If My Sole Purpose For Training Jiu-Jitsu Was To Simply Be Able To Defend Myself….I Would’ve Stopped Years Ago.

That’s the honest trust. 🤷‍♂️

After a few years of training BJJ, and certainly once you earn your purple belt…..there’s very little competition against an untrained opponent.

(We’ve got an entire “Jiu-Jitsu Street Challenge” on our socials, where you can see the general public trying to hold down even some of our blue belts for 60 second……with ZERO success. 👌

But to stick with an activity as intense as BJJ, you need a REALLY good reason behind it. And in my experience that boils down to two categories which funnel back to one MAIN category.

1. Improved Mental Health 🧠

2. The BJJ Community (which ultimately goes back to mental health.) 🤜🤛

Nobody is going to show up to the gym for years, and get humbled repeatedly on the mats just for the off chance that they need BJJ for self defense.

Not gonna happen.🤣

Case in point…..I started training Jiu-Jitsu in 2009….I haven’t gotten in a physical altercation in 16 years.0️⃣

Have I just gotten really good at walking away or avoiding these situations all together? Probably. 🚶

Let’s look at the other side though.

I personally experience stress, anxiety and triggers on a weekly if not DAILY occurrence. 😳

When people show up to the gym, they are carrying the burden and weight of the day in with them.🥹

“Man my car insurance went up $500 this year, how am I gonna pay for that.”🚗

“Sales are really down this quarter, if I don’t turn things around I won’t get that big commission check for Christmas. Will my kids be able to have presents?”🎁

“Everyone on social media looks so happy and is going on extravagant trips, and I’m just stuck here in Downriver Michigan……am I a failure?”😔

There are REAL thoughts that people say to themselves that directly and negatively impact their mental health and can cause depression.😞

But you literally have NO time to think about any of those things when you are on the Jiu-Jitsu mat defending a rear naked choke! (You got more immediate problems to deal with) 😁

“But how exactly does Jiu-Jitsu relieve depression symptoms and improve mental health?”

If you’re looking for a technical and scientific answer….I couldn’t tell ya.

(Though, at this point…my faith in “Trusting the science” is shaking at best…..if you know what I mean.) 😏

What I CAN speak to is my personal experience coaching thousands of people at this point and watching them turn their lives around for the better…..all through this beautiful art of Jiu-Jitsu.

A few examples (with Alias’ of course)

I think of Aaron who is down of 50 pounds since starting.👏

Then Mikey who has tossed his anti depression meds since he took up Jiu-Jitsu💊

And Richard’s wife who has actually pointed out the most notable transformation at home “He’s just a lot more pleasant to be around.”

The best way I can describe the feeling of Jiu-Jitsu is doing a soft reset on your phone or laptop when the memory is bogging it down and it’s running super clunky……only in this case….your brain is the phone.

If you’ve been struggling with mental health or anxiety issues for more than a few months you LITERALLY have nothing to lose…..

If you don’t live around either Metro Jiu-Jitsu campus…I’ll help you find a reputable gym near you.

You owe it to yourself to at least try it out.👊

See you on the mat,

Written by Coach David Fox