A Jiu-jitsu Times reader asks: “Hello, I have a question I have never seen much written about in the past.
What is the best way of getting friends into BJJ, or at least trying a couple of times to see if they like it?
I tend to have friends show interest but then never really give it a chance.
We all know the benefits of BJJ but what is the best way to communicate those things and encourage friends to give it a shot?”
Jiu-jitsu Times: This is a great question.
If we are addicted to jiu-jitsu, we want to let our friends in on the secret too!
How do we convince our friends to check out Brazilian jiu-jitsu?
They may ask “Is it like karate or UFC?”
My first (and most convenient) suggestion would be to share one of these videos with them to give them an idea of what is jiu-jitsu all about.
These are all EXCELLENT videos to expose someone to the art of jiu-jitsu.
The Art Of JiuJitsu Feat Rickson and Kron Gracie, Kurt Osiander, Braulio Estima, Romulo Barral
The Spirit Of Jiu Jitsu
Rickson and Royler BJJ demonstration
Your friend will likely see a cool move in one of the videos and ask you how to do it or what exactly happened?
Secondly, I would invite my friends to:
A) Try a FREE introductory class at your academy. That way they can feel the positive vibe and energy of the academy and see how friendly people are.
B) Invite them to come with you to an open mat time at the academy and show them a few moves.
Lend them one of your kimonos and show them a few armlocks and bottom escapes so they can experience the feeling of being controlled and submissions.
Just like any other activity like salsa dancing or skate boarding, playing guitar – not everyone is going to love it.
That is ok.
At least they were exposed to something new and gave it a try.
I wrote an article for Gracie Barra titled “3 Reasons Your Friends Should Try Jiu-jitsu” in which one of the things I felt was happening in our lives was how the smart phone and 24 / 7 access to social media enabled us to stay in touch with 100+ people all day.
However, that interaction might be limited to “liking” someone’s Facebook photo of their lunch!
Gracie Barra
Getting your friend to come to bjj class with you will increase that REAL human interaction time that we all need as mentally and emotionally healthy people.
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