If you’re looking to build strength, gain resilience, and develop mental toughness, you should consider adding Jiu-Jitsu or another martial art to your training regimen.

Combat sports like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are, of course, primarily aimed at fighting. And, sure, you’re bound to gain self-defense skills. However, even if you have no intention of using those self-defense skills, martial arts like BJJ are a great addition to a standard workout routine.

Physical Benefits of BJJ

A person weighing about 180 pounds will burn about 412 calories in half an hour of practicing BJJ. If you bump that up to an hour, it’s around 820 calories.

Combat sports like BJJ also combine different training modalities. You can think of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a combination of strength and cardio training. Scrambling can help build your endurance and the physical resistance combines your body weight and your partner’s.

Because of that, BJJ can be a great addition to a standard cardio workout regimen. If you throw in weightlifting a few times a week, you’ll have an entire-body workout that can help you gain strength, endurance, and physical resilience.

Mental Benefits of BJJ

But combat sports and martial arts aren’t just calorie-burners — and thinking of them solely as a workout is doing them a disservice.

Many Jiu-Jitsu practitioners can attest to the mind-building benefits of the practice. It’s inherently a cerebral, problem-solving activity. Figuring out how to take a partner down when they’re doing the same can keep your mind active and engaged.

In fact, it’s helpful to think of BJJ and similar combat sports as a physical version of chess. It’s a strategic activity. And if you’re going to get good at it, you’ll need to develop your ability to think strategically.

There are also personal development benefits. You’ll gain confidence as you practice BJJ, and you’ll likely also develop mental toughness. After all, it’s hard not to when you have someone attempting to choke you out during a rolling session.

Another mind-focused benefit is that BJJ can be seen as a meditative practice. Science shows that “meditations” can boost your mental health, focus, memory, and more — even if they aren’t seated on the floor.

Combat Sports Myths

Beyond the benefits of BJJ and other martial arts, it’s helpful to do away with some of the myths associated with combat sports.

For one, martial arts aren’t inherently violent. Of course, they’re meant for fighting, but that doesn’t mean you’re training in brutality. As mentioned, there’s a meditative aspect to the practice — and you are more likely to become friends with your rolling partners than enemies.

Another myth deals with injuries. Some people believe that you’re guaranteed to suffer injuries if you train in martial arts. That’s wrong.

As long as you practice and train in a safe way and are guided by expert instructors, you’re not at any higher risk of suffering an injury than you are during another type of physical activity.

More than that, there are actually many reasons to practice BJJ and other combat sports, even if you have no intention of fighting at the amateur and professional levels. We’ve already covered the physical and mental benefits. There’s also the camaraderie and friendship you’re bound to develop along the way.

Where to practice BJJ (or other martial arts)

If you’re looking for a place to practice BJJ, you’re in luck. The Southern California area is a hotspot for both BJJ and combat sports in general.

There are a plethora of martial arts academies and gyms throughout the Southern Californian region. One notable example is The Arena in San Diego.

The Arena is a top-tier Jiu Jitsu school in San Diego. Its lead MMA and Jiu-Jitsu instructor is a legendary fighter and grappler named Baret Yoshida. During his career, Yoshida won the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Black Belt World Championship three times and the ADCC three times.

In other words, you can expect The Arena’s BJJ program to be world-class.

The gym is also the oldest continuously operated martial arts academy in North America and the largest on the continent. And beyond BJJ, you’ll also find a full slate of other programs from boxing to Muay Thai to accelerated, private training for those aiming to be professional fighters.

In other words, if you want to add BJJ or another combat sport to your training regimen, you owe it to yourself to check out The Arena.