Why BJJ?

[hizaguchi]

I'm considering the style but I worry about the kind of people I'm going to end up training with. I'm easily annoyed, so I'm using this poll to create my own sweeping generalization of the type of people who study BJJ.

[moogong]

Why BJJ? Because BJJ is:

a) extremely effective means of self defense
b) an awesome cardio work out
c) fun to learn and practice
b) largly unsullied by consumerism
d) gives a tight, family vibe in the dojo. (that is bound to happen when you spend hours rolling with one another)
e) well respected in the martial arts community
f) it is a style that you can not fake credentials
g) is a fun sport to engage or watch
h) teaches a vital part of real fighting, the ground game.
I) incorporates vital elements of judo.
J) the originators family is still alive..therefore no false myths about its origins.
K) seems to blend nicely with other arts
L) very simple style to learn. most matches or fights are won by the basics
M) has a large seminar community which gives you access to many new training methods
N) it is constantly evolving
O) chicks dig it!
P) belts are earned only through hard work
Q) majority of training products are top quality
S) dojos are usually filled with people of various sizes which is very helpful in developing your game.
T) becomes a very different art depending on the use or non-use of gi
U) despite it appearance, it is a very soft art and teaches sensitivity.
V) most instructors have good knowledge of sport nutrition to pass along
W) abbreviates nicely.
X) forces students to "think outside the box" rather then being limited to only a few chosen concepts
Y) dojo atmospheres are very relaxed
z) helps you to remember the alphabet.

[Erik]

Great mixture of action and chess.

Non uptight pseudo-Asian culture (I don't think they're so uptight in Asia as the airs people put on here).

A sport.

Seems like good training for some of the stuff I've seen/experienced/heard about on the street.

Minimal BS in terms of "this is the right way" "no, that is the right way" arguments. If you can make it work, it works for you. Period.

I like my buddies there.

[Cliff Hargrave]

What they said.....

For me, I was teaching JJJ and karate and two of my students started training at a BJJ school also. After about two months they both could beat me on the mat at will and I had over 15 years in martial arts at the time. They drug me along to the BJJ school where people wiped the mat with me. I became a convert. Now I mostly train in just BJJ and kickboxing. The only older stuff I still do are the throws, and the JJJ stuff that I have added to the LEO defensive tactics I teach.

[AndrewSimonsen]

I'm considering it because it is supposed to be less intense on the neck as wrestling, even though I might have to wait another year before I start.

[ssenniug]

I understand where you are coming from. I wanted to learn BJJ/ground grappling and thought it was going to be full of unsavory people that just want to hurt someone.

What I found was the exact opposite. Everyone I have met so far has been 100% nice and helpful. I'm sure there are people out there with bad intentions, they are everywhere in every aspect of line. So far, everyone has just been training to better their game.

I think you should definately look into it and try a few classes. I am sure you will like it.

[Cliff Hargrave]

Ditto on that, I have met far more dirtbags, fakes, frauds, disrespectful idiots, etc., in regular martial arts. Those types don't tend to last long in BJJ.

[Erik]

You guys must have a great BJJ culture in Texas!

We're not too bad here in Mountain View, but I've been to some grappling clubs filled with guys I would not let near my sisters (to put it politely).

[TonyU]

...because Cliff told me to.

[hizaguchi]

Thanks alot for all the helpful input. The main reason I started considering BJJ is that I'm having a hard time finding a TKD school in my area that doesn't feel McDojo-ified. I've looked into Kung Fu and several other arts, but I never really gave BJJ much thought. I assumed that, with all the emphasis on MMA tournaments and other such things that just don't interest me, the local BJJ class would just be full of guys who want to fight and hurt people. I've met my share of those, so I have been avoiding trying a class. But reading your opinions and looking at the pictures on the Knoxville BJJ School Site, I'm starting to think that the class atmosphere may be more similar to my original TKD school: laid back, friendly, and helpful. I'm really excited to give it a try now. Thanks everybody.

[Tony Dismukes]

I'll confirm that in my experience with BJJ, most students and teachers have been very friendly and laid back. Training is rough, but no one wants to deliberately hurt anyone.

[LJS93]

I chose Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for several reasons. One being I was very bored with the whole karate thing, the kata, the light sparring, just wasn't doing it for me anymore. Two, after watching UFC and seeing Royce in action, I knew there was something to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so I had to do it. Three, chicks LOVE jiu-jitsu players. I don't know how many times we've had girls just walk in to watch us train, something which NEVER occurs in karate. Karate tends to be filled with nerds and geeks for some reason, something BJJ does not attract for the most part. For instance this girl I was seeing for awhile understands why BJJ guys have great hip movement, and why it's useful in other endeavors.

[Dennis Monk]

Yeah, man the chicks dig triangle chokes.

[Erik]

Girls dig BJJ? Are you kidding?

Out here is is about as uncool as can be.

They seem to just not like seeing guys in each others' guards or something.

[hizaguchi]

By the way, am I going to get broken doing BJJ? I started TKD back when my body was still growing, so in exchange for great flexibility I've ended up with some joint problems. By "joint problems" I mean "if I jog alot my knee falls out of the socket" and "ridgehand strikes made it so my arms aren't attached so well at the shoulder." Since I don't have health insurance right now (part time job/college student), I'm a little warry about having somebody torque my body in positions it doesn't like. I just don't want to tear any connective tissue that I can't afford to have fixed. Do I have anything to worry about?

[Erik]

Yes, you do. It's a rough sport. Start nice and easy, be a wuss for a while, and seek training partners who don't clobber you much. You'll figure out who they are soon enough.

I had no health insurance for a long time and always took it easy. When the guys got frustrated with me I told them I was a computer science graduate student - a nerdy wimp - and that I couldn't practice as much as they (most trained for MMA, too).

[Tony Dismukes]

By the way, am I going to get broken doing BJJ?

BJJ can be rough (although it can vary according to the school), but there are some things you can do to keep from getting too beat up.

As Erik said, be a wuss at first. Tap early and often. Don't worry so much in the beginning about winning or losing. Instead, try to discover in each grappling session how relaxed you can be without getting sloppy.

I know several students who regularly wear knees braces or tape their joints to protect problem areas. If you have an injured or almost injured joint, be sure to tell your training partner so they can avoid attacking it.

Try to be technical and precise rather than fast and explosive. There are many benefits to rolling slowly, even when your training partner is being explosive. Among them is the result that you're less likely to injure yourself.

I've found that doing power yoga consistently makes a big difference in preventing soreness. It gives me flexibility combined with functional strength through my full range of motion. If you have a problem with hyper-flexibility, you might consider some slow, strength-throughout-range-of-motion exercises to protect your joints.

After workouts, soaking in a hot tub, massage, and gentle stretching seem to significantly reduce soreness.

Good luck! Whether you train at a self-defense oriented school or a more competition-oriented gym, BJJ is just a whole lot of fun.

[Erik]

Hi Tony,

What sort of yoga? Which positions and transitions?

Gawd dang, do I need something like that in my routine.

I'm too young to be this old.

-E

[Tony Dismukes]

Erik, I've been doing primarily work off of DVDs and CDs. Baron Baptiste and Shiva Rea are two of my favorite instructors. Rodney Yee has some good DVDs, but he tends to go for more of a continually moving workout, whereas I prefer a routine which gives more time to explore each position. My wife and I just discovered a yoga center close to our house which we'll be getting a membership to on my next paycheck. The 2-hour Saturday morning workout there is as tough as any workout I've done in my life, and I include training at professional muay thai gyms in that comparison.

So in general, I tend to go for more vigorous routines about 2/3 of the time, and softer, more relaxing routines on days when I need to recover and heal.

The vigorous routines will usually start with some variation of a sun salutation to warm up the body, for up to 20 minutes or so. Usually I'll spend quite a while holding downward facing dog, which really helps my shoulders and also loosens my back and hamstrings. Next I'll typically do a series of standing poses - warrior 1, warrior 2, half-moon, triangle, etc. I might do some upper-body strengthening poses, such as crow or pendulum pose. Next it's down to the mat for some back bending poses (locust, bow, bridge, wheel). some ab work, and then winding down with some forward bends and spinal twists. Some stretches for the hips & butt cheeks (such as pigeon & half-pigeon) seem to really help my guard work.

The big trick seems to be in focusing on the breath and staying relaxed. Don't push any stretch past the point where you can relax into it. Do try to stay calm when you're holding a pose that pushes your strength and endurance. Don't worry about how deep you get into a pose. Do focus on internal awareness and good form. For example, when performing triangle pose, the natural tendency is to let the side of the torso facing the ground crunch inwards while the side facing the ceiling stretches. In fact, the bottom side should be lengthening as well. You don't want to go any deeper into the pose than you can go and still hold that long feeling on both sides of the torso. A good teacher will help you get the feel, and then the DVDs & CDs are good if your schedule makes it hard to get to a studio on a regular basis.

Given the injuries I've seen you complaining about on other threads, some yoga might be good stuff for you. I know I get hurt a lot more in the dojo whenever I neglect my yoga workouts.

[LJS93]

Man seriously Erik, we actually have hot girls hanging out all the time. Of course we run a clean ship, no shirts off, clean clothes, real professional atmosphere. By no means all amped up with machismo, something some BJJ schools are filled with.