The Effects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling martial art that emphasizes ground fighting and the use of leverage to overcome opponents. The research on the effects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a form of exercise is at yet limited, but suggests it is fantastic for upper body strength and muscular endurance, and average for cardiovascular fitness and flexibility. There is also some limited data suggesting a relatively high risk of injury in competition Jiu-Jitsu, comparable to wrestling but lower than football.

  1. VO2 Max

    • A 2011 study published in the Journal “Science and Sports” tested a group of Jiu-Jitsu athletes on a number of physical abilities. VO2 Max represents a person's ability to mobilize and use oxygen during activity and is usually tested using a treadmill. The Jiu-Jitsu athletes showed an average VO2 max of 49.4. This considered “medium” by the American College of Sports Medicine and is a little lower than typically seen in other grappling arts such as judo or wrestling.

    Upper Body Strength-Endurance

    • Upper body strength-endurance represents the time that athletes can exert full force before their strength wanes. This was tested with several exercises. The Jiu-Jitsu athletes completed an average of 39 push-ups and 52 sit-ups in one minute, and could produce an average of 5 lbs of force per pound of body weight in a back strength test. These scores are all excellent and higher than those commonly reported in judoka and wrestlers.

    Flexibility

    • Researchers have carried out multiple tests to assess the flexibility of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes. To do this, they use the sit and reach test, where athletes sit down with their legs straight and reach forward as far as they can. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes performed well on this test, suggesting that training in this sport improves flexibility in the back, hips, hamstrings and glutes. The results of the sit and reach in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes tends to be higher than that displayed by judo players and wrestlers.

    Injuries

    • Ethan Kreiswirth is the Director of Athletic Training Education at Concordia University and provides assistance to injured players at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions. His records indicate an injury incidence rate of 24.9 per 1000 matches, with the knee and elbow being the most commonly injured areas. This is lower than seen in football (35.9), similar to wrestling (25.4) and higher than soccer (18.8), hockey (16.3) and lacrosse (12.6). Note that in all sports, injuries in competition are more common than in training, so the risk is lower if you don't intend to compete.