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The Complete Guide to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
What it really costs, what you'll actually do on the mats, and how to decide if BJJ is worth your time and money before you sign up
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Why People Love It
Welcome to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If you've never stepped onto a mat in your life, you probably have a mental picture that's a mix of MMA fight scenes, a friend-of-a-friend's Instagram highlights, and that one video you saw of a tiny person flipping a much larger person onto their back. That last part is actually closest to the truth, but it's still only a sliver of the picture.
So let's start over. What is this thing, really, when it's not a highlight reel?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ, is a grappling martial art. That means you and a partner start standing up, and the goal is to take each other down to the ground, and then use holds, pressure, and joint locks or chokes to get the other person to give up. In BJJ, you don't win by striking someone. You win by controlling them on the floor, and ultimately by making them tap out — either because they're trapped in a choke or because a joint is being bent in a way that, if they don't tap, will cause real damage.
That's the simple technical explanation. But the day-to-day reality is something else entirely. Let me walk you through what it actually looks like to do this hobby three times a week for a couple of months.
You'll show up at a gym that probably smells like a mix of sweat, cleaning solution, and rubber mats. You'll change into a