We know, we know — missing out on jiu-jitsu sucks right now, and there’s no telling how long it will be until we’re able to train in the gym again. But while it’s easy to see the bad in the situation, there are certain benefits that come with a long jiu-jitsu hiatus. Do they outweigh the difficulties of not being able to train? Well, no. But when using a chair to drill guard passes starts to feel old, remember these silver linings:
1. Your injuries can finally heal.
Raise your hand if you tend to jump back into training too soon after an injury. Yeah, that’s what I thought. We jiu-jitsu people are stubborn folks, and many of us train through injuries or those weird “not quite injuries but painful enough” situations. If you don’t have an at-home drilling partner you’re going balls-to-the-wall with every day, your joints and muscles are probably getting a well-deserved break from getting beat up multiple times a week. While waking up sore every day is worth it for most of us, we can also take this time to enjoy not being in pain for a change.
2. You have less laundry to do.
It’s amazing how not rolling around in your and other people’s sweat every night can reduce your laundry load. They say that jiu-jitsu is like folding clothes with the people still in them, but sometimes, it can feel like you spend more time doing laundry than actually training. This time away is a pleasant reminder of what life is like when half of the clothes you wear aren’t specifically dedicated to jiu-jitsu.
3. Two words: long nails.
Whether or not you enjoy having your nails done, you can’t deny that it’s kind of great not having to worry about keeping them trimmed all the time. Have you scratched your own head lately? It feels awesome if your nails aren’t tiny nubs. Even if you don’t like to keep your nails long in the first place, it’s still nice to not have to rush to clip them if you let them grow out a few days longer than normal.
4. You have more free time.
To be fair, everyone’s definition of “free” time varies wildly during this crazy time of our lives. But even if your time normally spent training is now spent catching up on your to-do list at home or wrangling multiple stir-crazy kids, it’s kind of nice to have the time to get it done. Maybe you’re using your regularly scheduled class time to do solo drills or try other ways to stay in shape, or maybe you’re just using it to spend quality time with your family. Now, you don’t have to feel guilty about skipping jiu-jitsu to do something else for a change. The mats will be there when you come back, and it’s ok to take advantage of this time to spend your time in other ways.
5. Your skin and hair can catch a break.
Jiu-jitsu tends to wreak havoc on our skin and hair. From breakouts to breakage, we all know by now that jiu-jitsu isn’t a sport for the vain. If BJJ has been the only thing standing in the way between you and a modeling career, good news: now, a global pandemic is the only thing standing in the way between you and a modeling career. If you have long hair, enjoy this time of not getting it ripped out in clumps while you can.
Are there any other positive sides to a BJJ break that you’re enjoying? Let us know!
