Brazilian jiu-jítsu is often talked about in terms of how it can help you get in shape, get physically stronger, and help improve your cardio in ways you’ve never felt before. While all of this is true, what about what jiu jitsu can do for your mind? 1. Controlling Emotions While learning how to control your emotions may not happen overnight, it will come with time. Us instructors often joke about how breathing is the most important technique. But we do not only say this to keep you moving physically, it is also to make sure you are thinking about breathing and the situation you’re in rather than resorting to anger or panic if you are sparring from a difficult position. It also becomes important to control your emotions under pressure when you may be training with a good friend, as you wouldn’t want to risk the friendship because you got stuck or lost a round and couldn’t keep your cool. Jiu jitsu is a great way to start implementing some emotional control into you or your child’s day to day activities. 2. Boosting Motivation The endorphins released after the work out of jiu jitsu can not only make you feel happier and calmer, but it can also inspire you to continue learning more, or keep moving forward in your fitness journey! 3. Humility and Patience Everyone’s bjj journey is different. Some want to be high level competitors, some want to add training into their exercise regimens, and some just want to have fun and learn some self defense! Either way, achieving those goals won’t happen overnight. It takes lots of time, losing, and mistakes to become successful in most cases. The time it takes to become a good jiu jitsu practitioner will help you get better at being patient, as well as help you to understand that losing and winning don’t matter too much when you’re training with your team. What matters is that you see progress over time, and are able to ask questions and handle a loss so that you can learn from it. 4. Managing Stress We get it, lives can get busy! Full time jobs, kids, lifestyle changes, and all of the above are happening constantly. It can be easy to get stressed or overwhelmed, and jiu jitsu is a great way to talk to or make friends, take some time away from work or the house, and also get in a great work out! As for kids, it can be an awesome outlet for all that extra energy! 5. Focus and Concentration One very important aspect of jiu jitsu - and life - is the ability to focus or concentrate. Without it, you can become easily distracted, and it will be much harder to reach your goals or life aspirations. In a jiu jitsu class, it is important for people to focus on what the instructor teaches and pay attention to the details in order to understand how and why the technique works! It is also wise to be able to focus when you are training with someone else in order to be as safe as possible and avoid colliding with another group, getting injured, or losing track of what you are supposed to be doing while training, which can also be detrimental to your partners training! In order to make the most out of it, both partners should be as focused as possible!
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