How to Describe Jiu Jitsu
3 min read
Asking someone to describe Jiu Jitsu is relatively common for someone who is thinking about joining a local Jiu Jitsu academy. This article presents an array of comments, thoughts and descriptions about Jiu Jitsu.
How would someone describe Jiu Jitsu as a sport or recreational activity? The answers cover a lot of territory. Everyone has their own experiences, and is on their own path. There really is no single or easy way to describe Jiu Jitsu to the average person. If you’re curious about why people go all in for this sport, read on to see what people say about it.
What is Jiu Jitsu
Essential Jiu Jitsu describes it this way, “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a predominantly ground-based martial art, using the principals of leverage, angles, pressure and timing, as well as knowledge of the human anatomy, in order to achieve a non-violent submission of one’s opponent. 1
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a unique form of the Jiu Jitsu fighting style.
BJJ is grappling-based martial art designed to control an opponent with the goal of forcing them to submit (stop fighting). Physical control is easier to gain on the ground vs standing upright. For this reason, Jiu-Jitsu is emphasizes going to ground and wrestling for dominance.
How Does BJJ Feel As a Woman?
A recent article by Jane Guan begins with describing her intial experience this way, “I remember exactly how it felt to walk into my first class. I borrowed a frumpy gi that didn’t fit properly and was immediately told to start warming up. I watched as my class of men dropped to their backs, slapping the ground loudly on the way down, and somersaulting across the floor. I was heavily sweating from nervousness before class even started. I hadn’t done a somersault since I was a teenager, and I had no idea how to warm up. I was completely filled with self-doubt and my face was beet red with embarrassment.” Her article moves through her growth experience and moves to her thoughts after gaining competency. After being in the game awhile, she describes it in this manner, “I also love the atmosphere of our classes leading up to a competition. Everyone’s tuned in, focusing on the little details, and planning their attack strategy. More than ever, we’re building each other up, drilling after class, and making extra time to practice the details that feel confusing. Some of the girls will also bake competition-day treats for us all to enjoy! Despite BJJ being an individualized sport, competition season truly makes it feel like you’re part of a bigger team.”2 She started it, stuck with it, and now loves it.
If you’re in the Baton Rouge area, and want to try it out, call Bayou Jiu Jitsu at 225-505-8500.
Credits & Footnotes
- 1 Staff Writer, “What is Jiu Jitsu”, March 13, 2023, Available from Essential BJJ
- 2 Jane Guan, “The First Year of Brazillian Jiu Jitsu as a Woman”, February 18, 2019, Available from Medium
- Photo by Joshua Jamias, available at Unsplash
