Fighter — cat_Lifestyle

 Jiu jitsu is a lifestyle... and it comes with all the bells and whistles that come with it: a community of like-minded people, central meeting places (the academy), events, places to shop, brands that cater to your interests... and news sources. 

Even in today's day and age, you can still get your news from somewhere besides Facebook. Where, you ask? Check it out: 

Jiu Jitsu Magazine 

Founded seven years, ago, Jiu Jitsu Magazine basically did for the jiu jitsu community what Surfer did for the surfing community: bring high-level news and lifestyle content to your front door and the magazine rack. Not just a monthly print publication anymore, they also have a regularly-updated online site, and an app, too! And because they're based in sunny Southern California, they have easy access to ALL of the jiu jitsu greats - both based here and passing through - so they're never short on great content. 

FloGrappling

Since Austin-based FloSports entered the jiu jitsu scene, they've pretty much dominated the sports-based coverage at the major jiu jitsu promotions (think IBJJF, UAEJJF, F2W Pro, ADCC, etc). Dominated... and taken to the next level. Not only do they publish quality news and feature articles and technique videos, but they also provide live mat-side feeds, they have commentators covering the hot matches, they post ESPN-style match predictions and podcast-style commentary, they get on-the-spot interviews, create awesome highlight videos... and they do all of this on the daily. 

Gracie Mag

The oldest - and "original" - jiu jitsu publication, Gracie Mag has been doing this a long time. If you do jiu jitsu - sport or otherwise - and you've never seen or heard of Gracie Mag... you're living under a rock. Both print and online, they hit all of the standard media needs: news and feature articles, technique videos, interviews, technique videos, diet and training tips and tricks, etc. Originating in Brazil, they're also the only publication on this list that's bilingual, so you and your Brazilian mat brother can enjoy the same article. Sometimes their English translations are a bit off, but don't let that stop you from getting your read on.

Jiu Jitsu Style

Jiu Jitsu Style is like Jiu Jitsu Magazine's trendy European cousin. Printed on heavy, high-quality paper, with impeccable photography and deliciously long feature articles, you might find it hard to bring yourself to read it, lest you break the binding before you carefully arrange it on the coffee table in your chic downtown flat. Although the print version is definitely the highlight, they also post a lot of content and videos (not available in the print version, for obvious reasons) on their website. Polaris fan? They've got that event covered beautifully. 

Jiu Jitsu Times

Entirely online, Jiu Jitsu Times posts a much broader range of jiu jitsu-related content than the publications mentioned above. Yeah, they do sports and community news, interviews, and technique videos too, but they also dive into the MMA scene, publish results from a lot more promotions than Flo does, get commentary from jiu jitsu legends on controversial topics, post "as seen on Facebook" street jits videos, and pepper in some fun topics (What's the most "jiu-jitsu-y" animal? Let's just say the chameleon made the list).  

BJJ Eastern Europe

Like Jiu Jitsu Times, BJJ Eastern Europe (or more commonly known as "BJJEE") is also entirely online, and like the others provides great jiu jitsu industry news, interviews, technique videos, gear reviews, tips and tricks, etc. But where BJJEE has really made a name for itself is in being the first to tackle any new and juicy gossip running the jiu jitsu rumor mill. Want to know who the latest "fake blackbelt" is? Or what about which jiu jitsu fighter is hating on who via social media? BJJEE has got you, man. 

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but these are the major ones. Whatever your media taste is, odds are there's a online or print jiu jitsu publication out there catering to it. 

Read... and roll... on. Oss.

You've probably heard it before: "The only way to improve your jiu jitsu is by training jiu jitsu." Well, yes, that's true. You can't expect to get better at jiu jitsu by NOT training jiu jitsu. However, adding strength training to your regime provides a multitude of benefits, even if you're not a serious competitor.

Here are five reasons strength training can help your BJJ:

Muscle Endurance - We've all been there. After a couple hard rolls... or your first match at a major competition... your knees feel like jello and your grips are non-existent. Jiu jitsu can only go so far in developing your muscle endurance, and odds are, you're working only a select few muscle groups (those that you use with your particular game). A varied strength training program can take your muscle endurance to the next level and gives you control over your progress through increased weight and resistance.

Explosive Power - Whether you're a guard player or a top gamer, there are moments in which you need fast, explosive power behind your techniques in order to catch your opponent off guard and secure a more dominant position, or even a submission. Just as with muscle endurance, it's hard to consistently develop this just through jiu jitsu. Strength training enables you to develop your explosive power on a regular basis and in a controlled scenario, so that you can see and measure your progress.

Injury Prevention - Jiu jitsu puts you in some really strange positions - either by your own volition or because your opponent put you there. On top of that, regular training puts a lot of stress on your body, especially your joints. Strength training prevents injuries by strengthening the stabilizing muscles around your joints, providing added protection when you find yourself in compromising situations. Additionally, the stronger you are, the more you are able to control your opponent's movements, including any overly-aggressive and uncontrolled movements that could cause you harm. 

Injury Rehabilitation - So the worst has happened: you're injured. Whether it's a serious injury or a minor one, strength training assists in injury recovery in a number of ways. In the case of a serious injury, the muscles around the affected area weaken due to lack of use, while other muscles have become disproportionately stronger due to compensation. Strength training helps to correct this imbalance. Strength training also allows you to keep training - certain uninjured areas of the body, of course - and maintain a moderate level of fitness while you're recovering. Additionally, the stronger muscles you've developed prior to an injury also aid in injury recovery by providing added protection against further injury while you're healing. 

Expanded Range of Training Partners - Finally, simply being stronger will increase your range of potential training partners, as you will be able to train more effectively - and safely - with people who would ordinarily be much stronger than you. Yes, without strength training you are free to train with whomever you want, but the operative words here are "effectively" and "safely". If you're constantly being smashed because of your lack of strength, that training partner is doing nothing for your personal growth within jiu jitsu, and indeed may even injure you and set your training back.

We hope you've been convinced that a supplemental strength training program will aid in your jiu jitsu growth and development. 

Train on. Oss. 

Especially if you've never done it before, the thought of "yoga" might conjure images of long-haired, new-age hippies contorting themselves into strange positions while incense trails billow about the room. Indeed, you may even scoff at the idea of integrating yoga practice into your training regime.

However, many jiu jitsu athletes - many high-level performance athletes in general - have found yoga to be incredibly beneficial to their training. Here are five reasons why: 

Flexibility - Whether or not you're a 10th Planet nut - and a fan of all guards rubbery - increased flexibility is immensely important to your jiu jitsu training as it improves your range of movement. This is important not only for techniques that you might employ, such as berimbolo, or other inverted positions, but also those that your partner/opponent employs. Greater flexibility will help keep you from hobbling home like a 90 year old after he/she folds you like an accordion. 

Balance - A lot of yoga movements, even those that may look pretty easy, require a significant amount of balance, especially those in which you move slowly from one form into another. The more you do yoga, the more your balance improves. This directly translates into your jiu jitsu "base", allowing you to maintain greater composure and control over your body, particularly your center of balance. Of course, this helps most in preventing your opponent from sweeping you or taking you down, but it can help in your passing game as well (think the Flamingo pass). 

Muscle Endurance - Increased muscle endurance isn't restricted to the realm of strength training. Because yoga consists of a lot of balancing, slow movements, and holding positions for long periods of time, it is extremely useful in increasing your muscle endurance. Indeed, because yoga involves eccentric contraction of the muscles, while strength training primarily involves concentric muscle contraction, it develops endurance in a distinct and - if you already supplement your jiu jitsu with a regular strength training - complementary way. 

Respiration - A lot of yoga styles - think Vinyasa - require that you pair your breathing with the movement of your body. Because breathing is such an unconscious bodily function, we often take it for granted during increased physical movement. Few deny that cardiovascular training is important for keeping you from getting out-of-breath during jiu jitsu, by strengthening your heart, lungs and circulatory system, but the kind of breathing involved in yoga also helps, by developing a lower respiratory rate, strengthening the diaphragm, and training you to employ conscious breathing techniques. 

Mindfulness - Mindfulness isn't just some feely-good yogi term. At its root, mindfulness is the "basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us." Sound familiar? This is definitely something that we exercise during regular jiu jitsu training. Yoga also helps to develop this, and combined yoga and jiu jitsu training can accelerate our ability to be mindful, whether we're on the home mat or the competition arena. 

Hopefully this article has given you some valuable insight into how yoga might benefit your jiu jitsu training. 

Train on. Oss... and Namaste.

So you've found yourself in this strange new world called the Brazilian jiu jitsu community, surrounded by sweaty people wearing pajamas, "oss"ing and bowing to each other, and speaking something that sounds like English.

Welcome. Now here are a few commonly-used words and phrases that you might find helpful as you begin to learn "jiujitsuese":

Oss: 

Pronounced "oh-sss", with as long an "s" sound as your little heart desires. This is one of the most versatile words in the jiu jitsu community. It can be used in greeting, in place of "thank you", as acknowledgement of a higher belt's mad skills, or as a general affirmation of solidarity with your fellow jiu jitsu practitioner.

Gi: 

Pronounced "ghee", with a hard "g" (like in grapefruit). This is that funny looking pajama set you wear to train in. Yes, it is a kimono, but if you call it that, you'll single yourself out as a serious newbie.

Roll: 

Somewhat interchangeable with "fight", "train" and "match", usually in reference to the actual live-sparring rounds with your fellow teammates. Can be used as a verb: for example, a higher belt will ask you "Want to roll?" before she proceeds to "roll" you into a little pretzel. Or it can be used as a noun: "We had a great roll, before he decided to hulk out on me."

Tap: 

Learn to love this word, or find yourself visiting the emergency room... often. The "tap" is the physical or verbal resignation of defeat in a jiu jitsu match. It typically comes before the point of pain - as with an arm or leg lock - or passing out - as with a choke. It was also once used in the name of a really tacky clothing brand.

Drill: 

The part of training that consists of many, many... many repetitions of various techniques. It's not the funnest part of jiu jitsu, but it is an indispensable aspect of one's training regime. It is based on the idea of muscle memory; do something often enough, and it takes less conscious effort to do it in the future.

Rodizio: 

A training method in which a single person stays in the middle during a period of time while two or more opponents spell each other out against him/her. Depending on the intensity, this can also be known, lovingly, as a "shark tank". Because the person in the middle continually faces a fresh opponent, it gives him/her a much more intense training than a normal roll. 

Now that you're armed with some lingo, go forth, grasshopper, and make us proud. 

Oss.

One of the most terrifying - and rewarding - experiences in jiu jitsu is your first competition. Even if you had been active in some other non-martial art sport sometime in your life, competing in Brazilian jiu jitsu is an entirely different animal. It's just you, your opponent, and a fight to the DEATH! Just kidding... though for some of you, it might actually feel that way. 

We know your first competition can be daunting, made even more so by so many unfamiliar aspects. We're here to shed a little light into the competition scene, and what to expect, so you can perform your best and hopefully make your first competition a position one. Read on... 

"Am I Ready?" 

The biggest obstacle every first-time competitor faces is the "Am I ready?" question. This powerful query has prevented more jiu jitsu practitioners from registering for a tournament than any other reason combined. The truth of the matter is this: you don't know until you actually get out there. Jiu jitsu is a lifelong journey, in which everyone has their own path and their own pace. There are no milestone markers that dictate when you are or are not ready to compete. While your professor can counsel you on how ready you might be, the true gauge is out there on the competition mat.

Pre-Competition Jitters

EVERYBODY gets them; even those superstar black belts who have been competing since they were in diapers. The trick is managing your jitters so they don't get the best of you before you even step on the mat. Pre-competition jitters are entirely mental. Maybe you're worried about how "ready" you are, or you're afraid to fail in front of your professor, friends and family. The best way to combat these jitters is to identify the underlying fear, and convince yourself - through positive affirmations - that they are unfounded or out of your control. Feel like you're not ready? "I am as ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this." Fear that you might fail? "Everybody knows the hard work I've put in. Win or lose, nobody can take that away."

Uniform Requirements 

Every jiu jitsu promotion has a set of uniform requirements for competing. Make sure you are aware of what they are, and that your gi, rashguard, shorts/spats, etc. are fully compliant. The last thing you want is to go to check-in and get turned away because your gi is too small, your belt is tattered, or your patches are illegal. Not sure? Ask a higher belt (preferably someone who has compete often and recently). And regardless of whether you think you're on the borderline, it's always a good idea to bring a spare uniform that you know falls well within the requirements. 

The Bullpen

Oooo... scary. Not really. It can be confusing, however, if you've never experienced it before, which, if you're reading this, I assume you haven't. Here's the deal: get there about an hour before you're expected to fight, hang out until you're allowed to check-in and step on the scale (make sure you're on-weight because some competitions only give you one chance to weigh-in before disqualifying you), hang out some more until your mat person calls your name to bring you to your mat, you might hang out a bit more waiting for the fight before you to end. Don't leave the bullpen without telling your mat person, or you can be in for a scolding if he/she can't find you. Use all that hanging out time to loosen up and calm your jitters. You might only be there 15 minutes or you might be there 1 hour. Patience is a virtue. 

Win or Lose

The most important thing to consider when you're deciding to compete for the first time is this: win or lose, you will be among the 10-15% of jiu jitsu practitioners who have the courage to go out there and put their skills to the test. That's something to be proud of. And if that's not enough, know that it's widely agreed that a single competition is worth three months on the mat in your own academy. You find out where you stand among others of your same rank, you learn what you're doing wrong, and what you're doing right. And that is priceless. 

We hope you find this information useful and that it motivates you sign up for your first competition. See you on the mat!

Oss.