In our fitness-crazed society, people are always looking for the latest fad that will help them lose weight, gain muscle, and look good. Nowadays, if you go to a high-end fitness gym, you will often find a plethora of activites that will get you in shape including rock-climbing, hot yoga, as well as more standard fare as swimming and spinning classes.

Occasionally, these gyms will hold Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes as another option for conditioning. But what are the benefits that separate Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) from other fitness activities.

1. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu focuses on multi-directional movements. While gym exercises generally work 1-2 muscle groups in a single range of motion, BJJ focuses on being able to use your muscles in a variety of planes of motion.
2. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu concentrates on functional fitness. The nature of the sport of BJJ will exercise both your heart and muscle groups since both are important aspects of BJJ success. You will not get overly bulky like a bodybuilder nor will you be stick-skinny like a marathon runner.
3. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu increases flexibility especially in the legs and core. Submission holds such as Triangle Chokes require your legs to be flexible and over time, you will develop increased flexibility. Other positions such as the guard, require a lot of twisting motions which will help one’s core’s flexibility.
4. You will learn effective self-defense and martial arts. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a fundamental aspects of current Mixed Martial Arts so you can rest assured that you are learning what works.

Due to these great benefits, gym members can expect to see more and more Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes being added onto the schedules of their workout center. If you are looking for a different kind of workout, definitely give it a try. If you are a gym owner, you should definitely try to get a qualified bjj instructor into your school as you can bring in some new clientele.

Adam Delbrugge played college football and currently runs a Baltimore BJJ gym.