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People start their jiu-jitsu journey for a wide range of reasons. In most cases, it’s to develop the skills needed to defend themselves in a street fight or to learn how to better grapple and to train for mixed martial arts competitions. However, jiu-jitsu can also get you into great shape and help keep you disciplined as you work to make positive life changes.

In 1975, Charles D. Ellis, an investment consultant, writer, and founder of Greenwich Associates, published an influential article entitled, “The Loser’s Game.” As he explains in the below interview with Stephen Foerster, Ellis owes the insights explored in the article to Simon Ramo, who wrote in his book, Extraordinary Tennis for the Ordinary Tennis Player, that there are essentially two games of tennis. One of them is played professionals, which he calls the Winner’s Game. The second is played by amateurs, which he calls the Loser’s Game. Even though the mechanics look the same, the players use the same equipment, and the same rules are enforced, the games are completely different.

Many people are nervous about starting jiu-jitsu because they think they are too out of shape. They tell themselves that they just need a few weeks to do some weight training, get their endurance up, and drop a few pounds. Unfortunately, this is just one more hurdle to clear before coming to class, and it is one that people can put off indefinitely. It’s also a completely unnecessary.

Jiu-jitsu has steadily been growing in popularity within the United States for decades. Throughout this time, it has undergone a significant change. Thirty years ago, it was a martial art with a small but extremely committed group of practitioners, many of whom were professional fighters. Today, it is one of the most commonly practiced martial arts in the world with classes available to people of all ages and skill levels.

In a recent interview with Lex Fridman, Sam Harris talked about one of the benefits of jiu-jitsu that often gets overlooked. In addition to learning self-defense, taking up a martial art like jiu-jitsu has the potential to change the way that you think. In particular, it can help you learn to check your ego.

If you look the best fighters in the world, you’ll notice that they may all have different variations of technique and certain combinations they prefer, but they all are following principles that are part of the same system of jiu-jitsu. Broadly speaking, there are two ways to introduce this system to new students. The first focuses on teaching individual moves or techniques.

It’s been called the slap heard round the world for good reason. There are very few stages larger than the one Chris Rock occupied while hosting of the 2022 Oscars, and there was no ambiguity when it came to what happened after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith. Her husband, Will Smith, strode onto the stage, wound up, and slapped Rock across the face.

One of the great things about jiu-jitsu is that you can start doing it at nearly any age and at nearly any intensity level. This is not to say it’s always easy. It is a workout, it is exhausting, and there will be different kinds of torque put on your body that you will not be used to. Even if you are in great shape, you are going to put a strain on your body, and you will probably find yourself feeling depleted and sore after jiu-jitsu class. After all, you are going to be fighting with another.

During your first few weeks or months of jiu-jitsu, your mind will likely be occupied by one thought: How do I get better? Most people will tell you that the answer is to practice and put in your dues. As Ryan Hall told Lex Fridman in a recent interview, “I drilled a ton.”

Even though most people think of jiu-jitsu as being a fighting technique that focuses on submission chokes and holds, it is a form of self-defense. At its core, the primary objective in jiu-jitsu is survival. Before you even worry about forcing your opponent into submission or controlling the pace of the fight, you need to be able to defend against your opponent’s attacks. The Gracie philosophy is all about weathering the figurative storm, energy conservation, and striking only when the time is right. This means escaping submissions.

Jiu-jitsu is without question a tried-and-true fighting style. Ever since its inception in Brazil, jiu-jitsu practitioners have challenged all comers to show that proper technique is more important than strength or size in any kind of fight. This continues to this day, and countless fighters from around the world have relied on jiu-jitsu to become champions when fighting in mixed-martial arts tournaments.

But what about people who aren’t professional fighters? Can jiu-jitsu be used effectively in a street fight by an average person?

Having taught martial arts in New York City for the past 2 decades we often receive inquiries from ladies that want to learn how to defend themselves should they encounter physical threats that are commonplace in an urban setting like Manhattan.  Often, they inquire about our Kickboxing program and how learning the kick and punch combinations can teach them to fight.  While our Kickboxing program is a great workout and lots of fun AND is the same training format we used successfully in Kickboxing matches in the ring, what most newcomers aren’t aware of is – IT’S NOT A PROGRAM FOR SELF-DEFENSE.

Playing jiu-jitsu can also involve teaching children simple moves that are solely defensive and can be used to prevent bullying. In the below video, Relson Gracie provides a great example when he asks some of Robin’s kids to break free of a neck grab or a wrist grab. These are safe, simple moves that children of virtually any age can learn and master.

A lot of parents may be hesitant to introduce their children to jiu-jitsu at a young age. For some, they worry that teaching their kids a martial art will send the message that violence is acceptable. Others may worry that their children could hurt themselves or others. Still others may want to enroll their kids in a martial arts class but may not know if jiu-jitsu is right for them.

When Grandmaster Rickson Gracie moved from Brazil to the United States in the late 1980s, he was arguably the best jiu-jitsu fighter in the world. Meanwhile, jiu-jitsu was still several years from breaking into the mainstream in the   Even in Southern California, where Rickson settled, there was only    interest in what was considered a niche, Brazilian form of martial arts. Many wondered how Rickson would continue to dominate given that he was leaving behind the best jiu-jitsu schools and the most highly skilled jiu-jitsu fighters in the world.