Answering the Most Common BJJ Questions

Last updated on 20.04.2022 by

People who are curious about BJJ always seem to ask the same questions about the martial art. As is the norm for the digital age, these questions are often posed to Google, which answers them with varying degrees of success.

The Jiu Jitsu Legacy crew has looked up the ten most asked BJJ questions asked on Google, which are listed below. We’re going to give you in-depth, definitive answers for each of them – so wonder no longer!

Why is BJJ so expensive? 

Why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so expensive

We’re starting off the most asked Jiu Jitsu questions with: Why is BJJ so expensive? Jiu Jitsu training is not cheap, especially if you’re in the US or in Europe. There are actually many reasons why it’s so expensive to practice the martial art.

Rent

More than likely, the BJJ instructor does not own the building or space that they hold classes in. If they have a large school, then they’ll need to rent a large area that isn’t cheap.

Monthly rent for your average Jiu Jitsu school is easily thousands of dollars a month, if not more. You’d probably faint if you saw the monthly rent for someone like Marcelo Garcia, whose school is in New York City! In 2020 the average annual rent for office space in NYC was $85 per square foot. This means even a small gym could be spending over a hundred thousand dollars on rent.

Easily close to half of a Jiu Jitsu’s school’s monthly income can go to rent. Making it the biggest reason for why BJJ is so expensive.

Bills

On top of a BJJ school’s rent, you also have the monthly bills for the utilities inside the building. These bills include: lights, water, internet, and taxes.

All of these bills come at the same time every month and take out a large chunk of the school’s income.

Employees

On top of bills and rents, the employees in a Jiu Jitsu school will also need to be paid well. You can’t get away with paying a teenage student $10 to cover a class like in Karate!

BJJ black belts who teach classes have to be paid for their services – and with the average black belt having 10 years of experience their time doesn’t come cheaply. Then you also have the other employees like front desk staff that keep track of everything for the school.

Owner’s personal life

Your BJJ instructor has a family just like you and needs to make money to support them. That is why you will never be paying $30 a month to train!

Why is BJJ so popular? 

BJJ has become one of the most popular martial arts in the world practiced by nearly a million people. Some new to Jiu Jitsu may wonder, why is BJJ so popular?

The UFC 

When the UFC debuted nearly 30 years ago, this was the world’s introduction to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Then when MMA exploded in popularity during the late 2000s, this also led to an explosion in popularity for Jiu Jitsu.

Now more people than ever are watching Jiu Jitsu events and the athletes that compete are getting paid even more.

It’s fun

To put it simply, BJJ became so popular, because it is just so much fun to learn. There is nothing like getting together with your friends every week to learn new techniques and roll. It’s addicting and just plain fun. 

Why is BJJ so effective?

Why is BJJ so effective is a very good question that has a very simple answer. The reason that Jiu Jitsu is so effective is because it is so simple.

The martial art was designed so that anyone could do it. No matter how big, small, or not physically gifted you are, you can learn BJJ and do it effectively. 

Why is BJJ so hard? 

Anyone that has had rough training sessions will often ask themselves, Why is BJJ so hard? Jiu Jitsu can be hard for a variety of different reasons depending on the person.

The physical demand

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu demands a lot out of you physically. You have to stay in shape and constantly be training in order to keep up with your more skilled teammates. To get the most out of the sport you’ll need to do physical conditioning outside of class.

The injuries

The saying nobody rides for free sums up Jiu Jitsu perfectly. There are steps you can take to prevent injuries, but at some point in your training, you will probably get injured and there’s nothing you can do to stop this. 

Dealing with injuries sucks, which is why it can make BJJ hard. 

The mental strain

BJJ is a complex game that demands constant thought. Going over technique in your head and long training sessions can often drive you crazy. Most Jiujiteros like being this sort of crazy – but your mileage may vary!

Time commitment

Time commitment is a big reason for why BJJ can be so hard. The martial art demands a lot of your time and this can put a lot of stress on your personal life.

To improve your skill, you have to train regularly and sometimes life doesn’t allow it. Training too much or not enough can leave you stressed and feel like you’re being pulled in different directions. Time management is an essential part of succeeding at this sport!

Why is BJJ called the gentle art? 

A question often asked is Why is BJJ called the gentle art? Anyone that has taken a class will tell you, there is nothing gentle about the martial art.

But the reason Jiu Jitsu is called the gentle art is because of the name. Jiu-Jitsu is a Japanese term that roughly translates to “the gentle art.”

BJJ is also a very beautiful and fluid art. When done correctly, your body just moves effortlessly through the techniques without hurting your partner. 

This is why the name fits perfectly and Jiu Jitsu is deserving of its name, the gentle art.

Why is BJJ not an Olympic sport? 

Why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu not an Olympic-sport

Why is BJJ not an Olympic sport is another question that people frequently pose to Google. The short answer is that the process to become an Olympic sport is a long and arduous process.

It sometimes takes more than a decade for a sport to become certified by the Olympics.

Pre Requirements

Before the Olympic committee will even consider a sport to become an Olympic event, it must meet certain requirements. 

According to the Olympic charter, a sport must be:

  • Practiced by men in at least seventy five countries
  • Practiced by women in at least forty countries

The IOC also takes into the consideration the media and public attention that a sport gets. They will not make a sport an Olympic event if they think no one will be watching it.

The process

Once the IOC votes and approves a sport to be considered an Olympic event, it then goes through the process. BJJ, or any sport for that matter, would not immediately become an Olympic sport after being approved by the IOC.

The process takes years to complete. For example, Taekwondo was introduced as a demonstration sport in 1988, but wasn’t made an official Olympic sport until 2000.

Why is BJJ good for self defense? 

Why BJJ is good for self defense is one of the more commonly asked questions by new students. While there are flaws in the system, Jiu Jitsu is one of the best forms of self defense out there.

Control your opponent

Jiu Jitsu teaches you to control your opponent, preventing them from hitting you. Jiujiteros learn how to manage the distance to stay out of striking range, and then engage and immobilize their attacker. If they can’t move, then they can’t hurt you.

Know how to grapple

More times than not, a street fight turns into a grappling match and most people don’t know how to grapple. This is why it is great to learn BJJ for self defense. You can get an attacker to the ground quickly and control them.

Stay in shape

It isn’t enough to know how to defend yourself, but also be in good shape to optimally defend yourself. You have to keep yourself in good physical form and regular Jiu Jitsu training will keep you in shape.

Not fight

BJJ teaches you to check your ego and realize that street fighting is stupid. The best thing you can do is try to diffuse the situation and just walk away.

Why is BJJ so tiring? 

This question was sort of already answered in the why is BJJ hard section, but BJJ is tiring for two reasons. It is both physically and mentally demanding.

The physical demand

The physical demand that Jiu Jitsu puts on your body is incredible. To get better at this martial art, you have to keep pushing yourself.

Pushing yourself to near exhaustion during every training session and feeling sore in muscles that you never knew you had. All for the cause to try and get better at Jiu Jitsu.

The mental demand 

There is a reason that many say BJJ is like chess, except you are choking people and they are returning the favor! Jiu Jitsu demands just as much from you mentally as it does physically.

It requires you to constantly be thinking about techniques and how to improve your game. This can leave you mentally drained like you had been training nonstop for hours.

Why is BJJ good for you? 

Why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu good for you

There are a litany of reasons why BJJ is good for you, but we’ll give you two of the best reasons.

BJJ is good you physically 

To live a happy life that is free of health problems, you need to stay physically active. BJJ is one of the best options you have to stay physically fit.

The training is all in one that improves your strength, cardio, and balance. A very good reason why BJJ is good for you.

BJJ is good for you spiritually

Not only is BJJ good for you physically, but also incredibly beneficial for you spiritually. There is just something special about going to the Jiu Jitsu school regularly and getting to train.

You get to be around your professors and friends that are like one big family. You all support each other and want one another to succeed in whatever you want to accomplish.

This is something that we all need to continue living our best lives.

The wrap up

At one point in your Jiu Jitsu journey, you have probably asked all of these questions. Hopefully our answers to these BJJ questions were what you were looking for.

We hope that these answers gave you a better understanding of Jiu Jitsu and encourage you to continue your training.

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