Epi 204 BJJ and Weight Loss With Weston Roberts

Weston is 18 years old, he has lost 100lbs and it is fair to say BJJ has changed his life. He has been training for around three years in Jasper Alabama.

We talk about:

  • Starting BJJ at 280 lbs and getting down to 180 lbs
  • Trading video games for BJJ
  • Getting into a flow state while rolling
  • Tips for learning BJJ
  • Advice for someone starting jiu-jitsu for weight loss
  • Talking to your training partners while you roll
  • Tips for rolling with higher level people
  • Teaching BJJ as a lower belt
  • Making changes to your diet
  • Performing better with a improved diet
  • How BJJ could benefit kids in school

Quote of the week: “There is still no cure for the common birthday.” John Glenn

Article of the week: I think I suck at BJJ

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Catch us next week for another episode of The BjjBrick Podcast

The BjjBrick Podcast is in iTunesStitcher radio, and Google Play Music for Andriod

More People Die From The Spoon Than The Knife

  1. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can save your life in a fight. There might be a day when circumstances lead you to a place you probably should not be. In this place you might end up dealing with someone who intends to harm you. My friend, if this happens to you BJJ can indeed save your life.spoonorknife bjj

Fortunately the odds of you ending up in a life and death confrontation in this day and age are pretty slim. The odds of you overeating and living an unhealthy lifestyle are statistically pretty good. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States -it is accountable for 23.53% of deaths. If you live in a relatively safe area the odds of you dying from a violent crime are less than 1%.

Here comes the saying from my grandfather Harry Jabara (Dec 29,1979- Mar 5, 1990 Ks), “More people die from the spoon than the knife”. He meant your poor eating habits are more likely to kill you than an act of violence. People fear the knife, most don’t have any fear of the spoon.

The good news is that BJJ can help defend you from death by the spoon. You might find yourself eating healthier because it effects your ability to train. Even if you don’t change your diet, the cardiovascular output of a BJJ workout will help you keep heart disease at bay.

The benefits of BJJ are many, today I highlighted just two. I hope that this article has helped to keep you motivated with your training.Your-First-Year-Of-BJJ-artwork-1199

If you are new to BJJ or in your first year of training check out this audio book! This audio book will help you avoid many common mistakes during your first year. These mistakes can hold back your progress in this important time.

How Has BJJ Benefited You? Story 1

Benefits of BJJ

This story was sent in by an anonymous listener.

6 months ago I was told I was told that the odds of me walking again were slim. I was only in my 20’s but a life of abusing my body had taken its toll on me.

I was an addict, a bad addict, to any number of things. I was in a horrible depression and I weighed damn near 280 pounds, and for a guy like me who is only 6 foot tall that is dangerous. I’d been drawn to MMA for ages and wanted to get closer to the sport, its what I would spend most Saturday nights watching. I was told by doctors that there is a chance I would never be able to walk again, the joints I had in my feet and knees had given up on me, standing up was difficult,

Walking was agony, and I was still in my 20’s.

I went to rehab to detox and spent a month in bed sick, but I wanted to train.

I made what I believe to be a wrong decision, the notion to need to get in shape before trying out for class, but I did it anyway, and dropped 30 pounds in about 3 months. I’d say to anyone wanting to get involved, just try a class, and focus on your conditioning of course, but don’t feel like you ever need to “get in shape” to attend a proper class at a BJJ gym.

It’s been difficult being an out of shape, but what BJJ taught me more than anything else is how to respect your body. One of the things I’ve learned is that the gyms are far more accepting than the ideas we form in our heads about what kind of judgment they are going to pass on us.bjj Benefit01

As someone who has attempted suicide on multiple occasions, my concern was the judgement in the change room, there was no judgement.

As someone who was overweight, my concern was that I would be judged on the mats, there was no judgement.

As someone who was an addict, my concern was that my addiction would interfere with my training, and for the first time in my life I actually have something to invest myself into that means more and has benefited me in ways I can not possibly describe.

So as to how has BJJ benefited me? It saved my life, because I was on a dark path to an early death and the desire to train, quite literally, saved me.

To anyone out there who is in pain, or who is seeking something – just do it, and don’t give up, be consistent, and disciplined. If it could save me, it could, at the very least, be positive to you.

-Anonymous listener of The BjjBrick Podcast

Send in your “How has BJJ benefited you story” to BjjBrick@gmail.com

BJJ Results

In BJJ Results we focus on how BJJ has benefited people.  If you would like to share your story in the next BJJ Results just email me a few paragraphs here BjjBrick@gmail.com.   I would be happy to share your story, and promote the benefits of BJJ!

Ryan Bassett

BJJ turned my life around. I was an overweight lazy bastard who smoked 30 cigarettes a day and was out of breath if I walked the dog. I couldn’t do 5 pushups.

I’ve always been an MMA fan since I saw Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell 1 on the Bravo Channel about 10 years ago, so when my friend invited me to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class I couldn’t resist.

The moment I stepped on the mats I was hooked, I couldn’t get through the warmup without almost vomiting at the side. The drilling technique exhausted me, light sparring at the end opened up my eyes to the magnificence of technique as a dude half my size was throwing me around like I weighed nothing. I loved it.

I broke my rib in my fourth class and I was questioning whether I should return. I’m so glad I did.

I’m now 4 stone lighter, a non smoker. I am a blue belt and I train 4 times a week, competing when I can. I’m so hooked I have matted out my garage to train on the side of classes and I keep a Jiu Jitsu based blog. Jiu Jitsu made me a more well rounded, fitted, happier person and I have gained some amazing friends through training.

Check out Ryan’s BJJ blog here! http://mrticklebjj.wordpress.com/

Jiu Jiu

I’m Jiu Jiu and jiu jitsu has profoundly benefited my life.

First is the physical. Jiu jitsu helped me lose a reasonable amount of weight. I went from 205 down to 155 in the past three years.I’m more in touch with what my body can do, and I love exploring movement! After sitting on the couch for so many years, I am absolutely astounded that I can do inverted drills and forward rolls. I hope to do jiu jitsu until the day I die, which I’m guesstimating to be around 127.

Second is the social. I started my blog to talk about the teaching aspect of jiu jitsu, since I was a teacher trainer. Instead, I found it was a powerful medium for building relationships around the world. I’ve met so many wonderful bjj bloggers online, and some even in person. I have positive touch in my life, healthy people influencing me, and I’ve found a family.

Jiu Jiu is a 30-something American woman training in Korea. She’s a blue belt in bjj and has a black belt in being a nerd.

She blogs at http://jiujiubjj.com

Tim

BJJ has helped me a lot in life.  It has even helped me start a new career.  One of the things that I enjoy about BJJ is that it brings people from all walks of life together.  I was working a dead end job cleaning offices, through friendships that I have made I was able to get my foot in the door at an advertising firm.  It is amazing how much a change of a career can change your life.

Tim from Ohio

Thank you Tim, Jiu Jiu, and Ryan for taking the time to share part of your BJJ stroy.