Most of us students of Brazilian jiu-jitsu can not imagine our lives without going to the academy several times per week. At a social gathering some of your friends will ask how your jiu-jitsu is going and might express curiosity about what you do at the academy.

Many people are interested in trying a martial art or are looking for another fitness activity to get involved in, but they may be unsure what it is all about and how to get started. The best way for them to over come their inertia and inhibitions is to come along with their friend – YOU! and try a class or 2.

read also: 5 Tips For New Students in Bjj

If you think they need a little convincing, here are 3 Reasons Your Friends Should Try Jiu-Jitsu:

1) See your friends more often

For most of us who are busy with work, family, and all of our other obligations, we don’t see our close friends as often as we would like. A bbq once or twice each summer and maybe a birthday party, but most of time we struggle to socialize with some of our favorite people.

If our friends are training at the jiu-jitsu academy a few times each week, it is FAR easier to stay in contact and keep the friendship strong. Due to the nature of close contact and cooperation of jiu-jitsu training, many friendships are made and strengthened in the academy.

There is no complicated arranging of schedules to meet – I’m training Mon/Wed/Fri this week, see you there!

2) Hang out with your friends while getting fit

Instead of meeting in a bar for happy hour, deep fried foods and alcoholic beverages to socialize, how about a fitness oriented activity?

It is far easier to adhere to a healthy lifestyle when you are surrounded by people who also eat healthy and who avoid self destructive behaviours like smoking and excessive drinking. Trying to quit smoking, drinking and get more active in your lifestyle?

You are also more likely to stay regular with your training if you know your friends will be expecting you at the academy. If you centre your socializing around a fitness activity like jiu-jitsu, you are “killing two birds with one stone” by working out and seeing your friends at the same time.

3) Making new friends and REAL face time

With most people owning a smart phone and connected to social media 24 / 7, we are starting to lose actually interacting with friend sin real life!

Consider for a moment how many of your friends that your primary interaction with them is to “like” a Facebook post or Instagram photo of theirs. While social media and online communication does make it easier to stay in touch with our social circle, it is not the same as REAL “face time” with our friends.

Many of us feel a little guilty about the amount of time we spend online and know instinctively that we should see our friends in person more often. Outside of work our opportunities to meet new people can be limited.

The jiu-jitsu academy is a great place to meet some new friends are the positive “can do” types of personalities that we want more of in our lives.

In addition to learning how to protect yourself and your loved ones, getting fit around a group of positive people is a great reason to invite your friends to come visit your academy and try a jiu-jitsu class.

read also: Do You Want To Start Learning Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? How To Get Started!

Have you convinced any of your friends to try training jiu-jitsu?
Please share this article with a friend who you want to come try a by class at your school.

Credits: Mark Mullen
Gracie Barra Black belt based in Saigon, Vietnam
Twitter: @MarkMullenBJJ