6 Other Reasons to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie Barra :)

There are so many reasons for everyone to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but some are not as obvious as others. Here are a few of the  “Other” reasons to train. 

1. 1. You don’t like to “workout”.  How many of us actually like to workout? Going to a gym, building a routine, fighting for the right equipment, knowing how to use proper technique… etc. etc. Sometimes its more of a workout just getting to the gym. Then, when you are there the actual routine becomes just that – routine. It is sometimes boring and painful at the same time. As cerebral beings we need stimulation, we need to learn we need to progress. Some of this is available at the gym, but all is available at Jiu-Jitsu. I always tell people the fitness and the workout is a byproduct of training Jiu-Jitsu. You have fun training Jiu-Jitsu and just happen to get fit while doing it. I know of many people to lose over 50 lbs training without changing much in their diet. I am not sure many can say this going to a regular gym. At Gracie Barra Centennial Jiu-Jitsu in addition to having fun you learn. Our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu curriculum is an ever evolving program that tests your knowledge and abilities. We constantly press the fundamentals. Fundamental are key to success in any program. When we have success the journey becomes even more fun. So, next time you think, I need to workout, but you don’t like working out… Come to Gracie Barra and have some fun training with us.     
2. 2. Your diet gets better. One of the obvious reasons to train Jiu-Jitsu is that we wan to improve ourselves and get in shape. As we progress in our journey of Jiu-Jitsu we see that a proper diet helps us grow faster. You become surrounded my many people in class with the same mindset of self improvement. You start to see that the ones progressing fastest have great diets. Next think you know you are starting to implement subtle changes to your diet and over a period of time you actually start eating better.  The more you train the better your diet gets. It’s a great byproduct of training.    
3. 3. You drink less alcohol. This goes along with your diet getting better. Some people say they become addicted to Jiu-Jitsu. It’s not surprising. Any physical training give a great feedback loop of endorphins. You have probably heard of a “runners high”. This is the endorphins being released and creating this positive feeling in the body. In addition to the endorphins, our brains crave learning. When we learn something new we get a similar positive feedback. So, we love to learn. It’s interesting when we master something. Have you ever played a video game and became so good that you could win easily? If you did, you probably became disinterested and moved on to something new. This is that craving in your brain wanting to learn and improve. The great thing about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that you are always learning. From the White to Black Belt and even to Red their is always something new to learn. This keeps us training and yearning for more. As a result, of wanting to learn more we end up curtailing our drinking. We realize early on that its not easy to train a day after even having only a few drinks. You may not see it when you start training but as you grow you will probably drink less. No a bad side effect of training. Is it? 
4. 4. Your body changes.  When I started Jiu-Jitsu I was a “round” 205lbs. Within the first six months I actually put on some weight… I got up to 218 lbs at my heaviest. I was putting on muscle in places I had not before. During the next few months the excess fat began to fall off. Today I hang around 180-185 lbs. My waist is much smaller and I am in better shape than I have ever been. When training Jiu-Jitsu we exercise so many different muscles. We use the whole body even your toes. How many gym workouts use your toes? Nat many, but Jiu-Jitsu does. So while you are not paying attention your whole body changes. Your clothes start to fit differently. You may even have to go out and buy new clothes. I know many Jiu-Jitsu practitioners that have lost over 50lbs and some even 100. So, if you are looking for something to improve your physique, Jiu-Jitsu is a pretty good solution. Below are some students from Gracie Barra Brownsville, TX.             
   
5. 5.Your attitude changes. You become more humble. One of the crazy traits of Jiu-Jitsu is the more experienced smaller opponent can pretty much dominate a person of larger stature. I have seen many times a big guy, over 230 lbs roll into the school for the first time. You can see they are avid workout guys and maybe even crossfit competitors by body type, big arms and shoulders with a small waist. On the street these guys can look very intimidating. Then, they put on their new gi and fresh white belt and begin their first class. They go through the warm-ups with ease. You can see they are physically fit. But, when they start to learn technique you see the confidence dwindle. Training Jiu-Jitsu presses our abilities and gets us out of our comfort zone. These guys see that strength is not always useful. As they progress through the first class their eyes are wide open as the 145lb purple belt controls them with ease. They ask, “how can that be? I am so much stronger than this guy and he is killing me.” This is when the attitude begins to change. They start to realize there is more to this than strength. The more they train the more they see even strength sometimes is a hindrance. The become more humble. They learn that they are not  “all that”. It also becomes a great driver of motivation. They want to learn like the purple belt and grow their Jiu-Jitsu. This attitude change begins to help in your everyday life. Humility is one of the most powerful virtues. 
6. 6. You Gain a Worldwide Group of Friends. When you train at Gracie Barra you have the ability to train at any Gracie Barra school in the world – For Free. You can visit Gracie Barra in the places you would think like California and Brazil. But, did you know you can visit GB in other great vacation destinations like Playa del Carmen, Rome, Vancouver, many locations in Australia, Japan and more. It is great when you are on vacation and visiting a town with a GB. You get the hospitality of family and often times you get to visit the best places only the locals know. Joining Gracie Barra truly opens the world.