I have been practicing martial arts for 23 years, more specifically in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I decided to help some people who have doubts about it or are researching when to start practicing, where, with whom, and what material to use.
W
W
Teaching yourself
Nowadays there are several applications and videos on youtube, which try to sell this idea that we can learn martial arts alone, without the guidance of a qualified professional or instructor. This is a mistaken thought, even for individual fights, as in Boxing for example.
How are you going to apply a blow, without an instructor to correct your posture, your correct breathing mode, how to move properly, strike without injury, among other aspects.
In close fights, like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it is impossible to learn alone, you will need a partner to study and execute the techniques, for a sparing training, to learn to fall without getting hurt, to apply a blow preventing you from injuring yourself and your training partner, and most importantly, you will need an instructor.
The only way to learn martial arts alone is in theory, through historical and in-depth studies, in articles, books, etc. The truth is that we must look for certified and properly registered instructors and academies in official federations. The list of martial arts training centers around the world is vast, mainly of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).
Do your homework
Do a lot of research, see the history and comments about some academy and their instructors, good research avoids mistakes at the beginning of the martial arts journey.
Many martial artists did a lot of research before they started practicing. I mention the example of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, because I have 23 years of experience, I saw examples years ago in VHS, I watched the beginning of the UFC (Ultimate fighting Championship), and with that I decided to dedicate more than half of my life to Jiu-jitsu.
I watched many martial arts films, which later fell into credibility, because when I discovered Brazilian jiu-jitsu and more precisely the Gracie family, I saw that in real life everything is different.
Books
If you want to deepen your studies in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there are several books that can help you get started. I will quote some bibliographies that helped me on this path:
- Gracie Jiu-Jitsu by Grandmaster Helio Gracie
- jiu-Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro
- Mastering The 21 immutable Principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Paulo Guillobel
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Theory and Technique by Renzo and Royler Gracie
- The Black Belt Blue Print – An Intelligent Approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Nicolas Gregoriades
- The Gracie Way- An Illustrated history of the Gracie Family
- On Jiu-Jitsu by Chris Matakas
- And watch the documentary called “Choke” by Rickson Gracie
You can purchase this content online, and the average price varies between 30 to 50 dollars approximately, or access youtube and see the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
YouTube
An interesting thing about all this is the speed in the information in which the reader will find this information, if the reader searches for “Gracie Jiu-jitsu” on youtube for example, he will find a vast list of videos of fights, interviews, championships, real fights street art to prove the invincibility of art, gym challenges, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) origins, grappling events (No Gi or Submission Grappling), fighters’ diet, physical training for fights, which countries stand out the most, who are the greatest champions of the past and today, famous artists who practice jiu-jitsu, and other related matters.
Gear
To enter the world of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu you will need specific material; Kimono, Belt, usually some gyms ask you to purchase a rashguard (lycra shirt) to wear under the gi. If the reader is going to opt for a large academy, which are usually franchises, they even provide their own material, and the price varies widely between them.
The prices of the Martial Arts Centers vary a lot, it depends a lot on the region, the location, the instructor, because he can be recognized in several entities and in the international media.
The average of a membership can vary between 80 to 150 dollars approximately, and the academies use some forms of contract, for example: Registration fees (including the gi), contracts for children, for adults, special discounts for members of the same family, 3 months of contract, 6 months of contract, as was mentioned, this varies a lot between franchises.
If you want to buy a good kimono, they are sold on average for approximately US $ 80, and with it already comes the white belt, which is the beginner’s belt, recommending the purchase of two kimonos, for hygiene reasons, of course , depending on the training routine, if you are going to train every day, two or more kimonos are recommended.
The price of the kimonos varies according to the brand, it would be as if you were going to buy a sneaker, there is the specific brand that the athlete “X” wears, which for sure will be a kimono with a higher price, and there are also local brands or regional, a good tip is to look for these local brands, as access is easier and the price is usually much lower.
Conclusion
Do a lot of research, get informed before starting to practice any type of martial arts, the list on the web is huge.
I hope I have helped you on this issue of self-teaching martial arts!
