Jiu Jitsu - Would Yoga Help?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi Everyone!

I am new to this forum, and new to Yoga in general. Truth be told, I have not gone to a class (although my wife is an avid Yoga practicioner)

I do however study martial arts- mainly Karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I have noticed an increase in flexibility over the years since training, but would love to up the game a little and have heard that Yoga can help tremendously. Some of our moves in Jiu Jitsu (i.e. rubber guard) involves quite a bit of flexibility to effectively pull off and I’m just not there yet.

Is there a quick regime or warm up that I could incorporate as part of my training program? Any links or recommended books for a first timer? Should I start with hot yoga?

Thanks!! :stuck_out_tongue:

Dan

#2

Hi, Wild. Welcome to the forums!
Yeah, lots of asanas help people get at physical stopping points they couldn’t get at with what they were doing before. A class is definitely the best way to start. If you like getting a peek at what you’re heading in to, Yoga Journal has an online catalog of moves and you can search them by body part, here:
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/finder/anatomical_focus

Being a spouse myself, I’d also encourage you to take this opportunity to explore a part of your wife’s life (ie, also direct this question to her, find out if her class is also appropriate for you.)

I’m curious – does your Jiu Jitsu training not prep your body adequately?

Oh, and BTW – yoga gets at stopping points that aren’t in your physical body, too. You can expect awareness cultivated on the mat to support or challenge you in other ways, as well. (you many have noticed something similar in jiu jitsu, depending on how your instructors handle intent and threat assessment.)

#3

Hey Techne,

Thanks for that link- that gives me a great jumping off point…I’m a very visual person too so this is perfect!

Jiu jitsu is a very rough sport that relies heavily on technique rather than force- although most of the time whether it be in tournaments or training you are almost always faced with an opponent that uses muscle to ‘force’ a submission or dominant position. Which can lead to some tight and quick manuevering to escape.

We have many warm ups and excercises that help prepare us for this, but for overall flexibility and more importantly recovery I am wondering what sort of affect a yoga regime would play.

And yes I’ve heard that yoga can compliment mental clarity and awareness much like martial arts.

Thanks for the suggestions! :stuck_out_tongue:

#4

Yep, getting you out of ‘fight or flight’ so that your blood can go where it needs to (not restricted to “oh, no, we’re about to get cut, so stay out of the arms and legs”) . . . that’s all part of it, too.

So, you caught my reference to supporting mental clarity and awareness; there is a shadow side . . . and maybe this won’t come up for you, or maybe it will. Sometimes the things we’re not aware of are surprising. Becoming aware of them can challenge assumptions we’ve had about who we are and whether that’s the same as who we’re supposed to be. Not every opponent meets us in a ring; not every teacher looks like a friend.

That’s where yoga comes off the mat.

#5

I had an interesting realization … and wanted to share in this thread, as it is closest to it’s subject. (It is still far form it, so bare me)

Well. Karate. In certain styles, there are special exercises, called katas, where various moves are linked into a solo coreography.

While watching karate videos on youtube, I just realized what katas are. They are body mantras !
We speak to express our thinking. We use mantras for purposes … well, most yogis at least heard of them.
Same is with karate katas. They teach the body, not the ego. They are repeated many times, until the body necomes accustomed with them, and their use is not that they make you be a smart fighter. Their use is to become an instinctive fighter. You will not have to think while fighting. Ok, when I say “body” I do not mean the physical vehicle, but perhaps those parts of our brains connected to these functions.* We all learn to walk, dance, and perform various bodily movements, and they become automatic. This is true to the measure that if requires great concentration to move while actually thinking about it first.

  • I just used the brain example because it is part of today’s common knowledge. What I have learnt that all these so called instinctive processes and fucntions are goverened by consciusness higher than ours.

Anyway, if you are a traditional karate practitioner, do not neglect katas. Katas do prepare your body for trouble it does not face in competitive matches. The wisdom in them is higher than that of our normal consciusness. And … I even heard of people who became enlightened by practicing their martial art. So it is not just any fighting. It is fighting ignornace, at it’s best.

#6

Nice work, Hubert.

My sensei insisted that katas be repeated with vigor, attention, and intent; in this way, they also help one connect with the fact that this vigor, attention, and intent are from within and are not dependent on an assailant provoking them in you.

#7

[QUOTE=Destiny’s Wild;22354]Hi Everyone!

I am new to this forum, and new to Yoga in general. Truth be told, I have not gone to a class (although my wife is an avid Yoga practicioner)

I do however study martial arts- mainly Karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I have noticed an increase in flexibility over the years since training, but would love to up the game a little and have heard that Yoga can help tremendously. Some of our moves in Jiu Jitsu (i.e. rubber guard) involves quite a bit of flexibility to effectively pull off and I’m just not there yet.

Is there a quick regime or warm up that I could incorporate as part of my training program? Any links or recommended books for a first timer? Should I start with hot yoga?

Thanks!! :stuck_out_tongue:

Dan[/QUOTE]

Hello Dan!!!

Martial Artist here as well. Shodan in Aikido plus some years in Jiu Jitsu.

One of the things which I was surprised about on my first yoga class was how similar the warm up was to my usual warm up in my Aikido clases. Around 80-90% i about the same.

Yoga does improve flexibility, but knowing in first hand how a martial arts regimen looks like, I would say you won’t gain a lot of additional flexibility than the one you can in your regular Jiu Jitsu class.

Yoga in the other hand would help you for a lot of additional features, like concentration, relaxation, decrease in anxiety (which is, I think, the worst mistake we martial artists have), and increase in muscle recovery time…

So you can benefit from Yoga indeed… :smiley: