What exactly IS Jiu-Jitsu and will I get hurt?
Two Misconceptions
There are usually two misconceptions when people hear the words “Jiu-Jitsu”. Either they think of a six-year-old breaking a block in karate class, or they think of the UFC star Nate Diaz showing a bloody smile, and there is really no in between. So, I suppose it's only natural to conclude that people will be concerned about getting hurt if they are equating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to cage fighting. After all, the great majority of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners don't even compete in tournaments, let alone fight in an octagon. This begs the question, what do the rest of Jiu-Jitsu practitioners do when they go to class? What does a class normally look like?
A Superior Self-Defense
In short, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is ground fighting. One of my old professors coined it best when he said that, "As human beings, we are trained how to walk and stay on our feet at all times. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the art of moving efficiently on the ground and defending yourself while doing it." While it may be unorthodox (and even ridiculed by those who don’t practice it), the concept of ground fighting is revolutionary from a self-defense aspect because most fights end up on the ground; and if you do not have any type of ground fighting experience that is pretty much the end of the road for you once that happens.
An Incredible Workout
In addition to being a superior for self-defense, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an incredible full body workout. It's one of the few activities where somebody who isn’t a “Gym Rat”, can work out for 1.5-2 hours without realizing both how quickly the time went, as well as how many calories they torched. Reason being, the entire class time is spent critically thinking and problem solving, not counting down the seconds left on the treadmill.
Summary
If you have been waiting on starting Jiu-Jitsu because you are afraid you will be thrown in the cage against Conor McGregor, you can rest easy. At a Jiu-Jitsu, you will be surrounded by like-minded (and average) people who are looking to get a great workout and do not want to be victim to an attack.
Author
David Fox
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt (Under Danny Alvarez)
Coach/Co-Owner Of Metro Jiu-Jitsu
Metrojj.com
