Expressing Fitness: Crossfit and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Crossfit is a great program for general physical preparedness (GPP) but what are you getting prepared for?  My sport of choice is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), a martial art with a competitive yet very close knit culture very similar to that of Crossfit. In my first post on this blog I want to tell you a little more about the sport, what to expect in a class and in competition, and why I think its a great way to express the fitness you develop through Crossfit, for both men and women.

BJJ is a grappling based (i.e. no punching or kicking) martial art and sport derived from the samurai martial arts of Japan, but with a distinctly Rio de Janeiro feel. Judo is a very close cousin and, similar to the Olympic sport, BJJ matches start with two competitors facing each other on a mat wearing Gi, the commonly recognised pyjamas worn in Japanese martial arts. The aim of the game is to execute a well timed throw or takedown, secure a dominant position on the mat, and finally get your opponent to say "uncle", or give up (also known as tapping, or tapping out). The amazingly sophisticated ways in which this can be achieved, and the difficulty of developing the timing, coordination and chess-like strategic mind-set to get there is what makes the art one of the fastest growing sports in the world. And given its hot blooded home in Rio de Janeiro, practice and training is for the most part informal, friendly and strongly community based. (For more on the sport and its history, and the Gracie family which is credited with creating it go to Slideyfoot's fantastic blog.)

Classes usually consist of a gymnastics and callisthenics based warm-up, practice of chokes, escapes, holds and sweeps and, finally, sparring. Sparring consists of several 2-5 minutes rounds where you face a separate opponent of different shape, size and ability every round. These bouts mimic a BJJ match but at a lower level of intensity, where the goal is to train the techniques learnt during the class under pressure conditions. Can I really apply an arm lock from this position against a fully resisting opponent? Sparring is where you find out, and its also where you have to leave your ego off the mat and realise that accepting your limitations and learning from your weaknesses is the key to getting better. Sounds a lot like Crossfit, doesn't it?

How does your training in Crossfit prepare you for BJJ classes and competition? The successful application of BJJ techniques is based on coordination, balance, agility and strength. The hip mobility and power developed by squatting, cleaning and snatching is mirrored in many movements and techniques seen in the sport. And finally the work capacity built up by Crossfit WODs will give you the conditioning to be successful at sparring and competition. In fact, one of the signature benchmark workouts, Fight Gone Bad, was developed for one of the greatest fighters in the world and former UFC champ, BJ Penn. After completing the workout, he was asked how it felt... "It was like a fight gone bad".

Just as Crossfit is scalable, the weight and age category system in BJJ competitions means that you can find the right category for you, for instance I compete in the male white-belt masters category (i.e. above 30) as a super-heavy weight. This means I can test my skills and face opponents at a level that will help me to progress in the sport. Also, the environment at competitions is very supportive and inclusive, with good sportsmanship being very much the rule. BJJ is still very much under the radar in the UK, but there are competitions held pretty much every month a train's ride away from London, open to both men and women of various skill levels and weight categories.

What about women? There is a growing and vocal community of female BJJ players, represented both at academies and tournaments. There are also women only classes and "open-mats" for women who practice the sport to come together. As with most things, social networking and blogging are helping the process along, and female bloggers are spreading the word. Take a look at Megjitsu's blog, she runs a fantastic blog about her experience in the sport.  She also organises a regular open mat gathering. In fact, there's an open mat coming up on the 4th of December.

There are many places to train and learn the sport in London, as a quick google search will show. I train under Eduardo Gonçalves, a Brazilian black belt who is part of the Carlson Gracie/ BJJ Revolution team. If you do decide to give the sport a go, it makes sense to try a few different academies and see what works for you. Team and family is a very strong part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the camaraderie of the BJJ academy will be very familiar to Crossfitters coming from a competitive, yet friendly and supportive, Crossfit box. Having the encouragement and support of your team and instructor gives you the confidence to test yourself and push your limits.

If you're looking to "learn and play a new sport", BJJ is a great option with a community and culture that will be very familiar to Crossfitters. Get in touch if you have any questions or want to learn more.