Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a type of mixed martial arts (MMA). You can learn it as a sport or as a fitness regime or for self-defense. Traditionally, across the world, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been popular for its effective self-defense techniques. It emphasizes grappling techniques and leveraging tactics. You do not need to be heavy or big to be victorious. Even small-sized people can use Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques to win over bigger or stronger opponents. This makes BJJ an inclusive sport that even women and kids can learn.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has established itself mainly based on two things – grappling and ground fighting. The goal is to quickly get your opponent to the ground and into a position that will force him to submit or give up.

As a sport, it also has several physical and mental benefits. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s workouts are power-packed and intense. Jiu Jitsu lessons are demanding but will help you see positive results in your flexibility, endurance, strength, problem-solving ability and increased awareness.

Based on its core premise, anyone can learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Since smaller opponents have a chance of fending off larger attackers, it can be considered as a ‘must know’ form of martial art, especially for children and women. However, anyone, regardless of age or sex, can gain incredible benefits from BJJ.

Not at all! You will see instant improvements in your strength, flexibility, and conditioning as soon as you begin Jiu Jitsu training. However, you need to ensure that you are medically fit to undertake Brazilian Jiu Jitsu workouts since there will be en extreme impact on your physical fitness. Get yourself examined by a doctor to give you the approval for BJJ training.

You could be three-years-old or even 80 and be a master of BJJ. All you need is the will-power and determination to learn BJJ techniques.

The preferred attire for training and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a gi. The gi or kimono as it is sometimes called includes a cotton jacket, reinforced cotton pants and a belt. It is similar to the other kind of outfits used in other traditional martial arts such as Karate only a Jiu Jitsu gi is a little more durable than a traditional martial arts gi. 

Wearing a gi is a crucial part of learning Jiu Jitsu. The gi sort of acts like training wheels when you are first learning how to ride a bike. It gives you things to hold on to as you position your body and your training partners body into various positions for sweeps, submissions and escapes.  

Rash guard, T shirts, Board shorts and spandex are also good things to wear under your gi. They prevent gi burn and allow for a fast transition if you decide to train in a “No Gi” class. You just shed your Gi and you will be ready to go!  

You don’t have to do anything. Just come in, learn and have loads of fun! We can lend you a gi for the first class. If you have your own gi (kimono) please bring it.

It’s not necessary to compete if you train in BJJ, . A lot of people join our classes for reasons other than entering competitions. Of course, if you are determined to compete or if you change your mind later, you are most welcome. No one will compel you to compete if you don’t want to.

For adults, the belt order is White, Blue, Purple, Brown, Black, Red/Black, Red/White, & Red. There are also ‘stripes’ at the levels of White, Blue, Purple, and Brown. Your rank is determined by assessments by Elite MMA instructor and fellow other students. Remember the journey is more important than the rank.

Please note that promotion to a higher belt is not just dependent on participation but on various other selection criteria. Students who show the right combination of attitude, knowledge, and skill are promoted to higher levels. 

For Children under 16 years of age, then ranking system consists of White Belts, Yellow Belts, Orange Belts and Green Belts.

In a relatively short time, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has proved its efficiency in one-on-one combat fights such as challenge matches, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and it is even taught as part of military/law enforcement tactics.

When BJJ was developing in the US, one way to increase its popularity was to issue or accept challenges. BJJ wanted to prove its efficiency against other martial artists, fighters or even those who considered themselves as tough. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu contenders won a majority of these challenges. The ones where they lost, they worked on adjusting and improving their weaknesses.

BJJ is an evolving sport and is flexible in incorporating new techniques. The UFC was an outcome of the challenge matches and the Jiu Jitsu videos that came out after that to demonstrate its effectiveness. Today, every mixed martial arts class has Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in its core training program.

The effectiveness of Jiu Jitsu comes from its grappling techniques. While other martial art forms focus on converting philosophies into techniques, BJJ develops its methods based on reality. This martial art is geared explicitly towards everyday situations. The strategies you learn in class can be replicated in the outside world.

The beautiful thing about Jiu Jitsu is that it covers what happens if you end up on the ground. The majority of fights or physical interactions end up with someone falling down because they trip, are tackled or are knocked to the ground. Jiu Jitsu is the only martial arts that deals with how to not only survive on the ground but render your opponent into submission.

That’s the advantage Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has. It keeps adapting. The more you practice, the more changes you can make to your strategies. You learn what will work and what won’t work in different situations. This optimization is why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has high effectiveness. It can be used in any random encounter with a robber, a friendly fight with a friend, or on stage in exactly the same way. In short, BJJ trains you for real life situations.

Earning a black belt in Jiu Jitsu is much more challenging than in other martial arts. People with black belts in BJJ have proved themselves as having mastery with intense training and competition. When you enter the white belt zone, you’d typically take a year to 18 months to get to blue belt.

After that, depending on each individual, every belt rise would take about two to five years. That would mean you would need somewhere about eight to 15 years to gain that coveted black belt. But if you are successful in reaching this height, you can be sure that you have definitely earned it and proved yourself as a successful Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter.

If you look at BJJ it is traditionally trained with a partner 1-on-1. That means your opponent will  be in front of you ; unless you they get behind you. Which is something you don’t want to happen.  Unlike other sports such as football, soccer, or other team sports someone can slide or tackle you from your blind slide which can cause serious injuries such as broken bones, torn ligaments, and other major physical injuries. 

BJJ requires a high level of communication physically or verbally. At Elite MMA, we emphasize a high level of both to make sure the students and instructors are as safe as humanly possible.

If you compare BJJ to a normal workout session, it definitely has numerous benefits that you won’t get in your typical local gym. It involves your whole body and mind while also making it fun. Since your focus is on training and learning, you work out more without even realizing it.

A lot of the people who join Jiu Jitsu classes want to reduce their weight or increase their fitness. The training also gives you added benefits such as better coordination and reflex actions.

Armed with all this information, you are now all set to adopt a new and improved form of life.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now for a FREE demo class of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Elite MMA.