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When you can’t make it in for your regular martial arts classes, your training doesn’t have to stop. Along with martial arts training to continue improving and refining your skills, you can also work on improving your fitness from home.

Here are four aspects of martial arts fitness that you can train from home:

1. Endurance

Increasing your endurance benefits your martial arts training, as well as your daily life. Running, biking, and swimming are all great options to build your aerobic endurance. From home, your easiest options will obviously be biking and running. But if you do have access to a pool, swimming is an excellent low (or virtually zero) impact way to build more endurance.

2. Strength

Even if you don’t have access to a lot of strength training equipment, you can still work on increasing your strength from home. Bodyweight exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, situps, etc. can be done virtually anywhere. With simple pieces of equipment, like a set of...

A Jiu Jitsu martial arts practice has many health benefits for your body and your mind. With every class you attend, you are building habits that can lead to improvements in your physical and mental health.

By focusing all of your attention on a single activity, Jiu Jitsu, your training becomes like a moving meditation. When you become more mindful, you become more aware of your thoughts. Managing these thoughts means you experience less stress. And when you experience less stress, your overall health and daily life improve.

Here are a few ways that Jiu Jitsu promotes mindfulness:

1. Breathing.

One of the basic ways to create a strong connection between your body and mind is through breathing. Taking deep breaths where you’re focusing on the inhale and exhale creates a calmer mind, reduces heart rate, and improves performance. Shifting your focus to your breathing directs your attention away from the stress of the day. One hundred percent of your attention is on your Jiu Jitsu...

Through martial arts, kids develop both character-building and leadership skills. Here are a few skills from martial arts that encourage kids to be good leaders:

1. Focus

Martial arts students practice paying attention to their instructor while ignoring distractions. Students learn to focus only on what is relevant and responding appropriately. Being able to recognize and let go of the things that aren’t relevant to the task at hand is one of a leader’s many strengths.

2. Self-Discipline

A disciplined martial arts student has figured out the value of working hard and putting effort into their training. He or she has learned that training through repetition ultimately helps to accomplish a goal. At the same time, a leader recognizes the importance of committing to the learning process to achieve a future goal.

3. Respect

From the first time a student steps on to the mats, respect is a fundamental value of martial arts. Instructors expect all students to be respectful of...

If you’ve been thinking about starting Jiu Jitsu, you might have done a little bit of online research and discovered a variety of training options. Most Jiu Jitsu academies offer students a few different programs, including both group classes as well as private training.

So, how do you figure out which program is the best fit for you? Personal martial arts goals, along with your level of fitness and experience, will help you narrow it down.

If you’re leaning toward group training, but you’re still feeling a little nervous about getting started, here are just a few of the awesome things about group Jiu Jitsu classes:

1. Overcome the Intimidation Factor

Feeling like the new guy or girl in any group can be intimidating. However, what you’ll find with the Jiu Jitsu community is a group of supportive individuals and athletes who want you to benefit from the practice of Jiu Jitsu. Every person understands and respects what it feels like to be new. So...

With a new year just around the corner, now is the time to start planning how you will accomplish your personal goals. Jiu Jitsu can help you achieve your personal health, fitness, and lifestyle goals.

Here are just a few reasons to start the new year with Jiu Jitsu training:

1. You’ll meet new people.

It’s easy to fall into a routine of going to the gym, earbuds in, and working out with not much social interaction. Maybe you say hello to a few people, but perhaps not. If you’re looking for a way to meet a group of new people and get more social interaction, Jiu Jitsu is a great solution. Not only will you meet fellow students who you share some things in common, but you’ll also find a strong community that is both supportive and respectful.

2. Try a new challenge.

Whether you’ve been training Jiu Jitsu for a while or you’re brand new to martial arts, Jiu Jitsu is a great way to challenge yourself physically and mentally. In a Jiu Jitsu practice,...

Here are four ways to get the most out of your martial arts training:

1. Set goals.

One way to get the most out of your martial arts training is to define what you want to accomplish. Personal martial arts goals helps you focus your attention on a clear objective. Rather than trying to improve at everything all at one, targeting a smaller skillset improves your chance of success.

2. Stay consistent.

Consistency can also help you get the most out of your martial arts training. If you’re stuck in an inconsistent training routine, it’s hard to make progress. But when you build a consistent habit around your training, then you’re able to get better results. Don’t mistake consistency with frequency. A consistent practice doesn’t mean that you must train every day for three hours. Decide what is most realistic for you and your lifestyle and build from there.

3. Ask questions.

Martial arts training involves a lot of repetition and practice. But as you’re...

Jiu-jitsu has a positive impact on the physical and mental health of men, women, and kids of all ages and fitness levels. One of the mental skills that training jiu-jitsu impacts is self-confidence.

Building confidence through jiu-jitsu is the result of several factors, including:

• Improving your physical health and skills
• Recognizing small successes
• Setting realistic goals
• Practicing failing

Improve Physical Health & Skills

Jiu-jitsu training is a great workout that teaches you how to defend yourself against an attacker of any size or shape. Knowing that you have the skills to defend yourself against a threat can boost your confidence. At the same time, maintaining a high level of fitness can do a lot in giving you confidence in your body.

Recognize Small Successes

Accomplishing goals can provide an increase in your self-confidence. To keep a steady stream of accomplishments, set small goals for yourself. When you achieve something small, take time to acknowledge the work and...

If you’re looking to make the most of your martial arts practice, take some time to think about what it is you want to achieve. One way to narrow your focus and increase your chances for success is through goal-setting.

Putting aside some time to set SMART goals for martial arts will help you with creating goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.

Specific

Be as specific as you can about the goal you want to achieve. For example, you might want to work toward your next belt promotion. To make this goal specific, you could set a goal like, “Earn my blue belt by ________.” And outline the specific things you will need to do to get your blue belt. Or if you’re working toward getting more fit through martial arts, a specific goal could be “I want to lose 10 pounds by _______.”

Measurable

Without a way to measure the progress of your goal, you will never be able to gauge how you are doing. Starting with a specific goal...

What is your approach to recovering after a martial arts class? If you’ve never thought about that question before, you’re not alone. Most of us tend to focus on the work that we put in during class. But then we forget that what we do in between training sessions is just as important.

Recovery is where gains happen. Yes, you need to push yourself and work hard to achieve your goals. But if you’re only ever pushing with little or no recovery, then you’ll be on your way to a physical roadblock. These roadblocks show up in the form of overtraining, lack of motivation, extreme tiredness, injury, and even burnout.

Here are three simple ways you can improve your martial arts recovery:

1. Nutrition

Not everyone follows the same diet as many personal factors go into what is best for each individual. But in general, try to choose real foods that are whole, nutritious, and minimally processed. To help with recovery, make sure you’re eating quality foods...