Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - More Than a Martial Art

For the last six months I have been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu about 5-6 days a week. It has become a passion of mine so I thought I'd share my experience here on my blog.

When I first started back in April of this year, I remember one of the black belt instructors, Marcelo "Arroz" Souza, telling me that Jiu Jitsu would teach me not only how to fight, but also how to live. He was so right about that!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), for those of you who are unfamiliar, is a martial art for ground fighting. It originated in Brazil with the Gracie family and has spread like wild-fire across the USA since it's introduction to the general public through the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

My brother introduced me to the sport about 12 years ago. He trained for several years and then started teaching it to some guys who wanted to go into cage fighting. When I started in photography, my brother hooked me up with Terry Trebilcock, the promoter for King of the Cage, and I became sort of the staff photographer. As I got busy with my weddings I priced myself out of that market but never lost interest in the sport.

My brother phased out of the sport for a while to pursue a more stable career but recently got back into it as a way to stay in shape. He hit me up to train with him and I decided that it was now or never. I am now training at Gracie Barra under some of the top BJJ fighters in the world and loving it.

During the warm-up routine on my first day of training, I realized how much I missed the physical training that I had in high school sports. I felt like a kid again, like I was part of a team. I think every guy needs some kind of intense physical competition to stay healthy not just physically but mentally. We were built for it.

After 6 months of training, I'm really starting to understand what Professor Marcelo meant. Here are the top ten things I've learned from BJJ that are applicable in business, relationships, and life in general.

1. Don't resist too much; roll with the punches. Resistance will tire you out and throw you off of your game. Remember that there are many solutions to every problem.... find a new angle.

2. You don't have to be bigger and stronger to succeed. Technique and experience are far superior than force.

3. You will always learn more from losing than from winning.

4. Play safe but not too safe. Injuries will set you back in your progress but fear will take you out of the game completely.

5. If you work uncomfortably harder than your competition, in time you will find yourself comfortably ahead.

6. Match yourself up with strong competitors; they will push you to get better.

7. Absorb everything you can from people who have proven themselves but be careful in taking advice from a rookie.

8. One private lesson from an accomplished instructor is worth at least 10 group lessons.

9. First, become an expert in one or two tactics. They will give you respect and open doors for you to diversify.

10. Be patient; Enjoy the journey and the progress that goes along with it. Focus on being the best you can be for each level of experience.

God and body willing, I will stick with this for a long time. My goal is to compete in tournaments at every level and eventually become a black belt, which will take a minimum of 6-8 years depending on injuries. Good clean fun!