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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gyms Walking into a martial arts gym for the first time can feel intimidating.

Simon Sinek recently interviewed Mike Gervais for his A Bit of Optimism podcast. Mike is a psychologist who has worked extensively with wealthy individuals and high-performance athletes that include Olympians and the Seattle Seahawks organization.

If you ask ten people why they train jiu-jitsu, you’ll likely get ten different answers. They may do it to stay in shape or for self-defense. Others may say that it makes them more confident or it’s a mental reset from the day’s drudgery. Still other people simply love the camaraderie and have a strong friend group at their gym.

The first day of jiu-jitsu class is probably the hardest. It’s not because you’re going to train the hardest and it’s certainly not because you’re going to get hit the hardest. It’s because you will have to walk into a new gym where you may not know anyone and you will have to be absolutely terrible at something. More than that, you will have to be terrible in front of all those people.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi is a training uniform that was adapted from the keikogi, which loosely translates to “practice clothes.” According to an article on the history of Keikogi, “Keiko” stands for ‘practice’ and “gi” represents ‘clothes’ (Gatling, 2021). Therefore, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu gi describes the dress, clothes or uniform used in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). 

BJJ legend Marcelo Garcia shares his philosophy after his recent comeback. He discusses his unique no-gi strategy, his cautious approach to leg locks, and why respect is a core value in modern jiu-jitsu, with or without the gi.

Whenever you’re training martial arts, the subject of self-defense is bound to come up. There’s a good reason why, since a lot of people want to know that they’ll be able to defend themselves should an altercation become physical. 

Discover how jiu-jitsu empowers smaller individuals to control larger opponents for self-defense. Unlike striking, jiu-jitsu emphasizes grappling techniques that neutralize size and strength, focusing on survival and denying the opponent's control. Learn why it's a popular choice for self-preservation.

Why can learning jiu-jitsu be pricey? We break down the costs associated with BJJ academies, from the reputation of the instructors and the gym's location to the benefits of smaller classes and personalized guidance. Get insight into the true value of your membership.

This article continues the Ten Commandments of BJJ Over 40, offering smart training advice for older grapplers. Learn how to warm up properly, breathe efficiently, roll safely, tap early, and prioritize recovery to train longer and stay injury-free.