What Is BJJ?
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that teaches a smaller person how to defend himself against a larger adversary by using leverage and proper technique. The Gracie family, the founders of BJJ, modified judo and traditional Japanese jujutsu to create the art. It contains stand-up maneuvers, but it is most famous for its devastating ground-fighting techniques. Gaining superior positioning—so one can apply the style’s numerous chokes, holds, locks and joint manipulations on an opponent—is the key in BJJ.
BJJ’s roots began in the early 1900s. Esai Maeda—the chief of a Japanese immigration colony who was assigned to Brazil—befriended Gastao Gracie. Maeda, a former jujutsu champion in Japan, taught the art to Gracie’s son, Carlos. In 1925, Carlos and his four brothers opened the first jiu-jitsu school in Brazil. Carlos’ younger brother, Helio, adjusted the techniques to suit his small frame, thereby creating Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In the early ’80s, Helio’s son, Rorion, planted the seeds of BJJ in the United States, where the art has become immensely popular.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s roots began in the early 1900s. Esai Maeda, the chief of a Japanese immigration colony who was assigned to Brazil, befriended Gastao Gracie. Maeda, a former jujutsu champion in Japan, taught the art to Gracie’s son, Carlos. In 1925, Carlos and his four brothers opened the first Jiu-Jitsu school in Brazil. Carlos’ younger brother, Helio, adjusted the techniques to suit his small frame, thereby creating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In the early ’80s, Helio’s son, Rorion, planted the seeds of BJJ in the United States, where the art has become immensely popular.
Benefits Of BJJ
Builds confidence
Learn how to defend yourself
New skill acquisition
Increase fitness
Increase mental toughness
Meet winners
Improve problem solving
Goal setting & persistence
Strength Training And BJJ - Benefits Or Bad Idea?
Squats
Squats work your quads, butt, hamstrings, and even your back. If you do a squat and don’t feel like you’ve worked all of those things, you’ve done something wrong. Fix it.
That said, you would be wise to follow Mark Rippetoe’s advice on how to properly do a squat. There are lots of myths around how to squat properly, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re doing to avoid injury.
Bent Row
Though Mark Rippetoe isn’t a fan of these, the benefits are still too much to ignore. Bill Starr, a bodybuilder who made 5×5 routines famous, incorporates the bent row into his programs, and with good reason.
Bent Rows strengthen the back amazingly. Not only do they make the upper back muscles stronger, they also build up shoulder muscles around the rotator cuff. Keeping a healthy and strong rotator cuff is a must, as anyone who has been caught in a kimura knows.
Bench Press
The bench press has fallen out of fashion recently. It seems like it comes and goes and no one really wants to talk about how important it actually is. The bench press isn’t just an “ego” press. Instead, it is a major upper body workout.
Yes, it works the pecs, but it also works much more. It works the triceps, anterior deltoids (front of your shoulders), and your back. All of these muscles are extremely important in grappling. To dismiss the bench press is to severely limit yourself on the mats.
You can change your grip on the bar to isolate muscle groups further. However, it’s important to make sure that you aren’t using a machine to do bench press. Is a machine better than nothing? Yes. But it’s abysmal at getting you solid results. You miss developing stabilizing muscles that are so necessary in grappling as well.
Deadlift
A deadlift uses pretty much the same muscles as a squat does, but it targets them in a completely different manner. Squatting involves starting with the weight already on you and lowering it. A deadlift begins the lifter in a less advantageous position, lifting from the floor.
It also statically works a variety of muscles that the squat misses, such as the shoulders and arms. If you want your legs to be strong, and improve your physical ability to work your guard, this is an excellent lift to start doing. It’s a full body-lift that carries over into all of your full body motions while grappling.
- Hinge – Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Olympic Lifts (advanced athletes only)
- Squat – Barbell/Kettlebell Front Squat, Pistol
- Press –Overhead Press, Handstand Push-up, Bench Press, Push-up
- Pull – (Weighted) Pull-up, Barbell/Kettlebell/Dumbell Row
- Others – Get-up, Grip Work, Abdominal Work, External Rotations, Jump Training
- Finishers – Kettlebell Swings, Kettlebell Snatches, Kettlebell Goblet Squats
