What is Jiu jitsu?
Jiu Jitsu is an extreme sport that requires impeccable athleticism both physically and mentally. Jiu Jitsu is often referred to as human chess. Like yoga, Jiu Jitsu demands a balance of strength and flexibility, razor sharp focus, concentration and phenomenal body awareness, breath control and balance. Yoga offers us all this and more.
As athletes we are only as strong as our weakest link. In jiu jitsu we have to be ready and open to what opportunities our opponent offers us. It’s a game of connection. When we are body aware we can sense our opponents weaknesses and use them to our advantage. An effective Yoga practice will correct our imbalances and therefore Yoga helps prevent injuries. Most traditional strength training focuses on strengthening our muscles in the contracted state (concentric contraction).
Training like this over time shortens our muscle length; even if we stretch, leaving us with less range of motion and way more possibility of muscle tears and joint injuries. Yoga primarily strengthens our muscles in their elongated state (eccentric contraction). So to answer the question, Can Yoga improve a fighter’s performance? Yes, Yoga gives us a huge advantage in Jiu jitsu and all sports because our muscles have maximum strength and power even when they are elongated to their fullest capacity.
When we build eccentric muscle strength we will have a balance of flexibility and strength that gives us more power and range of motion increasing our freedom of movement and therefore improving our Jiu jitsu game and preventing injuries.
Yoga also focuses primarily on isometric muscle contraction(holding poses) to strengthen our muscles. This is a very different way to train our muscles compared to weight lifting and most fitness which focuses on repetitive sets using fast twitch muscle fibers. Holding poses using different muscle fibers(slow twitch muscle fibers) gives us a different kind of strength and endurance.
Slow twitch muscles are our postural muscles. The ones responsible for holding postures and positions for long durations. This gives us the strength and flexibility to isometrically hold certain positions in Jiu jitsu until we find the perfect opportunity to proceed. A regular Yoga practice will correct your imbalances, help prevent injuries and increase your strength and flexibility. This will improve your athletic performance and yours Jiu jitsu game.
In Jiu Jitsu we are always trying to keep our base/balance and throw our opponent off balance. This is one of the most important fundamentals of the sport. Many Yoga poses(asanas) we practice include a great amount of balance and body awareness. Yoga incorporates balancing poses in all planes of space (standing balances, arm balances and inversions). When we practice these balancing postures regularly our proprioception and body awareness are heightened. This heighten proprioception increases our ability to know where we are in space and respond quickly and efficiently when we are rolling. Always being one step ahead of your opponent creates success in Jiu Jitsu. Yoga will improve your balance and body awareness, bettering your Jiu jitsu game as well as your day to day activities.
Yoga is a practice of focus and concentration. In life, we get what we focus on. The ability to keep our mind attentive to this moment; to be 100 percent present is an empowering life skill that will not only improve your athletic performance; it will improve your quality of life, your health and your relationships. There are many types of Yoga and many different ways to refine our focus and concentration using Yoga. The most popular tool in most Yoga practices is to focus intently on our breath (pranayama) and body sensations.
Yoga offers numerous breathing techniques that improve our overall physical and mental health. The ability to control our breath in our Jiu Jitsu game not only increases our cardiovascular ability; it enables us to endure extremely uncomfortable and even painful moments. The more we control our breath and stay calm; the more energy we conserve and the better ability we have to think our way out of the situation or position that is not in our best interest.
Yoga is a practice of observation. The more we practice observing sensations; the less judgmental and reactive we become. We recognize that pain is a label for intense sensation and we begin to acknowledge and know that this too shall pass. The fear and anxiety subsides and we become more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Yoga will increase your ability to handle pain and discomfort. When you can stay calm in difficult situations you have a huge advantage in Jiu jitsu and in life.
