Walk into any academy and talk to some of the students who have just started training Brazilian jiu jitsu and ask them what it’s has done for them. Most respond with things like, “I lost so much weight,” or, “My body is so much more flexible now.” Some talk about how much strength they have gained or how they are in better shape. The fact that Brazilian jiu jitsu will change your body cannot be denied. You can physically see your body changing with every day or week. What you can’t see is the improvements in your overall health as a result of training.
 

If you are the type of person that when things get hard you get frustrated and quit, BJJ is not your sport. In life when things get frustrating do you walk away or keep pushing forward? Just like learning a technique, if you quit you will never learn. This is true for any goal. On the path to reach that goal there are going to be times of frustration and if you stop you will never reach the top.
 

Brazilian jiu jitsu academies are a collection of almost every type of person you can think of - doctors, lawyers, students, law enforcement, businessmen and women, and more. Every day they walk into the academy for the same reason - to get better at BJJ. These same people walk into the academy every day and improve their health, learning ability, and stress levels. They may not be thinking about the many benefits of BJJ that cannot be seen, but it doesn’t matter if they can see them or not - they are happening. To me, what you can’t see is really what the Brazilian jiu jitsu lifestyle is about. It’s taking the lessons learned on the mat and applying them to your everyday life.