The BJJ Lifestyle

Let’s not get it twisted, people. The “Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle” doesn’t just mean training leisurely once or twice a week, wearing fancy gis (and all of the BJJ gear that goes along with it that screams “Hey! I train!”), and eating acai. It goes much deeper than this.

I went to Brazil for the first time in 2011. I had only been training for about six months (obviously a white belt) and was searching for an adventure. I met a few Brazilians during that time – either in person or via social media – and wanted to make sure to meet up with them during my travels. What I didn’t realize at that time was how much BJJ would change my life after that trip and what the true meaning of the “Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle” meant to not just me, but to others in the birthplace of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Rather than going sight seeing like any normal tourist, I found myself wanting to train every day, multiple times a day. There was something about training in Brazil that fascinated, intrigued, and motivated me. My day usually began with a small breakfast before training at noon, which lasted anywhere up to 2 hours, lunch with the guys after (which went on for quite awhile), rest/shower/strength training, then back again later that night at 8:00 pm to train again. It was the norm to have a long lunch after training, even with the guys who were working professionals who trained during their lunch break.

The hospitality shown to me during that time reminded me of local Hawaiian culture where everyone is welcoming. Their house was your house. I’ve stayed with complete strangers (who also trained), who are now some of my closest friends. I always felt comfortable on the mats. People would train hard, but it would be fun… and nobody was trying to kill me because I was the visitor/outsider. The attitude at training was different. People were there to learn and train, but there was a lot of chatting and joking around – perhaps that’s why the training lasted for 2 hours!

While I was in Brazil, it was very apparent to me that BJJ wasn’t just a hobby. Nobody cared if you wore a fancy gi or apparel that screamed, “I do Jiu-Jitsu!” Even though people really did just eat, sleep, work, and train, you would never know because it’s part of their daily life and they don’t brag about it. There were no complaints – they either showed up to train or not. It’s difficult for me to be able to put my exact experience into words, almost because it literally was life changing. It was then that I realized what BJJ was about and what it was going to mean to me.

There are people in this community that have given up their modern day comforts to commit their life to BJJ. They live at the gym, like they almost become hermits – because they are on a constant quest to learn. Although their life seems minimalistic, their experiences and what they have taken away from BJJ is what makes it rich and worthwhile. Now that, is truly living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle.