Brazilian jiu jitsu has been proven to greatly improve the psyche of its practitioners. From the very first day, you will learn numerous things about yourself and also better understand what you are capable of handling. You will also learn to push yourself through adversity and the difficulties you may face. It is tricky to narrow it down to a single way in which BJJ can help you out. However, sometimes it’s good to know what the main reason is as it can keep reminding us why we continue with the grind day in and day out. It is also a good way to explain to family and friends why we do what we do and love doing it.
Here are some major ways in which jiu jitsu can help you on a psychological level.
Increases Confidence
Participating in just about any form of sports can help increase your confidence. And though martial arts is considered to be a special kind of sport, Brazilian jiu jitsu is even better in many ways. The main reason behind this is that it is one of the very few truly combat effective forms of martial arts and can be practised day in and day out. It is possible for you to practice it at full speed without any drawbacks.
Things Seem Easier
It could be considered to be an overstatement, as there are many areas in life that are surely much more difficult than jiu jitsu. However, generally speaking in the everyday life of an average practitioner, everyday stressors can start seeming unimportant. The sport can help you see your own strong and weak points as you will often be forced to see them on the mat.
Your Mind is Stimulated
Practising jiu jitsu is very similar to playing chess, only with your body. The more you practice and get better, the easier it is for you to anticipate your opponent’s movement. This makes it a fantastic game on a fundamental level. The sport has the ability to open up your mind like a game of chess or a puzzle can. People who seriously train are often better at solving problems compared to those who don’t. The skills picked up can be applied just about anywhere in your life.
Helps You Become Calmer
Regularly training has the same effects as any other form of rigorous exercise. It will enable you to vent positive and negative emotions in a manner considered healthy. It also sends the feel-good hormone called endorphins throughout your body. The sport helps you get rid of any pent up aggression you may have had and also allows you to channel your aggression and negative energy and do something constructive with it.
You Can Make Good Friends
It is a fact that people who train tend to befriend other people who are training. Like any other sport, the more you train jiu jitsu, the more you will want to talk about it. Chances are that a family member or a colleague who knows nothing about the sport will not be interested in talking or listening about it either. It makes sense that you will have to find like-minded people so you have something in common to talk about. It will also encourage you to make new friends who set very high goals for themselves on the mat and can motivate you to up your game too.
Aids in Achieving a Sense of Humility
Most often, people who don’t train in BJJ can develop some misconceptions regarding their own physical abilities and prowess. This is the way in which the human mind works. Similarly, you may also have this delusional misconception that your body is capable of doing things that you probably cannot do. A great way of remedying this is by training in jiu jitsu. This is how the sport can help keep you grounded and aware of your body’s limitations.
Brazilian jiu jitsu has some very specific psychological benefits for those who practice the sport. Though it is a contact sport, it can teach you how to overcome life struggles. If you haven’t yet tried jiu jitsu for yourself, maybe it’s time to sign up for some classes. Contact Legends Mixed Martial Arts, a leading organization for martial arts in Brampton and find out about courses you may be interested in.