THE BENEFITS OF BEING PHYSICAL WITH THE BODY AND MIND

Benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from the Perspective of a Black Belt

By Jared Conques

“New year, new me!”

It is a phrase we hear ad nauseam every year around the New Year holiday. And every year, after a couple of weeks or months, the zest of those resolutions begin to fade along with our goals that we were so excitedly sharing with everyone who cared to listen on any and every social media platform and daily life alike. I believe one of the reasons that people fall short when it comes to their goals is that while they are whipping their body into shape, they are not doing as much to strengthen their mental game.

When you think of getting into shape, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

Maybe it's a vision of you strapping on a new pair of running shoes and hitting the pavement or treadmill? Or is it the sound of weights clanging in a weight room after finishing your set on the bench press or squat rack? You may have even pictured yourself eating cleaner and drinking more water. While all of these are great ways to get the body in better shape, these activities can still leave out a major piece of our body’s overall wellness puzzle, the mind.

Having actively practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for 15 years, as well as owning a martial arts gym for 4 of those years, I have heard my fair share of resolutions. I've found that more people have had success sticking with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (and martial arts in general) long-term as opposed to other workouts. I believe the overall wellness aspect of the ancient art of martial arts and exercising the mind are what sets the practice apart. While the argument can be made that hitting the pavement for a couple miles or pushing yourself in the weight room can help clear the mind, I find that martial arts does this better than anything listed above.

One of the first things I teach my students is that in order to be able to control another human being, we must first learn to control ourselves. While Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a physically intense workout on its own, its real magic can be seen through how it empowers its practitioners with the ability to remain calm under duress and cultivate active problem-solving skills under said duress.

When you are wrestling, and someone is trying to submit you, you must remain calm and gather your mental faculties in order to plan your escape and advance the position. This can be rather difficult, especially when you consider you may be training with someone of a higher skill level or someone who may outweigh you substantially. Jiu-Jitsu forces the mind and body to begin to work as one cohesive unit as it rarely rewards strength-based explosive movements.

Over time, these benefits begin to manifest themselves in the practitioners’ daily lives. It is easier to figure out solutions to problems at the office and at home. The stress of daily life does not seem so burdensome when you have the confidence in yourself to actively "figure things out” and this is all on top of the physical benefits and changes you begin to see as you push yourself on the mats.

Imagine being a kid and having that same confidence to problem solve. Fortunately I see this sport of overall wellness gaining even more traction as more parents are introduced to the physical and mental benefits of our niche little sport.

While cleaning up the diet, knocking out a couple miles a week and hitting the weights regularly is great (I can be found at Red’s 3-4 times a week), the mental and physical benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu have proven to me, and countless others on our mats, that it is, bar none, one of the best body AND mind workouts available to you.

Always be sure to check with your doctor or family physician to see if a Jiu-Jitsu or martial arts routine is right for you and your body. I'm sure you'll get a resounding "yes" as we have doctors training with us on our mats weekly!

I sincerely hope to see you on the mats!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and Gladiators Academy of Breaux Bridge owner, Jared Conques