Learning The Gentle Art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
As I’m writing, I have a bit of a back pain, bruises all over my arms, discomfort on my knees, and a somewhat bent middle finger; all of these I’ve gained through learning the gentle art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Yet, I keep coming back, subjecting my body to the same challenge, 4-5 times a week. During my first few months, I couldn’t help but wonder if this is how my life is going to be for the next few years. Waking up with muscle soreness at 6:30 AM, ending work at 5 PM and then getting home at 9:30, still pumped up and unable to sleep quickly. Then, I thought, “Screw it. It’s an exciting life, and I love it!”
What made me start this art
It’s no secret that I’m not gifted with Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence (or even Spatial Intelligence), yet I’ve promised myself to not let these stop me from gaining new experiences. Thanks to my husband, Niño, (yes, we’re married now!), I’ve gotten good at getting out of my comfort zone. He started learning the “calm” art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and joined the Deftac Laguna team in February 2022. I was not in a rush to start; I was enjoying Business Proposal on Netflix back then until our dog, Collette, decided that the TV plug is a good chew toy (it was unplugged), and I couldn’t watch TV anymore. So, I decided to finally try it, bought my first Gi at Decathlon a week after “trying”, and I’ve been training since then. I’ve received my first stripe in August 2022:
Then, he got his 2nd stripe the same month:
Though I may have scared you above, I would still say that all these bruises, discomfort, and bent body parts are worth it. Some say that the skill gained from Brazilian jiu jitsu is comparable with that of chess; only that, instead of moving the queen-side pawn to set the queen’s gambit, you position your foot over your opponent’s head to position a triangle choke.
Why it should be your next sport
My teammates like BJJ because it lets them be in the moment. Of course, how can think of your bills when someone’s about to break your arm? Consequently, you know how they say that people like roller coasters because of the adrenaline rush you get from fear. Well, it’s like that for BJJ, and more! Here’s a full list:
- You can sweep people off their feet (literally!) – This is important self-defense skill, especially for girls, as you can escape people attacking you and pushing you to the ground.
2. Weight doesn’t matter. You have a good fighting chance even with people who are heavier than you.
3. It’s for all gender and ages!
4. When you’re constantly subjecting yourselves with this level of physical intimacy, you can develop a deep bond with your mat-mates:
5. You can see your progress and move up to higher belts as you get better and well, older. For adults, you start with a white belt, and you need to get 4 stripes before you could move to the next belt, the blue one. Get another 4 stripes, and you get the purple belt, then the brown, and then the black. I was today years old when I found out there’s even a coral belt!
6. You can join exciting competitions! Here’s one that Niño and my other teammates at Deftac Laguna joined recently.
7. You burn A LOT of calories for every session. It is said an hour of training can burn between 470 to 670 calories! This means I typically burn 420 calories per session.
8. It’s an effective way to develop sportsmanship. Truly, you will get injured sometimes, but you will learn not to place blame on anybody and accept this as part of the art.
9. It can strengthen various muscles in your body in a functional way.
10. Believe it or not, it’s a form of meditation.
Honestly, the only thing I regret about this experience is not doing it earlier. The not-so-gentle art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has allowed me to exceed my expectations of my own focus, mental acuity, strength and flexibility, and it is truly an experience I would recommend to anyone.
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