The Essence of Fighting Beyond Martial Arts

By Professor Flavio Almeida, Head Instructor

When I tell people that I’m a fighter and that I study martial arts, the most common response that I hear is that fighting isn’t for them. Perhaps they would consider signing up for a self-defense class only after something happened to them or enrolling their children in special martial arts for kids classes as an after-school activity. However, they just don’t see themselves as a fighter.

Why Do We Fight

I believe we are all fighters. Every single one of us. Fighting is as natural to human beings as eating, breathing or sleeping. If we aspire for something, we are fighters.

We fight for our dreams, overcome frustrating struggles and need an outlet to build strength. Studying martial arts is a great way to channel this energy and drive. It gives us something to focus on and work toward.

Learning martial arts isn’t always about learning how to fight another person. The odds are good that you will never be involved in a street fight that involves hand-to-hand combat. But there are other things to learn from the study of martial arts, such as focus and discipline. We transfer what we learn in martial arts classes to use in our everyday life.

Find below a great video explaining the idea of practicing martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for life.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

While Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu might be the most efficient form of hand-to-hand combat, it is a gentle art. It is a great option for both beginners and advanced practitioners because of this.

Whether you are a man or a woman, you can practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu because your size, age or gender does not matter when it comes to participation. Because Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches smaller and weaker people to take down large and strong opponents, nearly everyone can participate, even young kids.

Since Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu involves strategy to win, you’ll also be sharpening your mind while you strengthen your body. It is an effective way to keep your brain and mental health in good shape. As we age, this mental stimulation becomes all the more important to maintaining memory and physical function.

In addition, we never really know if we’ll ever need to use what we learn in any self-defense class in the real world. However, if you ever end up in a real-life fight, you’ll be glad that you studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, even if that is not the reason you decided to learn it. It is one of the most effective techniques for self defense.

See you on the mats.

– Flavio

Gracie Barra North Phoenix Jiu-JItsu and Self-Defense is a family oriented martial arts school located by the Deer Valley Airport serving communities such as Norterra, Desert Ridge, Anthem and many others.

We pride ourselves from teaching world class Jiu-Jitsu to students of all ages and levels.