Friday, March 18, 2011

The Importance of Training in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi


The emergence of the UFC, Strike Force and various Mixed Martial Arts associations has made a lot of people understand the importance of learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Initially Royce Gracie popularized the art Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by defeating all of his challengers by submission when in the beginning the UFC was style vs. style. The MMA world saw that Royce Gracie was always wearing a BJJ Gi when competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship or in photos of him training. The reason for the Gi was if his opponent was grabbing it he wasn't punching him with that hand. Also during a fight the competitors sweat which makes them slippery. The BJJ Gi absorbs sweat and adds friction which makes submission attempts easier.
Nowadays, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most significant marital arts to learn when fighting in a MMA. It is proven that the people who are ignorant in the ways of ground fighting do not have a chance in MMA. People believe that since MMA fights are fought without any kind of traditional martial arts uniform you could train without the BJJ Gi. Honestly, these people are absolutely wrong. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a technical sport that teaches a person how to beat a bigger opponent using leverage. In other words working out in a BJJ Gi is extremely important for all fighters to realize the complicated technique that goes with the BJJ moves. Once these techniques are learned in the Gi then the fighter can implement them with out using the Gi. Practicing in the BJJ Gi will enhance you grip strength which is extremely vital for fighting.
Using the Gi exercises your mind in both offense and defense and really encourages you to make strategy the biggest part of your game. Looking at some of the best UFC fighters, you will quickly see that many of these men are black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and use the Gi in their training program. If you ask them the reason for doing so, they will tell you that skill learned from training in the Jiu Jitsu Gi is what got them to where they are today.

No comments:

Post a Comment