Blog

BJJ athletes and practitioners are looking for that one silver bullet that will solve all their problems. In truth, the best athletes do not learn or find the best BJJ strength and conditioning program. Instead, they create them. Creating a BJJ strength and conditioning program doesn’t require a degree in exercise physiology. Jiu-jitsu athletes looking to develop strength, power, and Helio’s gas tank don’t need to be black belts either. To create the right S&C program, a BJJ athlete needs to shoot for three things. Autodidact BJJ athletes need to program for general strength, power production, and energy system training. Also, the athlete should have S&C as a complement to BJJ — not the other way around. Getting the combination wrong leads to burnout, or worse, injury. Creating a strength and conditioning program for BJJ is simpler than it appears. Read on to learn more about crafting the perfect BJJ strength and conditioning program. Strength Training for BJJ — Keep Basic and Heavy To paraphrase Mark Rippetoe, strength forms the basis of all adaptations. Being strong enables a person to develop other physical tools like speed, endurance, and power — all necessary attributes for the mats. BJJ athletes need to program for strength. However, there are caveats. First, strength will require the execution of exercises that activate the most number of muscle groups. While it’s easy to think that a bicep curl carries over to armbar defense, isolation exercises will not make an athlete strong. Rather, strength training for BJJ needs to include the core lifts or versions of them. What are the core lifts? These are none other than the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The second point of consideration is that strength develops in a surplus of energy. In other words, there’s no point in adding 5 x 5 or 3 x 8 front squats if an athlete has just finished a Na-Waza session. To become stronger, BJJ athletes need to add core lifts or their variations and train them in a fully recovered state. Conditioning for BJJ — It’s Not Always About Long Runs Rolling several rounds can take a toll on someone’s energy. BJJ athletes of all levels are no strangers to the feeling of burning lungs and being short of breath. Right away, it’s clear that conditioning can be a limiting factor for most athletes. Being well-conditioned for BJJ involves training more than an athlete’s ability to last long. Conditioning for BJJ also encompasses energy use for quick bursts of movement. Just think of the difference between a marathon runner and a sprinter. Conditioning is something both athletes do. It’s an issue of difference. One has the conditioning to run at a moderate pace for about an hour. The other has the lung and muscle capacity to cover 100 meters in seconds. To program for mat-grade conditioning, an athlete needs to train like a runner and sprinter. The athlete needs to program low-intensity steady-state movements into the conditioning program, as well as high-intensity interval work. Low-intensity work needs to last at least 45 minutes. High-intensity conditioning needs to last 15 minutes at most. These sessions should consist of rounds of maximum effort movements punctuated with rest periods. Power Production for BJJ — Train for Quick Force Production It’s common to hear people say that power and strength are the same. They are similar in the sense that both involve force production. However, what separates power and strength is the speed element. Strength is the ability to move against resistance. An athlete who can slowly shrimp out under an opponent 10 kilos heavier is a display of strength. Power, on the other hand, is the ability to move against resistance but quickly. An example of power in use is whenever a wrestler finishes a takedown. Another example is when an athlete power cleans 60% of what he can deadlift. In both examples, there’s a display of force with speed. That’s power. Training for it is fairly simple — it’s like doing versions of the core lifts but executing them with speed. Plyometric movements like jumping on boxes, sprinting, and explosive calisthenic movements also contribute to power development. The Importance of Flexibility and Recovery BJJ strength and conditioning alongside BJJ training need to be in the weekly training plan. Of course, the body (and mind) can only take so much. Past a certain point, injuries occur and burnout gets the best of an athlete. Training flexibility and being just as focused on recovery can add years to a person’s athletic career. In a sport like BJJ, flexibility and recovery are important — especially at the highest levels of the sport. Flexibility enables joints to move more freely along their natural planes of motion. Flexibility training will remove the stiffness in the muscles surrounding the joints. This results in lesser discomfort in many of the positions Jiu-jitsu puts athletes in. Recovery is one of the simplest things to dial in and should be part of an athlete’s training plan. Despite its simplicity, many athletes underestimate its value, placing more emphasis on S&C. Training of any sort is only as good as an athlete’s recovery strategy. A high training volume without sleep, nutrition, flexibility work, and hydration doesn’t make an athlete stronger or conditioned. It makes them sick, weaker, and injured. Putting It All Together: Practical Recommendations for a BJJ Strength and Conditioning Program Strength and conditioning should work with an athlete’s general BJJ training. In addition, training power, strength, and conditioning need to be in the right sequence to allow each to develop. Athletes of the sport differ in their recovery capacities, genetics, athletic background, and baseline level of fitness. Be that as it may, these general recommendations can be resourceful to athletes designing their BJJ strength and conditioning program. Train Strength and High-Intensity Conditioning Separately Training both on the same day or session can cause one of two things. It’s either strength develops and conditioning stalls, or the athlete sandbags the strength portion of the workout to perform well in conditioning. Either way, the result can be subpar especially over an entire training block. To prevent strength from interfering with high-intensity conditioning, it’s best to train them on separate days. Most studies show that 24 hours is the optimal space between a strength workout and one for conditioning. This allows energy and the nervous system to return to normal functioning between sessions, assuming that sleep and nutrition are dialed in. Train for Power Fresh Of the three physical adaptations, power is the one that is most sensitive to fatigue. Athletes should train weighted power movements in sets of doubles or triples to reap the benefits. Power movements include faster versions of the squat, bench, or deadlift. Of course, due to the speed requirement for power production, reducing the weight is a good idea.  If an athlete only has one session for power and strength, power training should come first. Strength can follow. Leave Low-Intensity Conditioning to Mat Work Having an entire day or session dedicated to long-duration low-intensity work is counterproductive. The only sensible time to add it in is in the absence of BJJ training. This isn’t to say that low-intensity conditioning work should fall by the wayside. It’s still necessary for energy system training and health. However, a BJJ athlete, by default, already gets a lot of low to moderate conditioning work — on the mats. Develop a cardiovascular base for BJJ. The only way to do this and zero in on technique at the same time is by rolling. Dial-in Sleep, Nutrition, and Hydration Sleep, nutrition, and hydration should be the pillars of any athlete’s recovery strategy. Without them, training doesn’t become productive. There aren’t any hard and fast rules for all three. Nonetheless, some recommendations have stood the test of time. When it comes to nutrition, a good rule of thumb is to eat only whole foods. This includes vegetables, fruits, and meats. Getting eight to nine hours of sleep is also vital. Sure, some athletes report surviving on less. Then again, they “survive.” They don’t progress — which is the whole point of any BJJ strength and conditioning program. Lastly, hydration needs attention in an athlete’s program. The CDC recommends anywhere from two to four liters daily. Get Better for Jiu-jitsu with the Right BJJ Strength and Conditioning Program At the end of the day, the biggest part of any BJJ athlete’s training is BJJ training. A BJJ strength and conditioning program needs to flow with an athlete’s training schedule, instead of taking up the majority of the athlete’s time. Designing a BJJ strength and conditioning program can be complicated to some. Luckily, Granite Bay Jiu-jitsu is a BJJ gym that takes the guesswork out of BJJ and strength and conditioning. Try a free week, and roll, strengthen, and condition to greatness at Granite Bay Jiu-jitsu.

In a person’s golden years, security is paramount. When it comes to feeling secure, senior citizens must prioritize three things: finances, health, and, of course, safety.  At Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu, we are not able to help with the first item on that list. However, we’ve helped people from different age groups become fitter and healthier. More importantly, our BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) self-defense classes have helped many people feel safer on the street.  Jiu-Jitsu is one of several self-defense martial arts. While this martial art (and sport) calls to mind images of people executing locks and holds, it began as a means for self-defense.  Today it has grown into one of the most effective and evidence-based self-defense martial arts in the world. Everyone from law enforcement to the armed forces will attest to the martial art’s effectiveness.  Thus, not only is Jiu-Jitsu effective but it’s also more accessible to seniors than many people think. Read on to learn more about what Jiu-Jitsu is, as well as some easy-to-execute techniques in close-counter situations.   What Is Jiu-Jitsu?  Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling martial art that incorporates throws, joint locks, chokes, and other holds used to restrain and incapacitate opponents.  What many know today as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its roots in Japan. The Nara Period was a time of frequent battles between different samurai clans. As swords were the primary method of combat, there came a clamor for a fighting style that favored unarmed warriors in close combat.  Jiu-Jitsu, even early on, consisted of various close-quarter techniques like throws, joint locks, and strangles. Given the nature of combat during Japan’s feudal period, there were also various techniques designed to disarm opponents.   As time passed, the martial art eventually found its way outside Japan to countries like Brazil. In Brazil, a Judo master who specialized in ground fighting, Mitsuyo Maeda, demonstrated the art to five brothers. These five brothers — Carlos, Oswaldo, Gusto Jr., George, and Helio — are who the BJJ world knows today as the Gracies.  Together, they brought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu not just around Brazil stateside as their children competed in various fighting promotions, including the first tournaments of the UFC.  Today, Jiu-Jitsu has become a martial art that incorporates ground fighting techniques. Also, much of the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu are executed in close-quarter situations, making it effective for self-defense. What Makes Jiu-Jitsu Effective for Self-Defense? Of many self-defense martial arts, Jiu-Jitsu seems to be the one that demonstrates the most effectiveness in a variety of self-defense situations. A lot of this has to do with the fact that it’s a grappling martial art.  According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a clinch position occurs in most physical altercations. For this reason, striking-based martial arts, while effective at the beginning of a fight, prove ineffective at very close quarters.  To defend oneself, one must be able to either execute a throw, escape, or a hold that gives them a physical advantage. Wrestling can be useful in such situations, but the physical training required may render it inaccessible to people in their advanced years. For clinch combat, Jiu-Jitsu is a more accessible, safer, and even fun option.  Another interesting finding the LAPD came across was where most fights ended. While a clinch does occur, more than 60% of many street fights ended on the ground. This statistic emphasizes the importance of learning to fight when an altercation gets to the ground.  No other martial art shines in ground fighting techniques better than Jiu-Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu contains many of the Na-Waza (ground fighting) techniques seen in Judo. Since Jiu-Jitsu is the origin of Judo, there are far more joint locks, holds, and chokes.   In short, Jiu-Jitsu is an effective self-defense martial art due to its incorporation of holds and close-quarter techniques. Moreover, it’s useful if a fight gets to the ground.  What Are Other Self-Defense Martial Arts Seniors Can Learn?  Jiu-Jitsu is one of many martial arts people from any age can train in. Other combat arts are conducive to self-defense and physical fitness, by extension.  Here are a few self-defense martial arts that are alternatives to Jiu-Jitsu self-defense classes for seniors: Wing Chun Wing Chun is a style of Kung-Fu. Martial artists like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee’s master, Ip Man, have popularized this martial art. Even the legendary Bruce Lee used its concepts and incorporated them into his Jeet Kune Do.  Wing Chin is a good martial art for self-defense due to its close-quarter techniques. Like Jiu-Jitsu, Wing Chun has techniques that can neutralize attacks at close range. However, the main difference is that while Jiu-Jitsu uses locks and holds, Wing Chun uses strikes.  Krav Maga Krav Maga is the official martial art of the Israeli military. Krav Maga uses a wide variety of techniques from other disciplines like boxing and wrestling. This is apparent in how Israeli soldiers blend striking and grappling to neutralize attackers — and, they do this regardless of the number of assailants.  Krav Maga is as versatile as it is efficient. However, one area it’s left wanting is in ground fighting. Jiu-Jitsu, on the other hand, addresses that area with multiple joint locks, escapes, and chokes.  Judo Contrary to popular belief, Judo can be a martial art of self-defense even for people in their advanced years. Since the martial art has its roots in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Judo is a grappling art filled with throws, pins, and escapes — moves that’ll come in handy in close combat.  What Techniques Can Help in a Self-Defense Situation? Before jumping into a gi (the uniform), senior learners of Jiu-Jitsu can implement some techniques that can help on the street. Some of these techniques are not specific to Jiu-Jitsu.  Small Joint Manipulation Small joint manipulation is illegal in Jiu-Jitsu competitions. Nonetheless, there’s value to it in a self-defense situation. Many instructors would even encourage it.  Small joint manipulation is effective for senior citizens trying to subdue or escape opponents. An elderly person can perform this by bending or twisting a small joint (like a finger) against its normal axis of rotation.  Another effective technique for small joint manipulation is performing a wrist lock. Anyone can execute a wrist lock by bending the wrist towards the palm. Another wrist lock variation is grabbing the hand of an assailant and twisting it away from his or her body.  Throat Strikes and Eye Gouges Senior citizens often lack physical strength compared to their attackers. For this reason, efficiency is key when selecting movements. One way to effectively make use of force is to direct it towards vital areas. These vital areas are the throat and the eyes.  By striking these areas, a senior citizen can incapacitate an attacker. This leaves a senior with ample time to verbally de-escalate a situation, alert local law enforcement, or escape.  Groin Strikes Another vital area a senior can target is the groin. For the most part, a groin strike leaves an attacker on the ground. While not deadly, groin strikes are painful. As a result, the pain will incapacitate any attacker and give a senior enough time to alert the police or escape.  Where Can Senior Citizens Learn Jiu-Jitsu for Self-Defense? Many facilities and gyms offer self-defense classes. For those who are planning to learn Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense, academies are easy to find these days. When seeking an academy, a senior should look for several key features: Senior Citizen-Friendly Classes Not all Jiu-Jitsu classes cater to the average senior citizen. Many Jiu-Jitsu academies cater to MMA fighters, younger learners, law enforcement, and BJJ competitors.  It’s important to find an academy that caters specifically to older learners. If not, an academy should at least have a safe environment for training senior citizens.  An Academy with Black Belt Instructors In theory, brown belts can head a class. However, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt will be better able to teach techniques to a wider array of learners — including older students.  A Hygienic Environment Older practitioners are more susceptible to issues like Staphylococcal infections. Staph infections are common on unclean surfaces like sweaty mats. Any senior citizen looking to learn Jiu-Jitsu should do so in a clean environment to stay healthy.  An Academy with Evidence-Based Teaching Techniques Lastly, the best place to learn Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense is a place where the teaching methods have yielded positive results. Positive results are the product of evidence and years catering to learners of all ages.  Learn Jiu-Jitsu at Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most effective self-defense martial arts. Contrary to popular belief, it’s no longer just a discipline reserved for elite athletes and young learners. Today, learners in their golden years can reap the benefits of self-defense this martial art gives.  Jiu-Jitsu might seem intimidating. However, with the right environment and training, even senior practitioners and learners can get the most out of the martial art.  If you’re looking for a place to learn self-defense, look no further. At Granite Bay Jiu-Jitsu, we pride ourselves on evidence-based methods and a supportive environment.  Try a free week, and you’ll be walking out the academy’s doors more confident and ready to deal with any altercations on the streets. Try a Free Week at GBJJ

If you're considering picking up martial arts, then you probably already have a reason for doing so. Be it weight loss, strength building, improving your social life, or even just for the love of the activity itself.  But one thing martial arts can help all practitioners learn is effective at-home self-defense. If this isn't something you've considered before, then stick around for today's post, as the most effective martial arts for at-home self-defense are ranked. So, if you still haven't dedicated yourself to one yet, then perhaps the information you learn today can assist you. Ready to find out which martial arts are best for self-defense? Then read on below! 5. Wrestling At the bottom of the Most Effective Martial Arts featured in today's list is Western wrestling. This grappling-based martial art is great for self-defense because the primary focus is on grappling and takedowns. In other words, it's all about disrupting your opponent's balance and keeping them in a held position for as long as you possibly can.  In self-defense terms, this is excellent for at-home use if you're faced with an opponent because it equips you with the skills necessary to take them down quickly. This is done in a variety of ways: footwork, throws, sweeps, and defensive counterattacks that can bring your opponent to the floor before they put you there.  Wrestling will teach you a lot of effective moves for self-defense, but no wrestling gym will teach you striking moves like some of the other martial arts on this list, because wrestling doesn't feature striking moves. That is why it sits at the bottom of this list of most effective martial arts. Takedowns are useful to know, but if you're not in a position to hold your opponent in a real self-defense situation (i.e. because they have friends) then you won't be prepared to fight where necessary. 4. Muay Thai Muay Thai (also known as Thai boxing) is a martial art developed in Thailand as a self-defense martial art designed to train you in close-quarter combat.  In other words, it literally prepares you for defending yourself in at-home self-defense scenarios, as there will always be close-quarter combat situations.  The focus here is on striking, with the aim being to remain on your feet, so no grappling takes place here, or takedowns that require both combatants to be on the floor. Muay Thai is also known as Thai kickboxing because it focuses on teaching striking moves that involve every part of your limbs: fists, feet, knees, elbows, shins - you name it, there is a striking move you can learn at a Muay Thai gym that'll pack a serious punch.  It's this versatility and the strength training you'll undergo whilst practicing this martial art that makes it so effective.  Despite being a close quarter combat sport, it teaches moves at close, mid, and long-range, so it will equip you with striking techniques at all distances so you're prepared no matter where an opponent starts an attack from.  This is great martial art, but it isn't something everyone can learn because it's very difficult and requires a lot of perseverance to be at the top of your game. For this reason, it can't rank higher on this list of most effective martial arts despite its value. 3. Krav Maga Krav Maga is a martial art developed by Hungarian martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld as an intuitive and realistic approach to life and death situations.  That's to say they designed it as a method of self-defense. In other martial arts, you'll face a set of rules, and different parameters you must stay within so you can score points at competitions. Krav Maga couldn't care less about that. Rules are thrown out of the window, and groin strikes, foot stomps, and throat strikes are all actively encouraged in this martial art.  The aim is to take down your opponent aggressively as quickly as you can. Better yet, Krav Maga also teaches you how to defend yourself against weapons such as knives and guns, and how to use things in your environment as a weapon to defend yourself. But perhaps the best thing about this martial art is that you're taught how to verbally de-escalate a situation as your first port of call. If that fails, then you're free to attack as a form of defense.  The reason it doesn't make the top of the list is that no sparring is possible because of the aggressive nature of most effective martial arts, so you don't get any practice in. You learn the techniques and skills, but the first time you'll use them for real is in a dangerous situation - which is far from ideal. 2. MMA MMA has to be near the top of the list because of the sheer range of skills you'll learn. As MMA takes the best bits and pieces from the most effective martial arts out there and incorporates it into one event, the focus is on teaching practitioners to be the best fighters they can be. As such, you'll learn everything from striking, takedowns, grappling and everything in between to prepare you for any situation you face at home.  It basically gives you every skill and technique you could need to turn yourself into someone who can defend yourself in any situation. So then why isn't this at number one? Because again, this isn't accessible for everybody. The steep learning curve feels insurmountable to some, and the amount you need to learn and remember to be a truly effective fighter turns some people away from the sport. To be the best martial art for self-defense, it should be accessible to everybody - meeting people where they are at now, and training them to get better and better at the martial art until they feel confident to handle themselves.  MMA doesn't do this for everybody, despite how effective it is in self-defense scenarios, so it can't be number one. 1. BJJ Finally, the top spot. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) sits at the top of the list of most effective martial arts for a few reasons. First, it was created as a martial art that anyone can access: old, young, tall, small, strong, weak - it's a martial art that meets you wherever you're at, and turns you into an effective fighter. It's a ground-based grappling martial art that teaches you how to get your opponent on the floor and keep them there, much like Western wrestling, but the difference here is that you don't need strength to do it like you do in wrestling. Instead, you learn a range of techniques based on targeting different weak spots. You don't know what your opponent's weak spots will be in a real-life situation, so having an arsenal of techniques is necessary.  Once you find their weak spot, you can bring them to the ground effectively and hold them there with a submission hold.  You also learn throws and trips to easily get your opponent down, so you're taught how to get the upper hand no matter who you're up against. Strength isn't important in this martial art - technique is, and this can be taught to anyone! What puts this one on top, though, isn't the offensive skills taught (although this helps) it's the defensive ones. Not only does BJJ teach you how to get your opponent to the floor, it teaches you how to reverse the situation if they get you to the ground first. BJJ teaches you how to get out of a dangerous situation and turn it to your advantage.  Better yet, you practice all these skills whilst rolling (otherwise known as sparring in other martial arts) so you get to practice these in a situation as close to a real-life one as possible. Most Effective Martial Arts Near Me All the martial arts covered today will help you in any self-defense scenario, but none more so than BJJ. As this martial art increases in popularity, more and more gyms are springing up all over, so look for a local one today and sign up to some free classes to get started!

Every martial art will help you lose weight, but it's no secret to those who practice them that some are more effective than others. Whether it's because of the sparring exercises, techniques, or rigorous warm-up and cool-down exercises that are required, it doesn't really matter. Let's explore the most effective martial arts to lose weight. Every martial art will support you on your weight loss journey. However, there is one that stands out as the most effective martial art to lose weight in a fun way, so today this post will shine a spotlight on it.  As well as learning what that martial art is, you'll also learn about why it's so effective, what to expect from a typical training session, and the reasons it's a slightly funner way of losing those pounds! What Is The Most Effective Martial Arts to Lose Weight? Of all the martial arts, the most effective one for weight loss has to be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (or BJJ). That's because BJJ is a full-body workout that makes you engage every muscle whilst practicing your techniques.  Yes, all martial arts engage all of your muscles in some way or another, but none require you to do so as often, or as intensely, as BJJ does. One session at a MMA gym focusing on BJJ and you'll feel it. You'll work muscles you never knew existed and burn calories like you never imagined you could before. But what does BJJ do that makes it so effective for weight loss? Why is BJJ So Effective for Weight Loss? Perhaps the most important reason BJJ is effective at helping you lose weight is that it was never intended to do so. Confused? Don't worry.  What that means is that BJJ was created as a fun-filled martial art designed to better your self defense, teach discipline, respect, and control over one's aggression, and help your confidence blossom. The fact that you lose weight is just a fortunate side effect. It's no secret that BJJ involves a lot of intense movement, and the martial art is known for the demands it places on your body. But the best thing about it is that you don't start out having to go full-throttle on the intensity.  Instead, every BJJ class follows a similar pattern. What to expect from a typical session and how it helps you lose weight is in the section below, but for now, all you need to know is that every BJJ instructor encourages you to start off at a pace that is comfortable for you. BJJ allows you to ease into it. In fact, it encourages you to do so! How BJJ Is Different From Other Forms of Exercise Unlike running, or cycling, or swimming, you're not asked to go from zero to 100 at breakneck speed.  Nobody in BJJ wants you to go from a couch potato to a MMA fighter in a week. Instead, you're encouraged to get your body used to the martial art. Muscles are worked in BJJ that aren't often worked elsewhere, so you need to listen to your body as you're starting out. Once your body is used to BJJ, you can then up the intensity of your workouts during BJJ for maximum results, but in your own time. And this is potentially the biggest reason BJJ is so effective at helping you lose weight: It welcomes you cautiously, lets you get used to it, and then encourages you to work harder when you're ready to.  It's not like other methods of losing weight in that sense, because there's no pressure. It's easy to run away from running, but it's not so easy to run away from BJJ. But there is one more reason BJJ is so effective too; the confidence you gain through practicing it. As you develop your skills, spend time with your partners, and learn from your mentor, you become a more confident person.  This then makes you believe that anything is possible. A month before starting BJJ you might not have thought you could go out running, but one month later you'll have the confidence to know that you can. So now you're probably thinking that BJJ sounds great, but you're still not sure how a session would help you with the losing weight thing. Well, you can read the section below to find out! How Does A Typical Martial Arts Session Help You Lose Weight?  Warming Up The first thing you'll need to do in a BJJ session is warm up. This will involve cardio exercises to get your muscles working, dynamic stretches to ready your entire body for the class ahead, and other exercises to get your heart rate up and your muscles moving.  But don't worry, this usually only involves running around the mats, jumping jacks, guided dynamic stretching, and other similar exercises.  And remember, your BJJ instructor will expect you to do these at the intensity you're happy with. You won't be forced to push yourself beyond the limits you set, so anybody can complete these warm up exercises with no issue. This will help you lose weight because cardio exercises are the best way to burn calories and help you shed those pounds. And that's before the class has even begun! Practicing Techniques Next up are the techniques. This is the guided part of the session led by the instructor. They'll demonstrate BJJ techniques, such as grappling techniques, stances, and certain positions you'll need to know.  Then you'll copy them. You'll probably also be partnered with somebody of a similar size and skill set and then be asked to practice the techniques on each other. This is a great way to lose weight because even simple BJJ techniques require you to engage almost every muscle imaginable. By working these muscles over and over, and pushing yourself little by little each week, you'll burn more calories and lose weight quicker.  Having guidance from an instructor will help you with proper form, and working with a partner in a controlled way will let you master these techniques so you feel confident to give even more of yourself to the exercises.  This helps you lose even more weight over time too! Rolling Rolling (or 'sparring' in other martial arts and similar sports and activities) is where you'll see the most difference.  As you're partnered with someone of a similar experience level and physical size again, you'll be asked to try out ALL the techniques you've learned so far in a 'live' environment. In BJJ, a live environment is where you spar against someone for real now.  It's no longer just practice, you're genuinely trying to use the techniques you've learned against one another in a controlled way. This is where you lose the weight in BJJ. The intensity required to counter your partner and use the techniques for yourself in a live situation is high.  You'll burn far more calories this way, and as you progress through your BJJ sessions, you'll have even more techniques to practice, which means the rolling becomes even more intense, leading to even more weight being lost!  And the best thing of all? It's all done under the guidance of your instructor and with the support of your rolling partner, so you're never left alone in BJJ to fend for yourself with no clear direction. What Makes BJJ a 'Fun Way' to Lose Weight? To finish, let's just consider why BJJ is so fun. First, you're learning a new skill that will benefit you in every aspect of your life.  Then you're getting to practice techniques that are genuinely fun to try out with support from like-minded individuals.  And if all that wasn't enough, BJJ doesn't even feel like exercise. Instead, you're getting to leave your comfort zone, meet new people, practice new things, and get fitter and healthier whilst you're doing it. BJJ really has it all!