Is Jiujitsu Good for Women? | Why Every Girl Should be Training
From an outside perspective, jiu-jitsu can seem very intimidating to the average female. Walking into a gym to see men wrestling with each other, sweat everywhere, and being up close and personal with another isn’t exactly appealing. However, Jiujitsu is great for women in many ways.
- Jiujitsu promotes confidence in women.
- Jiujitsu is a great way to increase physical fitness level.
- Jiujitsu stimulates mood and happy hormones.
- Jiujitsu teaches women basic self-defense.
- Jiujitsu builds a supportive community.
Having been a female jiu-jitsu practitioner for 10+ years, I can firmly say the sport is all these things and so much more than meets the naked eye. By the end of this article, you should not only be convinced on how great the sport is for us women, but rather, be ready to hop into a jiujitsu class yourself! Let’s dig deeper…
Jiu-jitsu promotes confidence in women
Jiujitsu is great for building women’s confidence, let me explain.
Most people are used to sticking to what they are good at in life. However, I am here to pre-warn you that is most likely, not going to be the case when you start jiujitsu.
Jiujitsu is a unique sport comprised of wrestling, judo, sambo, and more. Considering that you are going to be utilizing techniques from these different sports, it will naturally take more time to digest and learn how to effectively use these moves. Jiujitsu is a sport that forces you to face, persevere, and overcome challenges, but that is the beauty of it.
As you progress in jiujitsu, you are going to discover different strengths, weaknesses, and over time see your skills improve. This is equally humbling as is motivating. However, it will provide you with a strong confidence boost, as you get to see an increase in both physical strength and mental well-being. Not to mention, having the ability to walk around knowing you have a basic knowledge of self-defense is very empowering.
Jiu-jitsu is a great way to increase physical fitness level
A more obvious reason why jiujitsu is so good for women is because it’s an excellent form of physical fitness. Quite frankly, one of the biggest fitness fads right now is called hybrid training. What this does is pair together strength with some form of cardio and different intensities all within a single workout.
Jiujitsu is practically one of best forms of this! It is a full body workout that combines strength, speed, endurance, coordination, & flexibility. Not to mention, where most hybrid training sessions can be time consuming, jiujitsu allows you to get in just as beneficial workouts in half the time.
On another note, jiujitsu is also great for women since strength and size aren’t always the key to success. As I mentioned above, there are many factors that come into play. Not only will women see their strength improve from jiujitsu, but they will learn how to leverage and improve their speed, flexibility, etc. when training.
Jiujitsu stimulates mood and happy hormones
Furthermore, jiu-jitsu is an amazing way to help women stabilize their mood and hormones. Jiujitsu, like any form of exercise, stimulates and releases endorphins, adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin. If you don’t know, these are all scientifically proven to improve self-esteem, increase concentration, and decrease stress/anxiety/depression.
Not only will you have a “runners high” during training, but many times that refreshed, confident feeling will translate into the rest of your day. Overtime, this can really improve your quality of life. This is especially beneficial for those who deal with anxiety or depression as jiujitsu requires physical exertion that can help ease mental stress. On top of this, being around and chatting with others in the gym can provide an outlet & support good mental health.
One of the many beautiful things about jiujitsu is that it brings people of all walks together to encourage and help each other improve. Having a stable, supportive community like this can be transformative for women looking to improve their quality and outlook on life.
Jiu-jitsu teaches women basic self-defense
Continuing, Jiujitsu teaches women basic self-defense. You will learn how to recognize danger, restrain an attacker, and ultimately, immobilize them so that you can get away or de-escalate the situation.
The first key to women’s self-defense is learning how to recognize a potentially dangerous situation. This could be body language, how someone is approaching a conversation, etc. Training jiujitsu is a perfect way to learn how to read for these things, as BJJ enhances situational awareness and decision-making skills.
BJJ also teaches women how to respond efficiently and effectively in high pressure situations. There are multiple news stories, such as this one, addressing where jiujitsu has saved a woman’s life during an attempted attack. I am here to say that the hype is real.
In training, women are specifically learning techniques to use against bigger opponents. Other than in the gym, techniques can also be put into action in order to defend themselves. Overtime techniques become muscle memory. When this happens, it will then provide women training jiujitsu with everything they need to know to handle a life-or-death situation.
Jiu-jitsu promotes a supportive community
Lastly, BJJ is amazing for women looking to branch out and connect with others. Jiujitsu promotes principles of respect, support, & teamwork, which is beneficial for anyone both on and off the mat.
Being a part of a solid team that is supporting & motivating you along your jiujitsu journey helps develop a strong community. Nevertheless, Women can surround themselves with individuals who are similarly passionate about self-improvement. Speaking from first-hand experience, I met some of my closest friends and even my fiancé through jiujitsu. I might be a little bias, but they are without a doubt some of the kindest, genuine people you will meet.
Many quotes say who you surround yourself with is who you will become. Thanks to those who have come into my life from BJJ, I can say I have never felt more supported to chase my dreams and stay devoted to whatever I set my mind to.
Summing things up
I can’t recommend to women enough how beneficial jiujitsu is. From a mental health standpoint to just having basic self-defense, jiujitsu really does save and change lives. I sure know it’s changed mine, and for the better.
On that note, there is only one question left to answer… When are you trying your first class?
For more information on the world of jiujitsu or any questions, please reach out to myself, or Professor William and we’d be glad to help.
