---
title: 10 Reasons to Start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)
date: 2026-01-02T11:27:00+01:00
author: "henk@noregt.com"
canonical_url: "https://www.renzogracietilburg.nl/en/news/10-reasons-to-start-bjj"
section: Nieuws
---
# 10 Reasons to Start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)

 

 

 

 *02 January 2026* | [Lees dit in het Nederlands](https://www.renzogracietilburg.nl/nieuws/10-redenen-om-met-braziliaans-jiu-jitsu-bjj-te-beginnen)

 ![Promoties 2025 07 0756 web](/afbeeldingen/nieuws/_groot/18579/promoties-2025-07-0756-web.avif) 

Do you want to learn how to defend yourself? Or do you want to get fitter? Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a proven effective martial art that is a real athletic challenge and suitable for everyone!

 

 

 

 

 Interested in trying it yourself? Sign up for a **trial class**!

 

[Trial class](/en/trial-class)

 

 

 

  ## 1. Self-Defense

 

90% of street fights end up on the ground. What is better than having the perfect tools to control the situation or prevent being taken down in the first place?

BJJ gives you the ability to control someone in a way that you choose, without putting yourself in danger.

 

 

 

  ## 2. Proven Effective

 ![Renzo Gracie pride](/afbeeldingen/nieuws/_klein/18485/Renzo-Gracie_pride.avif) 

BJJ became famous through the “Gracie challenge.” ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gracie_Challenge)) ’. Since the 1920s, the Gracie family has challenged anyone to open fights to prove that BJJ is the most effective style in the world. They defeated boxers, karateka, hapkido practitioners, etc.

This eventually led to the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which Royce Gracie dominated in its early editions.

[Renzo Gracie](https://www.renzogracie.nl/) is another legendary fighter from this family who has proven the effectiveness of BJJ against various styles.

 

 

 

  ## 3. Ideal Self-Defense for Women

 ![Dutch open 2024 3864 web](/afbeeldingen/nieuws/_klein/18487/dutch-open-2024-3864-web.avif) 

BJJ is particularly suitable for women because with technique and balance you can neutralize differences in size and strength. Once you master the basics, you have a significant advantage over people who have no idea how ground fighting or submissions work.

 

 

 

  ## 4. Suitable for Everyone, Any Age

  

  ![BJJ for kids](/afbeeldingen/nieuws/_klein/1416/rgh-seminar-1991-med.avif) 

BJJ is a sport of controlling your opponent. It is not a sport where you strike each other as in many other full contact sports. This makes BJJ suitable for men, women, children, young and old.

The unique aspect of BJJ is that you learn techniques that match your body type. Some people are bigger and heavier and will focus more on pressure and control. If you are smaller, you focus more on technique and speed, and if you are tall and lean, you can use your legs effectively.

The age of our members ranges from 4 to 60+!

For children, there is the [**BJJ kids class**](https://www.renzogracietilburg.nl/en/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-for-kids-juniors).

 

 

 

  ## 5. You Get Much Fitter

 ![Promoties 2025 07 0770](/afbeeldingen/nieuws/_klein/18582/BJJ-fundamentals.avif) 

If you don’t feel like boringly running on a treadmill or lifting weights, BJJ is ideal for you. In BJJ you train your whole body without even noticing it. Because you are trying to improve your position while your partner is trying to do the same, you push yourself to your limits—and so does your partner.

 

 

 

  ## 6. Weight Loss

 

BJJ is a fun workout, and if you do it regularly, you lose weight quickly—not only during the class itself but also the next day as your body continues to work. And the better you get, the more you’ll want to train simply because it’s fun.

 

 

 

  ## 7. Body Control

 

With BJJ you learn a tremendous amount about how the mechanics of your body work and how you can apply them against someone else. No wonder BJJ is often called “human chess.” Every movement leads to a follow-up movement and ends in a submission when someone finds the decisive technique.

 

 

 

  ## 8. It Creates a Bond with Your Clubmates

 ![Promoties 2025 07 0907](/afbeeldingen/nieuws/_klein/18581/promoties-2025-07-0907.avif) 

BJJ is a real team sport. You need each other to get better. Unlike many traditional martial arts, BJJ practitioners frequently share techniques with each other. It is absolutely normal for an advanced BJJ student to explain how you could have escaped a position after rolling.

 

 

 

  ## 9. It’s Fun to Do!

  

  

BJJ has enormous depth. You learn the basics in a few months, but you can continue for decades to truly master all aspects of the sport. You start with a few basic techniques, but the challenge is to apply them against someone who does not want to cooperate. As you progress you learn when to apply which techniques, how to vary them and how to combine them.

 

 

 

  ## 10. Self-Confidence

 

You can defend yourself, your fitness has improved enormously, your body control is better, and you gained a circle of friends. But ultimately, you feel good because you achieved all this and still have much more to achieve!

 

 

 

   [< Nieuwer](https://www.renzogracietilburg.nl/en/news/how-to-motivate-children-to-play-sports-5-tips) [Ouder >](https://www.renzogracietilburg.nl/en/news/bjj-dutch-open-2025)