9 Reasons Why All Women Should Know Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Looking for an effective self-defense system?

Want to get a good workout without running on a treadmill?

Looking for a fun way to burning off stress? Then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for you.

Here are the top reasons why every woman should do BJJ:

1 - Learn to defend yourself against a bigger, stronger attacker.

Most women discover BJJ because they are interested in defending themselves. The skills you learn in BJJ are designed to enable a smaller, weaker person to defend themselves against a larger, more powerful attacker.

You do not need to be fast, strong, or explosive to perform BJJ techniques effectively (which is not true of martial arts that rely on punches and kicks.) Through the use of superior leverage, fluid movements, and body positioning, you can use BJJ to control and even defeat a physically superior attacker.

Once you feel the effectiveness firsthand, you will be hooked.

2 - Overcome your fear of being grabbed or held down.

“What if I get dragged away? What if someone pins me down?”

When talking to women about self-defense, these are the two concerns you hear most. Thankfully, BJJ is especially well suited to address these. The core of BJJ is built around handling someone who trying to throw you to the ground and get on top of you.

BJJ is unique amongst martial arts because it trains ground fighting extensively, even teaching how to use seemingly bad positions (like being on your back with someone between your legs) as highly offensive positions where you can end fights with chokes and armlocks.

By becoming skilled in ground fighting, you conquer the fear of finding yourself there. This gives you a huge advantage over the untrained attacker.

3 - Develop the awareness to protect yourself and stay safe.

In addition to fighting skills, through BJJ you will develop your ability to spot dangerous situations and ideally resolve them before the conflict is necessary. The best defense is to be aware of your surroundings and the intentions of those around you.

The self-defense system we teach includes psychological and awareness training. BJJ will allow you calmly assess the situation, knowing you can defend yourself if needed, instead of living in a state of constant fear. This confidence boost is one of the top benefits my students tell me they gained from learning BJJ.

4 - Gain the confidence to handle life’s stressful situations.

As you train BJJ and gain experience dealing with its physical and mental challenges, it is common to feel more composed and in control of stressful situations off the mats. BJJ teaches you to control your breathing, suppress your fight-or-flight instinct, and calm your emotions.

These same skills can be transferred to a stressful day at work, school, or home, allowing you to keep your cool under pressure. What’s a simple job interview or a nagging coworker compared to a BJJ sparring match?

5 - Discover a great way to burn off steam and relieve stress.

Ever had a crappy that made you feel like choking someone? At BJJ, that’s encouraged! All the time, I have students tell me that they were having a bad day until they got on the mats, and after learning new techniques, training with some friends, and breaking a sweat, they went home happy.

The benefits go beyond that. Scientific researchers have even found that moderate-to-intense exercises, especially when led by an instructor who makes sure you see it through to completion, have many mental benefits, including reducing or even protecting against depression. Many individuals have used BJJ to help themselves deal with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health problems.

6 - Get in shape and stay healthy while having fun.

Many people get into BJJ because they are looking for a way to get in shape without doing a boring workout like running on a treadmill. A BJJ class is a full-body workout that burns tons of calories while building functional strength. Especially once you get into live training, you will learn to use your body in ways that most people can hardly dream of.

No matter how un-athletic or uncoordinated you think you are, we have teaching and training methods that will get you to that level. BJJ is full of success stories of unlikely students becoming world champions.

7 - Appreciate your body for what it can do instead of what it looks like.

Media and pop culture bombard women with unrealistic and unhealthy standards of beauty. In BJJ, all that matters is if you did the technique right. Who you are and what you look like does not matter. BJJ will enable you to fully express yourself physically and use your body to its full potential.

8 - Unleash your competitive side in BJJ tournaments.

BJJ has an active competition scene, with grappling tournaments being run all over the USA (and the entire world). Many students discover they love the depth of BJJ techniques and thrive on the thrill of testing themselves in competition.

Many people who liked sports in high school and college feel something is missing once they graduate and no longer have the competitive outlet. BJJ gives that back to you. You always have one more skill to improve and one more way to test yourself.

9 - Build a social network of positive friends.

In the BJJ community, we have what’s called “living the jiu-jitsu lifestyle.” To build your life around jiu-jitsu means to constantly seek to improve your body, mind, and spirit. When you enter into the BJJ community, you are instantly surrounded by friends who share your goals of living better and helping others. BJJ has a special way of creating bonds of friendship that last a lifetime. Sign up for a class today and experience what the BJJ lifestyle has to offer you.