KOLD News 13Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for Fitness Friday

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for Fitness Friday

By Jenny Anchondo - bio | email

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) In a workout that is like a mix of acrobatics, middle school gym and play wrestling with your brothers, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is basically ground fighting and self defense.

 "I guess I started out with self defense in mind and now I just think it is fun," said Primero Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student Yael Grauer.

 Grauer has been doing some form of martial arts for the past few years and more recently started focusing on Jiu Jitsu.  She was able to make me tap out over and over again.  However, her success is all about her skills, not necessarily her strength, said Primero Senior Instructor, Joe Solorio.

"I used to have a saying in wrestling, that we'd say technique makes them weak and it really applies to Jiu Jitsu," Solorio said.

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu physics, body dynamics and geometry are what make you successful, said Primero Instructor, Richard Bueno.

"Jiu Jitsu was actually developed for smaller people, less strength all that stuff so a woman doing Jiu Jitsu will be very successful," Bueno said.

Class starts out with 30 minutes of warm up and conditioning, which pretty much wears you out, so you have to use technique.

Then the class is led through 30 minutes of instruction to learn new submission moves.

"You have to think a lot while you do it but it is really physical, so I like the strategy behind it," Grauer said.

Finally, there is a half hour of grappling.

 "Just rolling around in the back yard with your brothers and sisters, that is grappling," Solorio said.

It isn't a way to get out aggression, but rather release energy and learn how submit your opponent, Bueno said.

"Every day in Jiu Jitsu is a new thing, it is a new challenge and I still learn today," said Bueno.

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