Four situations where BJJ gives you confidence!

Walking into a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school can be a life-changing experience.
If you had told me in 2013 that this would now be my job, I would have thought you were crazy.
BJJ has become increasingly popular ever since, and not without reason.
This is because it proves itself in practice.
Especially in self-defense, when it matters, under high resistance.
For example, in an MMA fight or on the street.
BJJ is more than a sport where you learn how to choke or submit people.
It is a way of life.
It builds confidence and resilience.

What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
In simple terms, it's resilience training for people who don't like violence.
Okay, now for the slightly more technical variant.
BJJ is a grappling-based martial art that focuses on using leverage to submit opponents.
I personally find 'hefboom' a terrible term to use because, in my opinion, it sounds much better in English: Leverage.
Where most martial arts talk about "winning" and "eliminating."
We talk more about survival.

Why?
We always assume the opponent is stronger, faster, and more explosive.
If that's not the case, that's a bonus.
A good example is the video below:

The benefits of Jiu-Jitsu are endless.
Someone who has only trained for a month in a BJJ school already has a significantly higher chance of defending themselves against an untrained person.
It's not just about learning to defend yourself.
It also teaches you important values such as discipline, perseverance, respect, and the importance of a good work ethic.
BJJ will also improve your problem-solving skills.
Learning all these things gives you a tremendous boost of confidence because you realize how much you can achieve when you focus on something.
Self-confidence is important because it often influences how things go in personal and professional spheres.
Here are four situations that the self-confidence from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teaches you to handle:

1: Traveling

Traveling alone to a place you've never been before can be an intimidating thought for many people, but learning BJJ gives you the confidence to do such things.
You will no longer be afraid at the thought of being attacked when you are alone because you know you can defend yourself if necessary.
The experiences you gain from traveling will enrich your life, and training will, of course, keep you in shape even if you don't stick to your diet for a while.
Thanks to your newfound confidence, you can feel comfortable exploring new destinations you've never been to, even if the place looks a bit scary at first glance.

2: Learning new things

The fear of learning new things is one of the greatest fears people have.
It is one of those things that requires a change of perspective.
People who are reluctant to leave their comfort zone are often unable to achieve their life goals.
Learning BJJ helps you shake that off.
After all, you are not born with a black belt, everyone starts with white.
Everyone struggles with the basics when they start.
It will be no different for you.
Simple things like using the correct grips when performing techniques or setting up submissions often seem virtually impossible for new students, and many even struggle with basic techniques like a forward roll.
However, if you continue to drill these techniques, they will feel natural.

Suddenly, you are no longer tapped out every time you roll with your teammates.
You now start to submit people or at least manage to avoid them.
It is a life-changing experience that confirms that anything can be learned with perseverance, dedication, hard work, and discipline.
The next time you have to learn something at school or work that seems difficult, your experiences at the BJJ school will help you eventually master it.

3. Dealing with pressure and stressful situations

When you walk into my BJJ school in Amersfoort, there is one word you will hear me say repeatedly.
That word is "relax."
We all tend to get tense in stressful or challenging situations, and new BJJ students often show this in a trial class.
Usually, they get tense while performing drills, while others overthink.
Your instructors and training partners will keep telling you to relax until you learn to do it instinctively.
BJJ requires a lot of thought, which is why it is sometimes called human chess.
A BJJ match is not much different from a game of chess.
JiuJitsukas are usually paired based on their skill levels and weight, so physical differences or skill levels rarely determine the winner in such matches.

BJJ is about concealing what you want to do to your opponent until it's too late for them to escape.
It's about doing one thing to make your opponent do something else.
What makes BJJ so much fun is that you have to make quick strategic decisions while exerting yourself physically.
If you are used to thinking quickly while tired and dealing with an equally skilled training partner who wants to submit you, stressful situations at work or school seem like a walk in the park.
BJJ teaches you to relax, analyze things, and then make an intelligent decision.

4. Confrontations

There is nothing worse than entering a confrontation and not being sure if you can successfully defend yourself if necessary.
When you train BJJ, you no longer feel helpless when an aggressive person targets you.

There are no winners when it comes to street fights, only losers. Walking away from a confrontation should always be your first option.
Only if you have no other choice should you defend yourself.
So if you are looking for a sport that not only gets you into top shape but also helps you gain more confidence, both inside and outside the gym, give BJJ a try.

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