Jiu Jitsu Class

This week I tried two classes of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I warmed up with the class and then I was paired with guy who worked with me on a couple variations of the class drill for. The first class didn't really make much sense. It wasn't until after the class that I started thinking through the steps for each maneuver that it started to click. At first glance it looks like everyone is just rolling around on the mats, but there's actually quite a science and strategy to everything.

This particular martial art is focused on grappling with lots of joint locks, submissions and chokes. But the first steps are simply learning the basic escapes. Jiu Jitsu training seems to hold up well against most other martial arts. Once the fight goes to the ground, fancy kicks and punches fail.

Tonight's class made a bit more sense, partially because we were doing some more fundamental moves. Throughout each maneuver there's a place for each limb, joint, hand and foot. And if something isn't in the right place, you get beat.

After running through a couple drills we paired up against the more experienced guys. Just when I thought I had learned something, I realized how much more fine tuning is required to resist just little more resistance...

If nothing else, it seems like a great workout. The class seems relatively low key and not too macho. Originally I thought it was an all guys things, but a couple women showed up tonight. That further shows that size and strength aren't the sole determinants of a fight.

I'll make the decision to sign up over the next few days. It's definitely a commitment, but it seems like a good skill to pick up.