Continuing the April Exercise/Activity #IMWChallenge we have another guest author on Common Sense Health and Wellness.
Today please welcome Pat from Vacanti Jiu Jitsu and MMA Fitness in Hainesport located nearby to the IMW on Rt 38 West. Pat has been teaching there since opening in 2008. Pat is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt.
Have at it Pat!
Martial Arts training offers some of the greatest, health psychological and intellectual benefits that one can experience. My particular area of training is in the realm of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). I’ve witnessed individuals through training in both areas, enhance their individual health exponentially, manage stress levels, lower blood pressure issues and even reverse Type 2 Diabetes in some cases.
The common misconception is that these disciplines, especially MMA, are simply uncontrolled contests of violence when nothing could be further from the truth. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an off-shoot of traditional JuJitsu in Japan and it was pioneered by Helio Gracie and his brother Carlos in the 1920’s. Helio was a small and weak young man and because of this, he needed a system of self defense that was more slanted toward the Physics of leverage as opposed to brute force. Gracie/Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was the result. In the early 1990’s MMA started to become mainstream in the US and relied, and still does, on the mixture of styles including BJJ, Wrestling, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Judo, to name a few. It is incredibly difficult to learn, integrate, and utilize so many various forms of Martial Arts in a contest with a live opponent.
However, the vast majority of my students will never even see an active BJJ competition or MMA ring or cage. This is because they never joined to win a title or become a World Champion or even compete passively. They train for other reasons. The most prevalent are health, fitness and self defense.
It’s not hard to see why a fitness routine geared toward preparing one’s body for a situation that includes varied heart rate, aerobic, anaerobic, resistance training combined with high repetition cardio vascular exercises, would be an amazing way to get in or stay in fantastic shape. Even if you never plan to compete! Our workouts are never exactly the same and oftentimes we use Boxing or Wrestling drills combined with weight or equipment. The added benefits are multi fold as well. The psychological state of mind after completing a difficult BJJ or MMA Fitness class is often the most discussed aspect. Students are always telling me that no matter their mood upon arrival, they always feel great when they’re leaving.
My students range from kids as young as 4 up to several students I’ve had in their 60’s and 70’s. Everyone can perform at their own level and all I ever ask is that individuals push themselves to a level that’s difficult but not dangerous.
So, if you’re looking for a different way to be fit and you don’t like the monotony of the bike or treadmill, give your local Martial Arts or Martial Arts Fitness location a try.
Thanks Pat!
Has any Common Sense Health and Wellness readers ever trained in Jiu Jitsu or MMA? If you are thinking about it but did not know where to go, you no longer have that as an excuse. Get in touch with Pat.
Word of the day/week and maybe the past two years
This word can be used not just for politicians but I have to admit they make a good example.
Meme of the Day
The orange is What we know. The gray is everything else.
I certainly understand this.
I try to avoid people who think they know everything and then push their thoughts and views on others.
You do not need to agree with me and I can only improve my skills if I learn from other viewpoints. I don’t know it all and I don’t ever want to be in the position where I am called a snollygoster.
As a long time student of Pat’s I couldn’t agree more with his statements. My exercise and activities include many of those that the guest writers this month covered and I believe most should try a bunch of things to see what works best for them. For me, the mental aspect of being forced to be present when you roll in Jiu Jitsu and the great tight knit community are things I haven’t been able to find in other areas. I’d recommend anyone that has a any interest drop in to a Jiu Jitsu school and try it out.