worth It? Here’s What You Need To Know

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Worth It? Here’s What You Need To Know

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Worth It? Here’s What You Need to Know

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (which ironically originated in Japan) is a form of Mixed Martial Arts in which two opponents grapple with ground techniques. As with all MMA sports, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a wonderful workout, great fun, and can bring like-minded athletes together in a community setting. Despite all of this, it is known for being an expensive hobby, which leads some people to wonder, is it worth it? 

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu worth it? Here’s what you need to know – It will ultimately depend on your personal goals, time availability, willingness to commit, and budget constraints. Progress might be slow as compared to other sports, so you must be committed for the long-haul to reap the benefits.

Whether it is worth it to you is a question that we cannot answer for you. What we can do is offer you the insights regarding what BJJ is all about, the benefits, the costs involved, and who it is best suited for. After this quick read, you will be able to determine based your own needs if BJJ’s impact merits as ‘worth it’ or not for you. 

The Benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Thousands have witnessed the benefits of BJJ and how it allows a fighter to take control of a situation and send an opponent to the ground. Some argue that most street fights end up on the ground anyway, which is the primary reason BJJ is so useful. 

The benefits of BJJ include but are not limited to:

  • Great for any age, size, gender, height, and skill-level (training for BJJ often starts at 4-years old, and the oldest competitor was 95)
  • Increased coordination and balance
  • Teaches body awareness
  • Increased strength
  • Increased patience as this is one of the slower disciplines to improve upon
  • Ability to take control without actually hurting your opponent 
  • Increased strategic thinking (BJJ is known as the ‘game of human chess.’) 
  • Makes you mentally stronger and more focused
  • Teaches you to overcome failure
  • Provides a tight-knit community that supports each other 
  • Assists in weight loss
  • Reduces stress
  • Reduces cortisol and other harmful hormones 
  • Teaches the ideal techniques if striking fails you.
  • Helps you learn to read your opponent in a new way, especially since size, height, weight, etc. play no significant part. It is about beating your competitor at their own game
  • Teaches you self-defense to compete against skilled and unskilled attackers. 
  • It’s fun! 

The Costs Involved in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ is not the cheapest sport you can partake in, but every activity comes at a cost when instructors are involved. The cost breakdown of what you can anticipate for yourself or your child as an enrolled student in BJJ training may include but is not limited to:

  • Monthly Membership – This can range from $50 per session to $50 per month. Most people will pay closer to $150-250 per month, but this may (or may not) include other MMA disciplines.
  • Equipment – Things like BJJ Gi, rash guard, ear guard, mouth guard, knee pads, etc. could cost around $100, probably more if competing professionally, and there will be replacements involved if you stick to BJJ. 
  • Travel – If competing, you usually won’t have anyone paying for your flights, hotels, transportation, etc., which can add up to thousands of dollars for a family of 3-4 people. Add in the condition under which you may be competing multiple times in a year. 
  • Healthy Diet and Training – Many BJJ competitors that get serious have to train in other disciplines and workout to maintain their strength. Floor grappling alone is great, but if you are serious about BJJ, you’ll probably need a regular gym (not MMA gym) for training, as well as healthier food.
  • Medical – If you are injured or require any medical attention during tournaments, this can range from free to thousands of dollars. 

Most people estimate that you should budget around $200-300 per month for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, per person. If you are not financially prepared to compete or get serious, you could probably keep it under $100 per month with a budget-friendly gym and no tournaments or travel. 

Who Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is Best For

The expression attached to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is, “BJJ is for everyone.”

When people say this, what they mean is that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is suited to those that are:

  • Young – Children are regularly seen in MMA, karate, and BJJ training from an early age.
  • Old – Helio Gracie was an active BJJ competitor until age 95.
  • Handicapped – Those with amputated limbs have also experienced great success as it is floor grappling focused on your core.
  • Healthy – Will get even healthier. 
  • Athletic – If you are already training in other athletic activities, BJJ can offer an added dynamic of body understanding. It may translate to your other sports and increase your balance, coordination, patience, and skill level. 
  • Non-athletic – You will gain the same advantages of someone that is athletic but perhaps notice the impact of BJJ as the significantly responsible source.
  • Blind – You don’t need sight to be on the ground. It’s a body-intensive workout that you are linked to your opponent to feel where they are moving next. 
  • Deaf
  • Short
  • Tall
  • Skinny
  • Overweight 
  • Male 
  • Female
  • And the list goes on.

This is why the masses say, “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is for everyone.” 

But to offer you the other side of the coin – 

Who Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is Not Good For

BJJ may be for everyone, but everyone is not for BJJ. Although this flexible sport can adapt to novice and expert students, there are conditions under which BJJ may not be the best discipline for you to practice. 

The reasons you may not be well-suited to the sport may include:

  • You are Easily Discouraged, or You are an Impatient Student – This sport will not be an easy exercise to prove how quickly you’ve become an exceptional grappler. BJJ will take time to master, and it will not be an overnight success. If you get easily discouraged when you are not succeeding at something right away, this may not be the best activity for you.

Because it is a complex sport, it will take time to grow your proficiencies. But once you do, you will feel an even greater sense of pride for dedicating yourself to something that is not easy. That is the real reward.

  • You Want to Stand and Strike – Since BJJ is focused on floor grappling and getting your opponent to the ground, this will not be the best sport if you want to learn to strike, hit, or box with your opponent. In these cases, you will be better-suited for MMA disciplines such as boxing, karate, and Judo. 
  • You are Already Training – BJJ can assist in your coordination, balance, and strength; therefore, it is a wonderful addition to other disciplines. However, if you are in a tournament setting or training very intensely, you shouldn’t throw in other disciplines during this vigorous period of training. By throwing too much at your body at once, you can easily overtrain and suffer the opposite effects of what you were seeking, such as noticeably weaker arms, less strength, and diminished focus. 
  • You Have Bad Shoulders, Elbows, Upper Body Injuries, etc.  – You may think of BJJ as being hard on your knees, but you actually spend a large amount of the time on your back, so there’s no one submitting to you while on your knees for the most part. Most often, they will place submissions on your arms and elbows. Therefore, if you are weak or have recently sustained an injury on your elbows or arms, you may want to take it easy and avoid BJJ. 

To be clear – even with an arm injury, your opponent is not snapping your arm backward. They will tap it, and you surrender at the notion that they’ve locked you (and won). Despite not having huge shoulder and elbow risks, it’s still better to play it safe if you are still healing.

Regarding someone that says, “I don’t have strong arms,” – They will get stronger. If someone says, “I’m too short,” – BJJ is on the ground, and there are no pairings made based on height. Excuses like this are irrelevant in this sport. The point is that there are usually no great excuses for someone not to do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is where the expression that it is, ‘for everyone,’ comes from. 

Final Verdict: Is BJJ Worth It? 

If Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not the best fit for your needs, don’t beat yourself up about that. No one can tell you what is ‘worth it’ to you or not.

BJJ may be worth it to you if you’re:

  • Seeking to gain coordination, athleticism, balance, and strength.
  • Patient and willing to wait for significant success and progress.
  • Looking for a practice that challenges you mentally and physically.
  • Wanting an athletic community to grow and improve in. 

BJJ may not be worth it to you if you’re: 

  • Seeking a more budget-friendly activity.
  • Wanting to street fight, strike, and spar (not grapple).
  • Looking for a fast turnaround or quick results.
  • Already heavily committed to a sport and want to avoid overtraining and injury.

The more you train, the better you will become, and you will notice a distinct difference in your ability to focus. BJJ (and all MMA disciplines) teaches you to release stress and the daily noise in our heads to focus on the task at hand with clarity. It will be worth it to you if you can see it for what it is. 

In Conclusion 

BJJ is accessible to anyone, so you will have to determine for yourself what is valuable and ‘worth it,’ based on your personal goals, budget, and activity preferences. 

If you do not think BJJ is ‘worth it,’ to you, you probably aren’t that interested in the first place. It might be boring to you, too expensive, or too slow-paced. Regardless of the reason (or lack thereof), be honest with yourself and decide without self-judgment. 

There are 170+ additional martial arts disciplines to choose from, so there will absolutely be one suited to your goals. Do some searching and experiment with each to determine the right fit for you! 

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Safe? Protect Yourself With These Tips

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Safe? Protect Yourself With These Tips

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Safe? Protect Yourself With These Tips

One of the fastest-growing sports in the world is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Competitions are popping up everywhere now, kids are getting into it, and the best challengers can even get sponsored.

Because of this many parents and people interested in BJJ may wonder in Jiu Jitsu is safe. Even with all this upside, though, is there a dangerous aspect to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu safe? Compared to other high impact martial arts styles, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is typically much safer. There is no striking in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so there is a much smaller chance for serious injuries like head trauma, broken noses, and more. This makes the injury rate lower than mixed martial arts, boxing, judo, and more. 

Even though Jiu Jitsu is much safer than many other forms of martial arts doesn’t mean that people don’t get injured.

In this post, we’ll teach you many different ways to protect yourself while learning and engaging in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

This will hopefully help you make a decision to begin or continue down the BJJ journey. 

What Makes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Different? 

If you’ve never sat back and watched any kind of fighting or wrestling, you would think it’s all the same.

Most people don’t know that every style of fighting has different rules and regulations that go into it and affects everything from the training, the competitions, and even the way a certain fighter thinks. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu focuses on grappling and ground fighting instead of punching or kicking opponents.

You focus more on controlling your opponent and their actions instead of punishing them until they give up.

This is why BJJ is known as the gentle art because it allows smaller and weaker fighters to face challengers and defend themselves better than any other style. 

People enjoy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu because of the fact that you can be any age, size, or shape, and you can engage in hand to hand combat without dealing blows to each other or dealing with head trauma.

Jiu Jitsu is safe enough that children as young as four years can start learning how to defend themselves with this martial art. 

When it comes to any form of martial arts but especially BJJ, it’s all about your mindset going onto the mat. If you’re looking to let out aggression, hurt people, and not follow your training, you’re more likely to get hurt and hurt others.

If you do what you’re supposed to and listen to your teachers, the likelihood of injury falls way down for yourself and others around you.

Now let’s get into some practical tips that can help you and your loved ones prevent injuries and practice safe Jiu Jitsu. 

Always Warm-Up

No matter what kind of sport or physical activity you’re doing, you should never jump into it without warming up first. Never roll on the mat without breaking a little sweat first.

If you’re doing any organized class or one-on-one teaching, then your instructor should run you through some kind of stretching and calisthenics to get the blood pumping through your body. 

When you’re doing effortless things like at work or school or driving in a car on the way to the gym, your body starts to get into a routine where you don’t need as much oxygenated blood to perform these tasks because they’re so normal to you. 

Also, always make sure to take the warm-ups your instructor gives you seriously. Just because you look like your stretching doesn’t mean you are.

Lots of times, people think stretching is just going through the motions when it really should involve you pushing your body to its peak of flexibility to warm your muscles up. 

One of the fastest ways to injury is getting on the mat while your body is completely cold.

This keeps your muscles tight, which makes things like pulled hamstrings and calves much more likely in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Here’s a great video with a ton of solo drills you can do alone to warm up.

Control Your Movements

When newcomers come into BJJ, and they don’t know much about technique yet, they usually try to compensate by just using their strength and flying around the mat.

This is a good way to get yourself or your training partner injured. 

Just like in bodybuilding, the technique is more important than strength when it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

When lifting weights, you’d rather do ten good repetitions of a curl than three bad reps with higher weight.

If you don’t control your movements, a couple of things could happen. 

You won’t learn anything because you won’t focus on the techniques that you should be learning from your instructor.

You’ll disregard the fundamentals and just jump around, which doesn’t help your learning process at all.

You’ll also be known for being crazy on the mat and you’re not going to get many training partners that way. 

Nobody wants to train with the guy who doesn’t perform the right steps the right way.

They understand that it’s not helping anyone because they’ll never see those moves in competition, and they’re more likely to get hurt because of it.

Instead of relying on strength when you’re in a tough situation or stuck on the ground, learn the proper technical way to get out of it and move forward from there.

Your instructor will teach you many different ways to handle situations during a fight. All you have to do is take the instructions and implement them. This way you’ll be more controlled and much safer to train Jiu Jitsu with.

Train Your Hips

Probably the most used part of your body when it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (besides your brain) is your hips.

Upper-body actions use your hips as a hinge, and lower-body actions move based on your hips range of motion. 

Many lower-body injuries stem from tightness in your hips.

If your groin, knees, or ankles are giving you problems, not only should you focus on rehabilitating those areas, you should also focus on your hip’s flexibility. 

Most people don’t think of the hip as a flexible muscle, but when you’re wrapping your legs around your opponent, the flexibility of your hip determines a lot.

The less your hip is flexible, the more you have to rely on your ankles and knees to get the work done. 

The best BJJ guys can move their feet to lock whoever they want, and this is all because their hips are so flexible.

This not only helps with your movement but allows for fewer muscle strains in areas like your quads and hamstrings along with your hip flexors, abductors, and adductors. 

There are hip mobility exercises that you can do as warm-ups along with machines at the gym to help with flexibility and strength.

Add these into your daily warm-ups and weekly programs to help release tightness from your hips.

Choose Who You Practice With Wisely

Remember earlier when we talked about the guy who doesn’t move with control and how his training partners don’t want to train with him.

There will come a time where you are starting to understand some techniques and knowledge in BJJ, and you’ll be able to spot these guys. 

You obviously don’t want to roll with this guy because the more sporadic and unpredictable he is, the more likely you can get injured.

There will also be other people at your gym that are known for taking things too far and hurting their training partners. It’s basically common sense that you wouldn’t want to train with them either. 

Especially when you’re a beginner and don’t know many defenses and escapes, you don’t want to be rolling with these types.

Some people think that they must win every spar and just use all their strength and power no matter who they’re up against. 

Don’t be afraid to say no if someone like this comes up to you and ask you to roll with them.

You’re better off learning from afar than being injured on the mat. 

Tap Out Early

Most experienced BJJ fighters will tell you, most of the injuries that do happen on the mat is because they thought they could muscle through it instead of tapping out.

Sometimes your pride might get the best of you, and you know you’re right on the edge of getting hurt but you don’t want to be a quitter. 

You can’t think this way.

Tapping isn’t quitting. Tapping is understanding you made a mistake that put you in that situation and fixing it the next time you roll.

If you don’t tap, there is a minimal chance that you somehow get out of the tight submission, but you’ll most likely get injured and miss time on the mat. 

When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you can be safe and you don’t have to get hurt to train and learn new techniques.

In other styles of fighting like boxing, any learning above just sparring involves someone taking some hits to learn a lesson. 

Tapping out exists so you can have that next opportunity without hurting yourself on the current one.

Learn to not feel shame in tapping out. Most newbies think of tapping out like quitting and that’s a mindset that needs to be lost right at day one. 

Check out this article for more tips on getting the most out of you’re sparring.

Avoid Over-Training 

When you overtrain your muscles, your muscles start having less mobility and range of motion without you even realizing it.

This can prevent your body from staying in safe positions that help you avoid injuries. 

In almost all sports, and especially weightlifting, people overwork their muscles, and it actually prevents them from progressing.

When your muscles get tired and sore, you’re more susceptible to injuries and you also are not able to do 100 percent of the techniques that you would be able to do on other days when you’re rested. 

When it comes to training days, know your limits, and try not to do too much especially when you went too hard on the last training session and your muscles haven’t recuperated yet. 

Visit Physicians or Athletic Trainer Regularly

Many times you can have a small pain or injury that can be treated early if you take the time to discover it.

You’re going to get muscle soreness and slight pain doing any sport, including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Visiting a physician regularly will help you in learning how to take a small soreness or injury and not let it escalate to a big one.

Sometimes a massage or some medicine can remove the issue. Sometimes the doctor will tell you to stay off of it for a little, and it could save lots of time compared to if you injured yourself badly. 

Your physician could send you to an athletic trainer if you show signs that you need more help with preventing injuries or strengthening certain muscles to help with BJJ.

They offer have the best insight for things like choosing treatments and recovery methods, especially when it comes to sports-related injuries. 

Don’t Have An Ego

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the best ways to sharpen your mind and build character on and off the mat.

Your instructors teach you to respect everyone around you and, most importantly to respect yourself. 

Each gym will have rules which are mostly implemented to help keep everyone safe.

They expect everyone in there to respect those rules, but there will always be people that come into the gym and think that they’re above everyone else. 

Not only can having an ego and not following directions be annoying and insulting to everyone around you, but it can also be a way to get injured.

Fighters who think they’re better than everyone else don’t take warming up seriously or don’t practice techniques correctly. 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a history that goes deeper than anyone else in the gym, and it’s just the matter of understanding that you’re there to progress and learn to defend yourself and not to strut your stuff and poke out your chest.  

When Injured, Rest, Don’t Train

Rolling when you have injuries that can get worse is a bad idea. You might get something like a sprain or pull in one of your muscles and if you try to train through that, it can escalate to something like a tear pretty easily.

Listen when you go to the physician, as we recommended earlier. Doctors know what they’re talking about and are trying to help you prevent being hurt more. 

Now, even if your doctor recommends you don’t train BJJ for a while, that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to be active at all.

Ask your doctor what kind of workouts or physical activity you could do. 

If you hurt your shoulder or arm, they might tell you that you’re able to run on a treadmill or hop on a bike.

There could be other opportunities where you can do something like swimming or maybe even light lifting and just staying away from the injury. 

The point is that you can have an injury that can take you out for a couple of months.

Don’t just spend all that time being lazy and losing all your hard work you’ve done over the years in a small time frame.

You can also still analyze and learn techniques and moves that can help you when you get back. This takes no activity at all and is recommended at all times, even when you’re not injured. 

Most Common Injuries in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, some injuries are more common than others.

BJJ consists of grappling and controlling your opponent instead of punching and kicking, so certain parts of your body get used more than others. 

When it comes to these spots, though, your instructor is going to teach you the best ways to deal with these injuries, along with putting you in position to not have them in the first place.

This can help you learn how to stay safe training Jiu Jitsu.

Here are some of the most common injuries

Fingers

Whether it’s jammed or broken fingers, everything that you do on your mat is a liability to your fingers getting hurt in some way.

This is part of the fighting style, though, and in most cases, your fingers are less likely to get hurt in BJJ over any other style. 

Lower Back

There could be some cases where you’re going to be grappling with someone, and your back can get twisted in a way that it’s not supposed to.

It’s important to have some way to seek medical help when you feel back pain. This could lead to more of a strain on your back and turn into long-term injuries if not handled right away.

Knees

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is known for their leg locks, but if they’re not performed correctly and with the right technique, it could cause some harm on your knees.

When a knee gets hit into the mat, that’s fixable with some ice. But any more serious pain will need to be examined by a doctor to make sure the ligaments are okay. 

Shoulders

Shoulders can have some common injuries caused by things like arm attacks, twists from rolling, and active posting.

Your instructor will teach you to keep your elbows closed to your sides to help alleviate a lot of the stress that can be put on your shoulders and hopefully prevent any bad injury.

Ears

Probably one of the trademarks of martial arts, in general, is something known as “cauliflower ears”.

This happens when you grapple with training partners and your ears cartilage bends in certain directions causing them to swell up.

 The effect of your ears looking like cauliflower is your body’s way of trying to heal them.

Icing your ears can be recommended and physicians can offer some medicine to help with inflammation as well. 

Check out our article “These Are The Most Common Injuries In BJJ”, if you’re interested in more on this topic.

Wrapping it up

That’s a lot of information on how to stay safe in Jiu Jitsu, we hope you enjoyed reading this post.

Remember that many things being safe in Jiu Jitsu is up to how you train and who you roll with.

Be careful on the mats and have fun training!

If you enjoyed this article and found it helpful please share, comment and subscribe.

How Many BJJ Black Belts Are There?

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
How Many BJJ Black Belts Are There?

It feels like the numbers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners, and black belts are growing by the millisecond, so it’s easy to wonder how many BJJ black belts there are out there.

New black belts are awarded more often as more and more people enroll in new schools all over the world.

Surely there are now more Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts than ever before. But how many?

How many Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts are there? The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation has over 4,000 registered black belts in their database. Difficulty arises when trying to pinpoint the percentages of black belts who are registered versus black belts who are not registered. Assuming that as few as 1 in 10 black belts are registered, there are over 40,000 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts with the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). This number could triple to accommodate black belts from other schools, raising the number to 120,000. 

It’s not easy to pinpoint an exact number, as there is no centralized location that holds records of awarded BJJ black belts.

But there are organizations, like the IBJJF, that try. We’ll talk about the estimated number of BJJ black belts, as well as how one is earned and what types there are. 

How Are Brazilian Black Belts Counted?

IBJJF is just one organization of many, which forms part of the problem when trying to pin down the total number of black belts.

There are a growing number of schools, and each school must eventually graduate deserving students to black belts. 

There is no unified system for this process — you’re not working your way to a driver’s license or a certificate.

Getting a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an achievement that isn’t necessarily documented with anything more than the belt.

According to Rener Gracie: 

  • Only 10% of new practitioners will even make it to earning their blue belts. 
  • Out of that 10%, a mere 1% will continue on to a black belt. 
  • One in a thousand white belts will go on to become a black belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

IBJJF tries to function as something of a governing body for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies, but the majority of schools remain uncertified.

There are close to 3,000 academies between the IBJJF and Gracie schools in the US alone. Assuming even five black belts belonged to each gym, there could be 15,000 in the US alone.

How Long Does It Take To Earn A Black Belt?

Conventional wisdom says that earning a black belt takes at least ten years.

That being said, the minimum age requirement is 19-years-old, so it can clearly be done in less time. If you’re laser-focused on earning your black belt, you will get it done in less time.

There is no cut and dry rule for how quickly students can advance. That is up to you and your teacher.

There is a reason most gyms want students to be a certain age and to have had their brown belt for a certain length of time: it’s possible to advance too quickly. 

Earning a black belt is not always about advancing; it’s about learning and understanding.

The journey is to be appreciated, not hurried through. Students can become so fixated on achieving their black belt that they forget what they started for in the first place.

Some say 10 years, some say 12, but it’s really up to you.

You don’t want to move so slowly that you’re barely learning anything, and you don’t want to move so fast that you have no time for the art form. The black belt isn’t going anywhere.

Do Black Belts Ever Quit?

It might seem crazy that someone would work for over a decade to earn the right to call themselves a black belt, then hang up their gi — but have been known to check-out.

Not everyone is willing to keep up the lifestyle once the climb is over, and the summit has been reached. 

Sometimes practitioners lose motivation when the big goal is reached.

It’s very simple to understand the progression from white belt to black belt, but it’s difficult to envision a future with no more concrete goals to steer towards.

Quitting isn’t exactly commonplace in the community, but the number of black belts is affected by not only how many students reach the rank of black belt — but how many black belts actually maintain that rank.

‘How many black belts are there’ means how many are still functioning as black belts and showing up to roll.

What Are The Types of Black Belt?

There are ten degrees possible.

The most advanced degree is only awarded to those who have elevated the art form, such as the Gracie family.

The tenth-degree black belt is red, and it’s said that if a black belt cannot be awarded till a student is 19, then a red belt cannot be awarded till a student is 67. It’s a long climb!

Stripes are awarded to a student as they advance through the degrees of black belt. 

High-level black belts might be awarded a new coral belt — red and white colors — which is confusing given they are still a ‘black belt’.

The coral belt may be awarded to those who have achieved a seventh-degree black belt, but there is no standard for these promotions.

Not every school is the same, and some students may find that there is no additional belt offered once the black belt is achieved. This is yet another disparity between schools and organizations in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community. 

Every school awards a black belt to a deserving student, but this is where the agreement ends.

Black belts are the be-all, end-all for some schools, while they are almost the beginning for others.

What Are The Best Places For Brazilian Jiu Jitsu In The US?

  • Los Angeles
  • Las Vegas
  • New York City
  • San Francisco
  • San Diego

Much of the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is kept between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the United States.

The entertainment industry and the mixed martial arts industry are crucial parts of the puzzle for BJJ. 

From the humble origins of the art form in Brazil to the explosion brought on by the internet, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has managed to firmly establish itself where people will notice.

The best cities for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — the cities where you will find the most black belts — are the biggest and most popular cities. The truth is that nearly every city over 100,000 people will have a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school.

Ideally, you will have plenty of options to choose from, but you will at least have an option or two.

Masters tend to open up schools in places where they think people will show up, so the most cosmopolitan cities are often chosen.

If you don’t live on the west coast and if you don’t live in a huge city, you will still be fine. 

Do a quick search for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gyms, and you might be surprised.

You don’t need the top-rated gym in the country; you need some good mat-space in a strip mall building. Imagine you’re in Sao Paulo.

Further Reading

I hope we did a good job answering, how many BJJ black belts are there for you.

If you’re new and wondering how long it takes to earn your first belt promotion in Jiu Jitsu, check out our article “How Long Does It Take To Get A Blue Belt In BJJ?”.

This is a very comprehensive market research study on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. If you’re interested in the community as a whole or on the business side of things, this is for you.

This is the list of registered black belts if you’re curious about the organization or the process.

How Good is a Purple Belt in BJJ?

Let's Roll BJJ
-
0
How Good is a Purple Belt in BJJ?

Much like its martial art counterparts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or BJJ, categorizes practitioners by their rank which is represented by a specific color.

Similar to the black belts used in karate to indicate expertise, masters of BJJ are considered red belts and intermediate practitioners are purple.

With each new rank comes a new set of skills indicative of both experience and knowledge.

How good is a purple belt in BJJ? The adult belt ranks in BJJ range from white to red, with white being the lowest level and red being the highest. The purple belt is 3rd from the white and is considered an intermediate adult rank in BJJ. The purple belt is representative of a student’s understanding of game strategy, submissions, and technique.

Depending on the amount of time and dedication put into mastering the art of BJJ, acquiring a purple belt alone can take between 3-5 years for some.

Although it is only belt three of the six or eight colors, excluding several of the degrees of color, the purple belt generally indicates a student’s readiness in instructing a lower-ranked belt.

A Brief History of BJJ Belt Ranking

The belt system used in BJJ was installed by Judo founder, Jigoro Kano, in 1907.

When he first introduced the belt system, white, blue, brown, and black were some of the only colors used. In 1952 Carlos Gracie, one of the primary founding members of BJJ developed a belt system specific to the Gracie subset of BJJ developed by his family members. 

“There is relatively little published history in English on the development of the belt color system in BJJ. However, in the modern area, the formal color belt system appears to have been adopted by the Jiu Jitsu Federation of Guanabara in 1967.”

Source: BJJ Belt System: Everything You Need to Know

The Jiu Jitsu Federation of Guanabara is credited with establishing the first official belt ranking system for BJJ.

After its establishment by Carlos Gracie, the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), introduced more colors and criteria into what is known today as the official BJJ belt ranking system. 

The Purple Belt

Some consider the purple belt to be the toughest rank to get through simply because it is the midpoint of the BJJ rank system.

For this reason, the purple belt is generally an appropriate point in rank to consider whether or not continuing with studies is ideal or not.

Many students will either take more time in their current rank, which would be blue, or they may choose to discontinue their studies if they don’t feel capable of proceeding forward to the purple rank.

The purple rank is simply more a less a gauge of whether or not a student has the skill and dedication necessary for acquiring a black or red belt down the road.

The average total training time required for the purple belt is about 4 to 5 years however some students may take more time to fully master the concepts required for the belt.

The IBJJF has set specific criteria necessary for the proceeding to and excelling in the purple belt rank.

Goals of the Purple Belt

Typically a number of factors are weighed in deciding whether or not a student is ready to be promoted to the next belt ranking.

These factors may become narrower with respect to what each belt specifically requires. 

Common factors weighed in the progression of a belt rank

  • Understanding of BJJ techniques
  • Successful outcomes of competition
  • Dedication to excel in BJJ is clearly exemplified by the student
  • Overall skill level 

Because it is the midpoint of the belt rank system of BJJ, students should be well-versed in a number of areas by the time they reach and/or progress through the purple belt.

The general concepts of the sport should not only be fully grasped mentally but physically as well.

Students should demonstrate some form of muscle memory in certain submissions and ground positions.

“Purple belts tend to be more methodical and slower in their approach to Jiu Jitsu because they understand their own game plan. Their techniques string together in a coherent strategy as they face their opponent.”

Source: BJJ Belt System: Everything You Need to Know

Strategies and Requirements

Like mentioned before, there are certain goals and factors required and weighed for successfully reaching a higher rank.

One skill that should be demonstrated by a student that has reached the purple belt rank is the ability to seamlessly transition between movements during training and especially during competition.

Core concepts demonstrated by the purple belt

  • Game strategy—this concept involves the student’s understanding of game strategy and development. Students should understand offensive mechanisms and how to efficiently use them by developing a plan for competition.  
  • Submissions—the purple rank is a suitable time for students to start mastering more submissions and successfully executing them in competition as well. Not only is using more submissions in competition a good technique to master but stringing submissions together is as well. Having submission options available in times of difficulty is another reason why chaining submissions together is important.
  • Experimentation with techniques—experimentation with techniques is not a bad idea either. Once students begin to feel more comfortable with their knowledge and understanding of the concepts held for the purple belt, they should start training with more difficult guards and positions, as long as they are legal in competition. This rank is more a less a good opportunity to push comfort zones.

As far as age and prior experience go, students must be a certain age and have gone through a certain amount of years of training before becoming a purple belt. 

The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) requires that students be at least 16 years old when they become a purple belt. The IBJJF also recommends that students have at least two years of training as a blue belt, the rank prior to the purple belt, in order to be considered eligible for a purple belt. 

Once a student or practitioner has reached the purple rank, they are then required to train under that rank for a minimum of 18 months, according to IBJJF requirements. 

Tips for Progressing at the Purple Belt 

It certainly is not required for practitioners or students at the purple belt level to be overqualified experts at BJJ, but it is important to be at least half of that considering is the intermediate rank of the BJJ belt system.

It’s important to understand that qualifying as a purple belt does not make learning and excelling at BJJ easier or better yet more attainable. 

If anything, doing so means that training and competing will be even harder now that more advanced techniques have been introduced.

This is why dedication must be demonstrated more than ever at this rank. Once techniques have been improved upon, students should use the purple belt as an opportunity to purposefully train at the required techniques and concepts. 

While learning new submissions is part of any new rank, learning how to skillfully and seamlessly transition between submissions is crucial to becoming a good purple belt. 

For students currently residing at the purple belt rank, take heed of your newly found freedom and experiment with establishing your own approach to certain movements and grappling techniques.

The purple rank is not particularly concerned with how much you understand but rather what you understand and how you use that understanding to your advantage against your opponent. 


BJJ black belt, Eddie Fyvie shares his experience and thoughts on being a purple belt here. 

Getting your BJJ purple belt and getting good at Jiu Jitsu can take about the same amount of time, check out our article “How long does it take to get good at Jiu Jitsu?”.

1...8910...13Page 9 of 13
© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv