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4 Reasons Why BJJ is an Excellent Base Style to Build On

BJJ is deeply rooted in Judo and numerous traditional systems of Japanese Jiu Jitsu. Over the last decades, however, it has followed a different course. Today, it is divided into the following categories: self-defence, “vale tudo – anything goes” or the popular MMA, and sport grappling with or without gi (no striking just submission holds).

Our Sydney martial arts BJJ instructors say that BJJ is a unique blend of sport and martial art. A fighter undergoing BJJ training is exposed to full body training while he or she learns the basic techniques. Many agree that the primary role of BJJ is to equip the fighter with the skills and fitness that will allow him to effectively defend against a stronger and larger opponent.

Since BJJ is an overall mind and body workout, it is an excellent base style to build on. Here are the four reasons that back up that statement.

Endurance

Endurance – “the ability to endure an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way”. A fight in BJJ comes to an end when one of the fighters is completely exhausted and vulnerable to submission. In many cases, the primary cause of exhaustion is the very submission.

The amount of energy a fighter has when he starts the fight or sparring session is what we refer to as endurance. Since BJJ training involves a lot of physical exercise and a lot of sparring and learning submissions, BJJ students quickly increase their endurance levels. This gives them a valuable advantage when they want to switch to another martial art.

Beside this, since the fighter’s energy is limited, during BJJ practice fighters learn to strategize and to plan their energy spending through escapes. This improves focus, and a calm and focused fighter is a dangerous opponent. Yet, another advantage of BJJ as a base martial art to build on.

Strength

Our Sydney martial arts instructors pay a lot of attention to strength exercise, and strength building is a standard part of BJJ training. And if you take closer look at high end BJJ competitors, you’ll see that all of them are doing some form of weight training.

Since there a lot of take downs in BJJ, a lot of attention is payed to building strong legs, and a strong back and shoulders are incredibly important for escapes. Don’t trust us? Check out which muscles you activate the next time you want to get out of a Kimura.

Beside this, learning the techniques alone will build you some muscles. Strength building, along with endurance and techniques that will keep you safe at close range are what makes this martial art the foundation upon which you can build whatever home you like.

Clinch Work

Closing the distance and getting into the clinch is something our Sydney martial arts instructors are quite good at. Clinches are the situations that BJJ fighters thrive upon, and one of the first things they learn is how to take advantage of the clinch and turn it into a takedown. Learning how to position yourself in the clinch so you don’t get hit by opponent’s elbows, knees or hands is also a standard procedure.

With BJJ fundamentals, you will have the whole sequence of closing in for the clinch and scoring a take down embedded in you muscle memory. Following the opponent where he goes leads to a clean take down from which a fighter can go for the lock down or use anything he or she has learned from other martial arts.

Since BBJ handles the clinch in a unique way, many MMA fighters come back to BJJ to perfect their clinch skills and awareness during it.

Mental Benefits

There is nothing we can say that will help us stress just how important it is to be mentally prepared for a fight. It is at least as important as skill and strength are. Learning BJJ has many mental benefits. We can start with the very process of technique learning when student has repeat the technique countless times, resulting in many unsuccessful attempts to pull it off. This teaches BJJ students patience and focus.

Our Sydney martial arts instructors always make sure to explain to the students that frustration is part of the learning process. Learning to work from it instead of using it as an excuse to give up is what improves the mental strength of BJJ fighters. Another quality that is easy to build on.

BJJ increases endurance, physical and mental strength and it prepares the fighter for clinch work. These qualities are what every high level fighter strives to achieve and improve. Since training BJJ brings improvements to all of these fields, it is considered to be an excellent first style to which you can later add different things.

Give our BJJ program a go and experience the improvements to all of these fields. It is considered to be an excellent first style where the skills are easily transferable.

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