WHAT IS JIU JITSU?

Background

When I was 7 years old, my parents enrolled me in a martial art called jiu jitsu. I didn’t think much of it at first, but this “Jiu Jitsu” thing changed my life. Doing jiu jitsu just felt right. I don’t know if it was just because I was 7 and didn’t know anything different, or if it was some sort of natural instinct, but the unnatural movements of the sport came naturally to me. I was a quick learner and was introduced to competing. Fast forward a few years, and I’m a two-time national and international champion at my age. I’ve competed across the nation and even won professional fights, all before I even turned 16. I have won many tournaments and have a wall full of medals and trophies. Whenever people would hear about my accomplishments, they would always ask me “What is Jiu Jitsu?”. The answer is that it’s complicated.

White Belt

            When people hear jiu jitsu for the first time, they usually think of people in kimonos breaking boards and ask me, Is that like karate? They could not be more wrong, but I don’t blame them because they have no idea. So, what is it? Jiu Jitsu, at its core, is a martial art about improving your control over your opponent until you can force them into submission. It’s most like wrestling and judo, except the majority of combat happens once you are on the ground. One of Jiujitsu’s greatest moves is called “tapping out,” and it’s performed by tapping your opponent with your hand, foot, or yelling TAPPPP! This is the same as saying uncle when fighting with friends. In martial arts like boxing or kickboxing, by the time the punch lands, the damage has already been done. There is no way to stop before harming someone without pulling back on the intensity. In jiu jitsu, you can tap at any time and stop before any actual harm is done. With the tap, you can practice at a high intensity and tap out to minimize your chances of injury. This is something that is unique to Jiujitsu and gives it its nickname “the gentle art”. Don’t let that name fool you, though; Jiu Jitsu is one of the deadliest martial arts. If you think you’re too tough to tap, then you better have a good doctor because you’ll have some broken bones, dislocated joints, or torn ligaments. If the pain from those injuries keeps you up at night, then Jiu Jitsu practitioners would be more than willing to put you to sleep with any of the hundreds of different choke techniques. Unfortunately, I thought I was tough and learned the hard way when I was choked unconscious in a tournament. Even though I had a nice nap dreaming of victory, waking up to discover I lost was a big disappointment. The goal is to gain control over your opponent by putting them in certain positions and then going for a submission technique to get them to tap out.

                        Blue Belt

            Jiu Jitsu is about controlling without harming, but it’s also about technique over strength. The moves in jiu jitsu are extremely technical and require you to manipulate leverage, pressure, and biomechanics to your advantage. This means that without proper technique, the moves won’t work, but it also means that with proper technique, these moves will work on anyone. At 13 years old, I would train in adult classes where I would fight fully grown men and win thanks to my technique! Jiujitsu’s emphasis on control and technique makes it a great martial art for self-defense. Many women train so they can protect themselves because they are more vulnerable to being attacked. Some kids train so they can stand up to bullies without worrying about getting beat up. Lots of police officers train jiu jitsu to make sure they can arrest people who resist while using only the force that is necessary. There are even videos all over the internet of police officers using jiu jitsu to safely arrest people or jiu jitsu practitioners protecting others by neutralizing attackers. Even if jiu jitsu isn’t something you like, I truly believe that everyone should learn enough to feel confident that they can protect themselves from danger. Jiu Jitsu is not only a martial art. It’s a form of self-defense that I consider a necessary life skill.

Purple Belt

            Jiu Jitsu can also be a competition. The fastest way to improve is through competition. When you put yourself in a fight against an opponent, it’s a learning experience. Fighting people helps show you things you never knew about yourself and helps you learn about your own strengths, weaknesses, and character. At my gym, we have a saying that when you compete “you either win or you learn”. This means that even when you lose, you gain valuable knowledge that can help you get better. It’s about what you learned from that experience to make you better and more prepared for the next time. It’s hard to put into words the experience of competing in a fight, but it’s something I think everyone who trains should try at least once.

Brown Belt

When you get better, the competition changes. It’s no longer about competing against others. It’s about competing against yourself and improving your game. Many people see jiu jitsu as a physical game of chess. Your style of fighting is like your opening, and the moves you like to use are your pieces. These moves have elaborate set-ups and traps that trick people into thinking you are attacking one thing when really you are using that as a set-up to attack something else. What’s so amazing about this is that people’s games are always getting better. Unlike chess, Jiujitsu is getting new pieces every day! Experts are creating new pieces and finding different ways to move the pieces. It’s like when someone with a PhD does research and expands their knowledge of their given field. In a way, getting your black belt is like getting a PhD in jiu jitsu. It takes around 8–10 years for a jiu jitsu practitioner to get their black belt, which is even longer! That just goes to show you how much there is to learn! It’s magnificent to think that this martial art is always evolving in a way that makes it feel alive. It excites me and makes me want to continue training to improve my game and contribute something of my own to this amazing martial art. Jiu Jitsu is about constantly seeking improvement and becoming the best you can possibly be.

Black Belt

            Jiu Jitsu is family. When you join a gym, you join a community of people from all different backgrounds unified under one martial art. Something about pouring your blood, sweat, and tears into training and competing with the same people day in and day out forms a bond like no other. These are people I have trained with for years and years. These are people that have taught me, and I have taught them. These are people who offer support when I need it and cheer for me when I don’t. These are people who may not have the same opinions as me, look like me, or act like me, but I consider them my family. One of the guys I met through training is a senior director at one of the largest consulting firms in the world and has been like a mentor for me, helping me plan for a successful future. These people are my home away from home. I believe everyone needs people who look out for them and have their best interests at heart. Jiu Jitsu can provide that.

                        Red Belt

After all that, we learned that jiujitsu can be many things. But what is jiu jitsu, really? How can we summarize something so complex into something that people who don’t practice can understand? After thinking about it myself for 11 years, it’s not so difficult. Jiu Jitsu is a lifestyle because it teaches you how to live. The extreme dedication of this martial art requires the discipline to make sacrifices and live a certain way. You plan your days around training so that you don’t miss it. You eat healthy and stay hydrated to perform better. And you train consistently to keep your body in shape and bring peace to your mind. It teaches you that every experience is something you can learn from, even if you don’t “win”. It teaches you to create your own pieces and do things differently. It teaches you how to constantly strive for improvement and become the best version of yourself. And lastly, it provides you with a home and family that are always there for you. Training jiu jitsu promotes living a happy, healthy, and safe life. It’s a lifestyle that I follow and recommend for everyone else to try.