All You want to know about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Jiu Jitsu, or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as it is commonly named outside Brazil, is a martial art, combat sport, and a self-defence system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. It is unlike many other ground fighting styles, particularly in the way that it teaches practitioners to fight from their backs.

History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Over 400 years ago, Buddhist monks developed a method of grappling as a way to defend themselves as they roamed Northern India to spread Buddhism. It was this new practice of self- defence, which would eventually be known as Jiu-Jitsu, that allowed these monks to subdue attackers without killing them. It was the Japanese who improved this practice and meant to keep it a secret. However, in 1914, Esai Maeda, who was a Kodoku Judo master, came to Brazil and stayed with a man named Gastao Gracie, who helped Maeda with a business endeavor. As a token of appreciation, Maeda taught Gracie’s oldest son, Carlos, all he knew about the art of Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos then taught the art to three of his four brothers, Oswaldo, Gastao, and George, and in 1925, the first Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy was opened in Rio de Janeiro.

The fourth brother, Helio, was very small in comparison to his larger brothers, and was not included in the original instruction because of this. However, he diligently watched and learned from the side of the mat, developing his own modified techniques based on using leverage rather than strength. The brothers finally saw how imperative Helio’s new techniques were to the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The concept of techniques based on leverage, not strength, became the essential principle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ. To prove the effectiveness of their art, the Gracies provided an open challenge to anyone who doubted the applicability of BJJ in a real fight. These challenges were known as “Vale Tudo” (Portuguese for “anything goes”) matches, and was similar to the type of combat we now know as today’s MMA.

Characteristics of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is divided into three broad categories, each mutually supportive of the others; self-defence (including striking techniques and unarmed techniques against armed opponents), free fighting competition (commonly referred to as “vale tudo” or “anything goes” events, now popularly called MMA), and sport grappling with and without the gi (matches that include a wide range of submission holds, but no striking).

BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique, leverage, and most notably, taking the fight to the ground, and then applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat the other person. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition or self-defence. Sparring (commonly referred to as “rolling”) and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition, in relation to progress and ascension through its ranking system.

Since its inception in 1882, its parent art of Judo was separated from older systems of Japanese ju-jitsu by an important difference that was passed on to Brazilian jiu-jitsu: it is not solely a martial art, it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people; and, ultimately, a way of life.

Style of Fighting

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an art based in ground fighting but it also teaches takedowns, takedown defence, ground control, and especially submissions. Submissions refer to holds that either cut off an opponent’s air supply (chokes) or look to take advantage of a joint (such as armbars). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters tend to feel very comfortable fighting from a position called the guard, if need be. The guard position– in essence, wrapping one’s legs around an opponent to limit their movement— is what allows them to fight from their backs so effectively, and is also something that separates their art from most other grappling styles.

Basic Goals of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters look to take their opponents to the ground. When on top they generally hope to escape their opponents’ guard and move to either side control (positioned across an opponent’s’ chest) or the mount position (sitting over their ribs or chest). From there, depending on the situation, they may choose to continually strike their opponent or set up a submission hold. When on their backs, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters are very dangerous. From the guard various submission holds can be employed. They may also seek to turn their opponent over in an attempt to reverse their fortunes.

The BJJ Rules

Few important rules that are followed in BJJ are:

• “Queda” – Throw or Takedown: If both challengers are standing, and one initiates and succeeds at taking the other to the mat, he is awarded 2 points.
• “Raspada/Raspagem” – Sweep: If your opponent is within your guard (any kind of guard) and you invert the position (you landing on top and your opponent on the bottom) you are awarded two points.
• “Passagem de Guarda” – Guard Pass: If you are inside your opponent’s guard and manage to escape that position, still maintaining top position, you have improved your position and therefore are awarded 3 points.
• “Pegada de Costas” – Back Mount: Regardless of where you are, if you manage to take your opponent’s back and place both feet around the inside of your opponent thighs (hooks), controlling him that way, you are awarded 4 points (you will need to place the hooks, body triangle will not score points).
• “Montada” – Mount: On top position with both legs around the opponent’s torso with knees on the ground, 4 points.

Physical Benefits

The fact that Brazilian jiu jitsu will change your body cannot be denied. You can physically see your body changing with every day or week. BJJ teaches you how to use your body as one unit. Most of spent our day sitting, driving, or working at a computer, the body develops some strange and unnatural movement patterns. The body awareness that BJJ teaches you is priceless. With an increase in body awareness, strength and mobility will soon follow.

Mental Benefits

Beyond any physical improvements that come as a result of Brazilian jiu jitsu are the mental improvements that are often overlooked. The process of learning a technique requires as much mental activity as it does physical. One of the hidden benefits of BJJ is what the struggle of learning, drilling, and rolling does for you. Walking into a class after spending months learning a technique, attempting it, and being crushed by everyone is not a good feeling. What is a good feeling is walking in the next day and trying it again.

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Daily Cup of Yoga

How we choose to start our day can be a vital factor in determining how the rest of our day would probably turn out. Mornings are a time when we can influence how we are going to think, act and respond for the rest of the day, so it only makes sense to shape that time in a positive and inspiring manner. If I’m rolling out of bed and going straight to work, the first beverage I reach for is a big cup of coffee. It is the way most of us start our day but this widely accepted everyday practice can take a toll on our well being. Too much coffee can lead to sleepless nights, anxiety, anger, and a case of the jitters. So if not for caffeine, what’s the best way to dust the cobwebs off of our brain and get our body ready for the day at hand? Could the magic potion be YOGA?

Practicing Yoga early in the morning has a myriad of benefits. A mere 15 minutes practice of Yoga everyday centers the mind, balances the body, and jolts us awake with more lasting energy than any espresso can provide.

1. Yoga helps us have a good day

The way we wake up sets the floor the rest of our day. If we wake up late, overtired and grumpy, we carry these emotions to the rest of our day, and they create an impact on how we see the world. If we start our day with yoga, we wake up to a dose of positivity. When we centre ourself on the mat, we create a more calm and balanced internal environment that will probably lead to clarity of mind.

2. Early morning Yoga regulates sleep rhythms

An important key to establishing a consistent sleep pattern is to get up every morning at the same time, so that our body can become accustomed to the routine. Getting up every morning to start the day with yoga regulates our circadian sleep rhythms, allowing us to fall asleep more easily, and stay asleep for the duration of the night.

3.  Early morning Yoga has a soothing effect

Do you ever wake up and already have a to-do list running through your head? Start your day with yoga and allow it to clear your mind. Focusing on your breath in conjunction with the movement of your body will relax you and give you a calmer outlook of your day.

4. Morning Yoga increases metabolism and improves digestion

If we start our day with Yoga, it helps regulate our appetite throughout the day. Also, the early morning circulation boost will help nutrients move through our body quickly and jump start our metabolism, and keep it elevated all day. Certain poses stimulate the digestive system and metabolism naturally, particularly twisting postures, throat chakra poses, and dynamic flows. First thing in the morning, before we have eaten or added caffeine to our bodies, we get to fire ourselves up in a completely natural way using breath and conscious movement. Start your day with yoga and burn more calories for the rest of the day.

5.  Morning Yoga lets you make healthy food choices for the day

Once you make it a habit to start your day with Yoga, it’s easier to make healthy choices throughout the day. When it comes to food choices, it easier to stick to the mindset that you wake up with. When you start your day with Yoga, you start your day with a health boost that will keep you going all day. When you have taken time early on to nourish your body and mind with Yoga, you will be less inclined to eat emotionally and far more likely to make balanced and healthy choices throughout the day.

6.  Exercising in the morning builds our discipline

If we exercise in the morning, we are more likely to stick to this routine. Our lives get pretty hectic and if we wake up and think “I’ll do yoga tonight”, a million things might come up that would discourage us from going to class. When our day starts to get demanding, exercise is often the first thing to slip. In the morning, the only thing preventing us from exercise is our discipline. When we start our day with yoga every day, we build discipline that will last throughout the day.

7.  All your exercise for the day is done

Its only 8 am and you are already done sweating it out. This is one of the best parts of exercising in the morning. You can take pride in how much you have already accomplished. Even if nothing else goes well, you can think, “Atleast, I already did yoga today!”At the end of a long and tiring day, it’s all too easy to skip your yoga practice and make a beeline for the couch. Incorporate Yoga in your early morning routine and you can dive onto the couch guilt free.

8. Yoga helps awaken our creative chakras

Poses that stimulate the energy at the ‘Sacral Chakra’ (Swadhisthana) can get our creative juices flowing. We don’t necessarily need to be an artist, writer or musician to appreciate that energy because creative expression can have a positive effect no matter what we do. Bhujangasana (Cobra), Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog), Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold) and Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold) are all sacral chakra poses.

9. We are at our strongest in the morning

We are stronger in the first half of our day, before we become exhausted and weakened from work. Doing Yoga in the morning is a great way to capitalize on this strength, and you may find that your arms and legs are more strong and relaxed.

10. Expansive quality of breath

When we wake up, our body and nervous system are more calm and settled. Without the stimulation of the day, we can float straight into quality, expansive breathing and set ourselves up with plenty of oxygen and prana from the very first moments.

Even on those mornings when you can barely drag yourself out of bed (we have all been there), come to your mat or simply your living room rug and practice simple Yoga sequences (no experience or toe-touching flexibility required). Not only do these feel-good poses perk you up, but they will also open your hips, stretch your shoulders, and lengthen your spine. The result: You will walk away feeling centered, focused, and ready to own the day. So ditch that ‘Cup of Joe’ and get high on Yoga for a dose of wellness!

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Lifestyle Decisions Ruining your Health

Ever realized we do so many things in our daily lives without realizing their repercussions? Right from our ways of living, personal choices, work culture; everything has a direct impact on our well-being. Unfortunately, most of our lifestyle decisions are adversely affecting our physical, emotional and mental health. We have let our modern day lifestyle come in the way of a healthy life.

A lifestyle choice is a personal and conscious decision to perform a behavior that may increase or decrease the risk of injury or disease. If we exercise every morning then we have made a positive lifestyle choice to increase our physical wellness. If we choose not to drink alcohol then we choose to avoid serious potential consequences, such as a car crash while driving drunk or damage to our internal organs, such as our liver. These are all active lifestyle choices that benefit our health.

Bad Lifestyle Factors

Of course, many choices also harm us. Just take the alcohol consumption example. If we choose to drink, especially in excess or at the wrong time, then we increase our risk of death from something like a car crash. If we smoke, then we increase our chances of developing various diseases including cancer.

Let’s examine some lifestyle decisions that are ruining our body and health on a daily basis.

Skipping Meals

Most of us do not follow a proper diet regime. We only eat when we have time and not when we should be eating. Sometimes we even skip an entire meal altogether. Such practice can interfere with our body’s metabolism, leading to health concerns such as low appetite, blood pressure, acidity to name a few.

Erratic Sleep Patterns

Blame it on technology or late work hours, most of us find it difficult to sleep on time. We may hit the bed on time but don’t fall asleep easily because we are either on our phones or laptop. Getting a sound sleep is more essential than we may realise. Lack of proper sleep creates a mental imbalance and affects our productivity and the body’s ability to function actively the next morning.

Eating junk and outside food

‘You are what you eat!’ This phrase has been around for who knows how long and quite frankly, it’s not too far off the mark. If we eat well, we are much more likely to have a healthy body and mind. If we choose junk food over fresh vegetables, then this is less likely to be the case. Fast food often contains higher calories and highly saturated fats that the body does not need.

Lack of Physical activity

Chairs – we sit in them, work in them, shop in them and eat in them. The fact that most of us have sitting jobs; we do not get to move around much. Once we are home, we just lie around, watch T.V., or use our laptops. With a routine like this, we tend to become lethargic and gain body weight. Even a little bit of physical activity easily exhausts and tires us out. Sitting for long periods is bad because the human body was not designed to be idle. Lack of movement slows metabolism, reducing the amount of food that is converted to energy and thus promoting fat accumulation, obesity, and the litany of ills—heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and more—that come with being overweight.

Smoking and excess Alcohol consumption

Quit smoking and you’ll be healthier and your skin will look better. Stop excess drinking and you will feel better, stay healthier and stay in shape. Next time you light up, feel your pulse. It will start rising within a minute. That’s extra work for your heart. Instead of oxygen the blood cells carry carbon monoxide. Apart from increasing the risk of heart disease, smoking causes many serious medical disorders including lung cancer and emphysema. Moderate drinking is not a problem but if you drink more than the recommended daily limits, the risks of harming your health are increased. The harm caused by alcohol usually only emerge after a number of years and by then, serious health problems may have developed.

Stress can be deadly

You may feel there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your work and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control over stress than you might think. Stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart and can make you more susceptible to illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer. It’s vital that we learn to relax and take it easy every once in a while. Identify the triggers that are causing you to stress out and figure out healthy ways to deal with them.

Over exposure to Gadgets

Your thumb and wrist are throbbing, your eyes are bloodshot and you’re pretty sure you have “text neck.” Sitting hunched over and tapping away at your smart phone comes with its share of consequences. The human eye is not adapted for staring at a single point in space for hours on end. If you log significant time in front of a computer monitor, you’ve probably experienced computer vision syndrome: eyestrain, tired eyes, irritation, redness, blurred vision, and double vision. Over exposure to gadgets can retards brain health, cause frequent headaches, disturb the sleep cycle and can lead to many more debilitating changes to the body.

Many of the risk factors described above won’t kill us suddenly or irreversibly hurt us right away. This means that we can still help our-self, our health, mind and body by altering some of our poor lifestyle decisions and incorporating some new healthy ones.

A few key ways to achieve better health and subsequently a better lifestyle are through physical activity, exercise and a healthy diet. Exercise aids cardiovascular and respiratory functions, slows the loss of muscular strength, increases bone mass, aids digestion and bowel functions, promotes sound sleep and prevents depression.

So instead of “treating” yourself to something like an ice cream or beer that will do more harm than good, treat yourself to good health.

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Breaking & Bad

Because most of us have been there right? Smoking weed, dropping acid, popping a pill, snorted blow…

It can seem like oh-so-much fun and so very exhilarating when you escape the confines of everyone who always told you drugs were bad. So many people are doing it. Can’t be all that bad. Right?

Remember your first time? The first hit is generally uncomfortable, the taste is odd. You take another drag…Everything begins to vibrate for some reason…things around you begin to turn into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Now who would not want to experience this outrageously euphoric feeling over and over again. To be able to surprisingly feel both numb and alive in the same moment, forget about all the worries of the world, just break free and have a good time. Why would anyone in their right mind deny himself of such an incredible adventure?

People who don’t do drugs usually come with major unattractive qualities, like always being sober and going home early, which makes us wary of their alternative motives. What could be more fun at home than dancing on tables and cutting your foot on glass at a club?!

So what if these drugs fry your brain and kill your brain cells. Not like they hand out OSCARS to people for having healthy brains.

Non drug users tend to err on the side of extreme caution. Their version of spontaneity is getting their popcorn buttered at the movie theater. When you are young, you should be living life to the fullest, making the most of your youth, going with the flow, expanding your consciousness, becoming one with nature. What will get you there??? No it’s not travelling, trekking, exploring, following your passion, socializing and all of that typical stuff…Drugs will get you there and take you places even though you will just be hallucinating; still the experience would be unparalleled. People who don’t take drugs miss out on the chance to open up and expose themselves on a different level.

Life can get really mundane and taxing at times. Sometimes you feel like you have had enough and you just want to run away from everything. You try to find a solution but the obvious ones that are available like getting help, talking to someone, changing your lifestyle could all require a lot of effort. On the other hand, drugs can prove to be the answer to all the problems in your life. Once you are high, not only will all your emotional pain and trauma disappear in thin air but you will also undergo a life changing experience, i.e., for as long as you live because drugs might kill you soon enough.Ever been fascinated by the prison life? Movies and T.V. shows sure make it seem so thrilling. Wondering how to get there? Follow a simple step. Let the Cops catch you with Drugs and in no time, you will find yourself inside a cell. You will be famous, the media will be all over you and if really lucky then someone might even write a book or a make a movie based on you. Drugs can be your instant shoot to fame.

“I have been fat all my life and I want to lose weight. I eat healthy and exercise and I am still fat.”

Most of us are struggling to lose a few pounds. We can follow the usual route like exercise, hit the gym, take up yoga, go on a diet. We might lose weight and become healthy eventually but that would require us to put in a lot of hard work and commitment. Why should we go through the pain of such a disciplined life when we can easily become slim and skinny by just doing drugs. Cocaine, for example, will make you lose weight really really fast. In fact, coke will suppress your appetite and your body won’t be able to store any fat, allowing you to achieve that perfect body image. You may suffer from some kidney problems, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, liver damage but hey let’s not deviate from the bigger picture here, i.e., to get those toned abs and cheekbones.

To top it all, in the future when your kids are hitting their teenage years and they  question you about drugs, imagine the amount of knowledge and data that you can share with them. You can tell them about all your experiences and maybe you can even give them their first joint rather than letting some random dealer do the job for you.

Obviously you will need lots of money to be able to get your hands on drugs because all things GOOD in life generally come at a price. Even if you have already lost all your money on drugs,  there is always Grandma’s chequebook? Dad’s big fat account? When those are gone there’s always little brothers piggy bank or SOMEONE TO ROB. In the end, getting the drugs and being high is what should be of foremost importance to you, regardless of what or how much you lose and who gets hurt in the process.

Not doing drugs won’t make you any special. You may get to keep those brain cells, your health and your life but you will never attain ‘Nirvana’ unless you have tried drugs. So give yourself to the higher power of drugs and bask in its glory until the day you overdose and CHOKE TO YOUR DEATH.

The next time you are tempted to do some drugs… pause. Just for a moment. Take a breath or two. And ask yourself…Do I really want to do this? Am I ready to deal with the consequences that arise from this? Is this the best choice I can make for myself?

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Health Issues Related to Drugs

Drugs have been a part of our culture since the middle of the last century. Popularized in the 1960s by music and mass media, they invade all aspects of our society. A number of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, stress, fun etc, could lead one to use drugs. Most people have tried some or the other form of drugs but why is it that only a few get addicted? Most drugs directly or indirectly target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine; a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. When drugs enter the brain, they can change how the brain performs its functions. These changes are what lead to compulsive drug use, the hallmark of addiction.

Although drug use is a choice, it is important to understand the effects of drug use – both immediate and long-term – to our brain, body and life.

Health Problems

The impact of drug abuse and dependence can be far-reaching, affecting almost every organ in the human body. A person on drugs may not realize they have a problem until pronounced effects of drug abuse are seen, often physically. While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one’s health. Some common effects are:

• Weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections.
• Sharing needles from injecting certain types of drugs can put one at major risk for getting diseases like Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, as well as HIV.
• Lead to cardiovascular conditions ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injected drugs can also lead to collapsed veins and infections of the blood vessels and heart valves.
• Cause nausea, vomiting, unusual sleeping patterns and abdominal pain.
• Liver damage or failure.
• Seizures, stroke and widespread brain damage that can impact all aspects of daily life by causing problems with memory, attention and decision-making, including sustained mental confusion and permanent brain damage.
• Produce global body changes such as breast development and impotence in men, dramatic fluctuations in appetite and increases in body temperature, which may impact a variety of health conditions.
• Drug related injuries occurring from accidents, violent behaviour, falling, etc,.

Effects on the Brain

Drug abuse can have prolonged effects on one’s brain, interfering with an individual’s ability to make decisions, leading to compulsive craving, seeking and use. Before people can realise, they are suffering from ‘Drug Dependency’. All drugs of abuse – nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and others – affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is part of the limbic system. Drugs hijack this “reward” system, causing unusually large amounts of dopamine to flood the system. This flood of dopamine is what causes the “high” or euphoria associated with drug abuse.

Psychological Effects

One of the primary effects of drug abuse can be found within the definition of drug abuse itself: an increasing, intense desire to use the drug above all else. Drug craving can shift a person’s entire mental focus to obtaining the drug. Side effects of drug abuse then include preoccupation with where to get the drug, how to get money for the drug, and where and when the drug can be used. Psychological drug abuse effects commonly include changes in mood. A person may be anxious, thinking about when they can next use the drug, or depressed due to drug side effects.

Few Psychological effects of drug abuse are:

• Paranoia
• Anxiety Disorder
• Depression and Schizophrenia
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations
• Addiction
• Impaired Judgment
• Impulsiveness
• Loss of Self-Control

Birth Defects

For pregnant Women who use illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, and heroin pose various risks for their babies. Some of these drugs can cause a premature delivery, babies could suffer from withdrawal symptoms, birth defects or learning and behavioral problems. Additionally, illicit drugs may be prepared unhygienically that may be harmful to a pregnancy. Women who use illicit drugs may engage in other unhealthy behaviors that place their pregnancy at risk, such as having extremely poor nutrition or developing sexually transmitted infections.

Lifestyle and Relationships

Drug abusers choose drugs over everybody else; that includes family and friends. One of the side effects of drug abuse is the loss of friendship and family due to these choices. Conflict and breakdowns in communication can become more common. Drug use can also affect our ability to concentrate at work. The side effects of using drugs-like a hangover, or a “coming down” feeling-can reduce the ability to focus at work, loss of productivity, etc., leading  to disciplinary action, expulsion or dismissal. Regular drug use is an expensive affair. In extreme situations, people who are addicted to drugs might try anything-including unlawful activities such as stealing, to secure money to get their next fix.

 

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