Depression can be debilitating in a persons life.   During a season of depression people often feel tired, weak and low on energy.   Individuals who experience depression find it hard to find the drive to do even the little things in everyday life.   According to the Center for Disease Control, only 6% of Adults in The United States experience heavy depression but it is safe to assume that everybody experiences depression at least one time in their lives.   When it comes to remedies for depression physical exercise is at the top of the list and it should be.  Nothing could be better for your body and your mind than to stimulate them both; put yourself to work and enjoy a pleasing amount of endorphins.  This blogger argues that depression is nothing more than unused energy waiting to get out.  If not channeled into some form of positive outlet it will manifest itself into boredom and self-centeredness.  So what does this mean for the person who is experiencing depression right now? Go for a run? Sure.  Join a gym to gain physical stamina and uplift your spirits? Ok, but what if the gym isn’t your thing; the impersonal environment with people that you don’t know, maybe you talk to them or just make eye contact occasionally.   Maybe you do go the gym but after a while the repetition of lifting weights gets tiring after a while and then eventually becomes boring altogether.  It’s difficult to find motivation when undesirable situations cause mental blockage. 

            What does this have to do with Jujitsu? Everything.  BJJ is not only considered the most effective martial art but also a great workout with incredible results for both your body and your mind.  Students who come into Guillobel who have never participated in any type of martial arts before have seen the fruits of their labor both physical and mental.  Some say that they have found it to be the most effective workout they’ve ever experienced.  Every moment in practicing jujitsu or “rolling” your body is constantly moving while exerting energy and strength giving your body a physical condition that would take hours and months lifting weights in various positions to achieve the kind of physical statue practicing BJJ grants. Another unique part of a BJJ gym is the sense of community.  

Practicing BJJ allows you to train with complete strangers at times forcing yourself to focus when going through drills while at the same time respecting your partner to help her/him through theirs.  It takes you out of your world and brings you into something bigger.  People who workout with partners often train harder.  When you train BJJ its almost guaranteed you will be training with somebody else giving you the opportunity to get to know other people and achieving goals together.   When people engage in physical in a positive atmosphere with others their sense of self-esteem is raised.  “ An enthusiastic and encouraging atmosphere is something I look to achieve daily for Guillobel Jiu-Jitsu Academy,” says Sensei Paulo Guillobel.  This sense of community is vital.  You never get that going into a regular gym unless you have a friend to go with every single time.  You always have someone cheering you on and helping you out with an excitement becomes contagious.  After some time you begin to see the progress of yourself and others, and are excited for their hard work as well.

After sometime training a person will see that their bodies have changed from the intense physical exercise.  They have become mentally stronger because, often times than not, a white-belt finds themselves at the mercy of higher-ranking practitioners and eventually finds out that patience and persistence in undesirable situations are the keys to learning the BJJ. Besides all of that you will be learning a life skill that can be vital to character development.  It will give you confidence and perspective on life.  I’ve personally learned much about myself.  Before I would experience low-levels of self-confidence, which would then lead to mild depression.  After I started training Jujitsu I discovered much about myself and how I respond to stressful situations. I’ve basically rewired my brain to handle much more than I was previously capable of.  I’ve made many new friends at Guillobel, which is great because I always have a place where I can meet up with people and socialize.   The benefits of JiuJitsu and what it can do for your mental well-being are substantial.  You’d just have to find out for yourself.  Jujitsu can change your life and attitude, if you let it.