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Matt Thornton, the founder of SBG International and one of the most well-respected jiu-jitsu coaches in the Pacific Northwest, recently sat down to interview Henry Akins. Henry has been a major figure in the jiu-jitsu community for decades. 

Matt Thornton, the founder of SBG International and one of the most well-respected jiu-jitsu coaches in the Pacific Northwest, recently sat down to interview Henry Akins. Henry has been a major figure in the jiu-jitsu community for decades. He was just the third American to receive his black belt from Rickson Gracie, arguably one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters to ever live, and Henry has spent years sharing the wisdom that he learned from Rickson with students of jiu-jitsu around the world.

Matt Thornton, the founder of SBG International and one of the most well-respected jiu-jitsu coaches in the Pacific Northwest, recently sat down to interview Henry Akins.

You can start doing jiu-jitsu at virtually any age. Perhaps more so than any other martial art, it is designed to give people the ability to defend themselves even if their opponent is stronger than them, more agile than them, or younger than them. Even if you’re in your fifties, you can start learning jiu-jitsu and eventually become skilled enough to defend yourself in an altercation.

Learning jiu-jitsu is a lifelong endeavor. For many white belts, they instantly recognize the draw during their first or second class and become committed to making jiu-jitsu a part of their life. It’s not just the fact that they’re learning self-defense or getting into shape or even becoming part of the community at the gym; they really love learning the technique and all the ins and outs of each move.

One of the questions that Ryan Young of Kama Jiu-Jitsu gets asked frequently is about competing. Are there benefits to competing? Is it necessary? Does it make you a better fighter? As Ryan notes in the below video, a lot of the benefits that come from competing depend on the student.

Roger Gracie is a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame and was arguably one of the best jiu-jitsu fighters active in the 2000s. While it’s not that unusual for a member of the Gracie family to become such a formidable fighter and win so many championships, what may come as a surprise is that Roger has been based in the United Kingdom since moving to London at the age of 20.

The primary goal of jiu-jitsu is survival. To achieve this goal, one needs to be efficient. In order to be efficient, one must have a combination of endurance, confidence, and mastery of technique. As one masters technique, they learn to become more efficient and more effective. 

There’s a fallacy that you need to constantly train with people who are better than you if you want to get better. That may be true for some people. 

There are dozens of life events that can cause you to take a break from jiu-jitsu class. You may simply feel overwhelmed by responsibilities at work, at school, or at home. You may also need to recuperate after an illness or an injury. Then again, a big change may temporarily keep you from the gym, such as starting a new job, the birth of a child, or needing to care for a sick family member. Jiu-jitsu is important, but the health and well-being of you and your family are always more important. In any of these instances, you should simply tell your instructor that you need some time away.

There is a risk of injury when you participate in any sport. In most cases, jiu-jitsu injuries are relatively minor. Following an intense sparring session, you will likely have minor bruises or scrapes. If you are just getting back into sports after years or even decades of living a more sedentary life, you will certainly experience soreness as you get back into shape.

Once you start your jiu-jitsu journey, it is an endeavor that you can continue for the rest of your life. It doesn’t matter if you begin at age 6 or age 60. Anyone can start taking jiu-jitsu classes and anyone can improve with practice.

Connection is a vital part of any martial art where grappling sits front and center, especially jiu-jitsu. As Henry Akins told Bernardo Faria of BJJ Fanatics in the below video, it’s one of the most important concepts to understand in jiu-jitsu because it’s always happening

Even if you have been to several classes and know a few moves, you are not really doing jiu-jitsu. You’re just using these moves in a slapdash way as you try to defend yourself and survive. Eventually, however, you begin to develop a coherent defense.

All martial arts classes will teach students how to defend themselves should they get into an altercation. Not all martial arts are the same. There are numerous styles and within these styles there are different approaches that cater specifically to people who want to just learn the basics of self-defense or to people who want to become the next MMA superstar.