Yoga for Jiu-Jitsu and MMA

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello, I am a 22 year old male, I am currently out of shape due to some really bad depression in the past however I am actively fixing that, including getting back into MMA (Focusing on Jiu-jitsu). Yoga has always been a huge interest of mine, but I havent given it much of a try. There are several reasons i am interested in bringing yoga into my daily life; I know it is an amazing work out, I tend to get overly stressed and ‘wound up’, and the flexibility it offers for jiu-jitsu is simply amazing.

I know threads like this have been posted but my question is can anyone suggest a line of dvd’s or websites that would better promote exactly what im trying to do. Any sites on the general knowledge of yoga would be great, also.

I understand there is a way to search for htis kind of information, and i know its been asked 100 times before, but i’m not really good at navigating forums and end up getting lost or distracted from my original goal.

Any help would be amazing, thank you.

#2

Why would one prefer the help of electric devices when there can be had the presence of a fellow living human being … That is a gift you can’t really pay. Are DVD’s cheaper ? Perhaps. But this kind of thinking is so short sighted, and clearly shows what amount of attention one is ready to “pay” to the discipline of yoga.

I mean, did you learn your jiu-jitsu from DVDs ?

Find someone who can look up to. Be that because they are stronger, suppler, calmer, more peaceful than you. Find someone who you can respect, feel connected to, and whose presence you cherish. It is not the practice what brings us forward, but the love for the practice we do. An inspiring example is invaluable. You might pay a monthly fee, but with a good teacher/instructor, you’ll get much more than the amount of money spent (what usually is a bargain).

Don’t tell me there is none. There is always a teacher around, you just need to asess his/her presence. (That was deep, I am a tough mofo)

#3

Ultimate Flexibility: Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts by Sang H. Kim (Book and DVD)

Yoga by DVD…I wouldn’t do it but if that is what you want there are a lot of DVDs for Yoga out there

#4

The book mentioned above sounds good.

yogatoday.com have a free weekly class online, plus lots more if you choose to pay the membership, but they have nothing specific for martial arts.

Taekwondo’s my thing, and I find power yoga complements it well. I picked up Baron Baptiste’s book “Journey Into Power” for a bargain price a few years ago and that has an all round daily practice in it. Actually, I think Baptiste himself was a martial artist for a while. Anyway, that’s as close as I’ve gotten to finding a complementary practice for martial art, but, truthfully, I think ANY practice is beneficial for it!

#5

I would suggest intu-flow by Scott Sonnon. He has a free program on youtube. He’s a martial art’s hall of fame inductee and has TONS of experience in martial arts and yoga. He also has a prasara yoga series, but it all starts with intu flow!

youtube: intu flow beginner