Is Jiu-Jitsu Tough on the Body?

Before you take up jiu-jitsu as a hobby, you should be aware that it can be quite strenuous. While jiu-jitsu proves to be an incredibly beneficial hobby in multiple ways, it can be equally tough on your body.

Jiu-jitsu is a physically demanding activity that can cause discomfort. At times, that discomfort can be mild and resolve itself with time. In other cases, the rigor of jiu-jitsu can lead to serious injury. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to minimize the toll jiu-jitsu places on your body.  

Let's explore some of the ways that jiu-jitsu can be tough on the body. Later, we'll introduce you to some methods you can use to reduce your risk of pain and injury while training.

In What Ways is Jiu-Jitsu Tough on the Body?

Pain and injury are unfortunate realities of jiu-jitsu. But knowing what to watch out for can help you avoid a lot of those issues. The most prevalent types of bodily distress you'll experience while training jiu-jitsu are:

• Soreness from regular training

• Muscle, tendon, and ligament strains

• Serious injuries

Read on through the next sections to learn more about how jiu-jitsu puts your body at risk. After you understand how those problems can arise, you'll be ready to address and avoid them before they affect you.

Jiu-Jitsu Causes Soreness

A single intense jiu-jitsu training session can cause muscle soreness that lingers for days. Jiu-jitsu requires you to use many muscle groups over a relatively long time span. You also find yourself in new and unique positions that require you to move your body in ways that may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

It's nearly impossible to train jiu-jitsu without experiencing some degree of soreness. Beginners will be especially susceptible to muscle soreness, especially when they have little to no background in martial arts or athletics.

However, muscle soreness is rarely a cause for legitimate concern. In most instances, the soreness will subside with adequate rest. Soreness will also become a less common occurrence as you become more accustomed to practicing the movements of jiu-jitsu regularly.

Training Jiu-Jitsu Can Cause Strains

It's common for jiu-jitsu practitioners to experience mild strains and mild tears to their muscles and connective tissues. Some positions in jiu-jitsu require significant mobility. When you lack flexibility, it's much easier for you to experience a strain while in those positions.

Warming up before you train can help immensely if you wish to avoid strains. However, even with an adequate warm-up, it's still possible to experience one of these injuries due to the intensity that can arise while you train and spar.

The strains you may experience while training jiu-jitsu can range in their severity. However, many of these injuries will improve on their own if you take time off from training. While taking a break from an exciting hobby like jiu-jitsu isn't much fun, your time away will reduce the chances you'll reaggravate your injury. Allowing your strains to heal also contributes to your overall longevity on the mats.

Jiu-Jitsu Can Cause Serious Injuries

Occasionally, jiu-jitsu training can result in serious injuries. Again, these injuries can take many forms, but some are more common than others. Ligament tears are among the most prevalent injuries you should seek to avoid. But bone breaks, dislocations, and other injuries can occur as well. The ligaments of the knee are often particularly susceptible to injury while training jiu-jitsu and can take a long time to heal.

Some submission holds, such as heel hooks, are known to cause these severe long-term injuries. However, many different grappling situations can cause these injuries as well. As such, it's wise to recognize and avoid injury risks as often as you can while training.  

When you experience a serious injury, you'll have no choice but to sit out until you are back to full strength. Unfortunately, some injuries may never fully heal, which is why injury prevention is so crucial to your enjoyment of jiu-jitsu.

How to Protect Your Body While Training Jiu-Jitsu

The prevalence of injury might deter some from trying jiu-jitsu. But thankfully, there are ways you can protect your body while you train. Let's explore some of the best methods of keeping your body safe so that you can enjoy jiu-jitsu as a hobby for as long as you wish.

Tap Early to Submission Holds

Well-applied submission holds give your opponent a choice. They can either submit or risk pain and injury. When you find yourself caught in a submission during training, it's your responsibility to tap out before injury occurs. Your ego may convince you to hold off on submitting but doing so is not sensible.

Know When to Take a Training Break

If you experience growing pain or fatigue, consider taking a break from training. An occasional break is an excellent way to refresh your body and mind. Taking some time off can also help your body recover from training and make serious injury less likely.

Emphasize Recovery in Your Training Routine

Regardless of whether you are injured or not, you should incorporate recovery into your training routine. Stretching, icing, and other recovery methods will help restore your body and prepare it for your next training session.

Maintain Control of Your Body

One of your goals in jiu-jitsu should be to always maintain control of your body. Developing that control takes time but is well worth the effort. Better control of your body will not only make your techniques more effective but will also reduce the odds of an accidental injury.

Be Wary of Dangerous Grappling Situations

Some positions and submissions are more likely to cause injury than others. For example, leg locks have a notorious reputation for causing knee ligament injuries. But leg locks are far from the only potentially dangerous grappling situations. As you train, you'll become better able to notice and prevent hazardous grappling scenarios.

Be Fearful of Falling Bodyweight

While leg locks are perhaps the most notorious for causing jiu-jitsu injuries, there are other equally threatening situations that can arise. For instance, falling bodyweight can be even more dangerous. When takedowns, guard pulls, and other standing techniques go awry, you or your partner may land on one another or a nearby pair of training partners, which comes with a serious risk of injury.

Train with the Right Training Partners

Some training partners will be more conscious of pain and injury than others. Choosing to train exclusively with those who respect how tough jiu-jitsu can be on the body is one of the best preventative measures you can take against injury.

Value Safety over Competition During Training

Many of your training partners will enter training sessions with the goal of winning at all costs. This approach makes training drastically less safe. Never value defeating your training partners over their physical well-being. Instead, make avoiding unnecessary harm your priority while you train.

Conclusion

While jiu-jitsu can be tough on the body, it remains an amazing hobby that has a lot to offer you. But before you reap those rewards, know the risks of training jiu-jitsu and a few of the top ways you can avoid them.