Six reasons why doing yoga will improve your BJJ

 Six reasons why yoga will improve your BJJ

Have you ever heard a training partner say "I need to stretch more"? Almost everyone knows they 'need to stretch more', but do we recognize all the benefits that come with 'stretching more?'. Might just be more than what you signed up for...

Flexibility improves your BJJ

Yoga requires flexibility. By sticking with a consistent yoga routine the difficult poses eventually become more possible, the tension releases and you’ll find an increased range of  motion in every Jiu-Jitsu position. 

What does this look like? For example: Stretching the hips and hamstrings will lengthen the muscles and increase the range of motion making your guard harder to pass. And who doesn't want a guard that is harder to pass?

                                        

Balance improves your BJJ

Yoga requires balance within certain postures. This is great for Jiu-Jitsu because balance becomes very important when someone is trying to sweep you, and you are able to balance and defend for a long time without getting tired and therefore, not getting swept. 

                                         

Focus improves your BJJ

What is required for yoga flows that integrate breathing and movement in an effective way? Focus. Focus is required. Being present within the body and mind and paying attention to what you are doing, how you are doing it, and why you are doing it. Yoga strengthens the ‘focus muscle’.

The goal is: By the time we hit the Jiu-Jitsu mats that we have undivided focus on the task at hand. So we can do what we are doing, and do it better. 

                                          

Breath work improves your BJJ

As mentioned before, yoga helps integrate breath and movement in unison. But it gets better than that: In yoga we learn how to breathe in uncomfortable positions, we learn how to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Breathing in twists, backbends, and handstands are no easy tasks. But they are necessary and they are important. Yoga teaches you to maintain calmness in a stressful situation, which potentially can help you reverse any bad position in Jiu-Jitsu (for example).

Strength improves your BJJ

Yoga provides the opportunity to balance strength with flexibility. Holding poses for a long amount of time builds strength, and many of these poses also improve flexibility (the best of both worlds). In BJJ it is important to have the ability to hold a submission attempt for a long period of time, or have the endurance to continue attempting the escape. 

                                            

Movement improves your BJJ

In yoga flows the athlete moves from one position to another. Creating smooth movement patterns with the left and right side equally. 

This movement connects body awareness of what body part are doing what action, creating strength within transitions, increasing flexibility - then, let’s add breath and focus to this equation. 

All these elements are not that unlike Jiu-Jitsu, in fact. They play an incredible role in improving our Jiu-Jitsu movement, because these are the elements that make up movement in Jiu-Jitsu. 

All of a sudden, what was so hard before maybe isn’t so hard anymore.