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Most people start training jiu-jitsu to learn self-defense. As they progress through the program and become more comfortable on the mat, they come to recognize some of the additional benefits beyond just learning moves that can help keep you safe. They may lose a few pounds, feel stronger, sleep better, and become more confident.

Self-defense is the most common reason that people learn martial arts. While there are other benefits, like getting in shape, increasing flexibility, losing weight, and building confidence, the majority of people who walk through the doors of a martial arts gym for the first time are there to learn how to better defend themselves. For those who are just beginning to learn about martial arts, one question that repeatedly comes up is: Which martial art is the best in a real-world altercation?

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a combat sport that has gained widespread popularity in recent years. MMA involves the use of various techniques and disciplines, such as boxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai. While MMA is often associated with violent and aggressive behavior, it offers a range of physical and mental benefits that can positively impact a person's overall health and wellbeing. 

Jiu Jitsu is not necessarily hard to learn, but it does require dedication and effort. It involves complex techniques that require practice to master, and the sport can be physically demanding. However, with the right approach, anyone can learn Jiu Jitsu. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Jiu-Jitsu, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting. It is a highly effective form of self-defense, and is also a great form of exercise and a way to develop strength, flexibility, and discipline.

Conditioning does not always get the attention it deserves in jiu-jitsu classes. As Firas Zahabi of Tristar Gym in Montreal notes in the below video, a lot of jiu-jitsu gyms keep their classes to an hour, spending half an hour on technique, and then half an hour rolling. For Firas, this is problematic because he feels that you cannot be a successful fighter without conditioning. 

Grappling is not the most glamorous form of combat. When you imagine the hero in an action movie fighting the villain’s top henchman, they’re usually landing uppercuts and roundhouse kicks or throwing each other through walls and windows. These fights also tend to end with a picturesque right hook. 

Mastery takes time. Whether you’re learning how to cook, how to play an instrument, or how to defend yourself with jiu-jitsu, you need to put in the hours if you want to become an expert. This is because learning a new skill that requires activity of both body and mind requires at least three types of knowledge. The Ancient Greeks specified them as episteme (theoretical knowledge), praxis (practical knowledge), and phronesis (practical wisdom).

Getting to your blue belt in jiu-jitsu is a major achievement. Going from a beginner’s level to intermediate shows that you can dedicate yourself to goals and make a serious commitment. This is not very common. Only around 10% of people who start training jiu-jitsu are awarded their blue belts.

As you grow as a jiu-jitsu fighter, it is natural to want to train with people who are at your level or who are more experienced. If you’ve been at the same gym for several years, you’ll likely be friends with other people with whom you’ve grown as a fighter, and you may be most comfortable training with them. Meanwhile, you may recognize that training with more advanced fighters means an opportunity to learn something new. 

When people start learning jiu-jitsu, they tend to be the most interested in submissions. After all, the easiest way to defend yourself is to quickly neutralize your opponent by putting them into a hold that ends the fight. In some cases, fighters are interested in getting an opponent to tap not only to end a fight, but to demonstrate dominance. 

When you begin training jiu-jitsu or any mixed martial arts, you will get sore. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming to class just to learn the basics of self-defense or planning to become a professional fighter. The good news is that conditioning creates results, and you will undoubtedly notice that you have more strength and endurance. What you may not notice is that conditioning can make you less susceptible to injury.

Takedown moves are crucial in a fight scenario. On the one hand, taking the fight to the ground reduces the amount of damage that strikes can do. It by no mean eliminates the threat of strikes, but a person who is standing can generate a lot more power in a punch or a kick than a person who is on the ground.

Training is integral to becoming good at jiu-jitsu. It’s the same as learning a language, an instrument, or any technical skill, and it doesn’t matter if your ultimate goal is to have the skills to win a street fight or to dominate in a mixed-martial arts tournament. Learning jiu-jitsu takes time, effort, and repetition. There are no shortcuts to mastery.

Within the world of mixed martial arts, most fighters and commentors agree that jiu-jitsu is the best ground fighting technique, especially in a street fight. If you have a solid background in jiu-jitsu, and your opponent does not, they are going to struggle to control the pace of the fight or mount an effective attack if the fight goes to the ground.