Your physical health has a massive impact on your mental well-being. Everyone has a different way of keeping their bodies fit; some wake up at six in the morning to go for a run, while others prefer practicing yoga. For many, what starts as just a hobby becomes a lifestyle or even passion, just like the thousands of Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts who consider it to be more than just a workout. It is an exercise for their bodies as well as their minds. It is often referred to as ‘human chess’. This historical form of martial art focuses on grappling holds and techniques and the application of chokes and joint manipulations, unlike the other forms that involve strikes and kicks.
Moreover, Jiu-Jitsu provides an outlet for your daily life stresses. When you step on the mat, you put everything else aside, and it is in that moment that your mind aligns with your body. This is exactly what inspired Joel Townsend to take up Jiu-Jitsu training almost 25 years ago. He has a 4th-degree black belt from the Gracie Barra Team and has been a part of 19 MMA fights as well as a kickboxing match. He truly believes that Jiu-Jitsu is important for everyone, and in fact, he started it when he was in a very dark place. “I was bullied as a child, so I used Martial Arts as a vehicle to deal with depression and boost confidence,” Joel explained. During the pandemic, Joel expanded his horizons and focused on passive ways of earning by using his knowledge of Crypto along with helping Martial Artists, fighters, and academy owners do the same. However, he believes that nothing comes close to the noble art of Jiu-Jitsu.
Plan to learn Jiu-Jitsu? Here is a guide by Joel Townsend that will help you understand this ancient art at the ease of your home.
- Select a Training Location
To start off, you need a calm space where you can perform all your moves. Remember, randomly changing places can hinder your training.
- Prepare the Training Location
Your training space needs necessary things like mirrors, mats, weights, etc. If you want, you can even play some music to help you stay motivated in the early phases of your training.
- Define a Goal
You can have multiple goals while training for Jiu-Jitsu at home, for instance, strength and conditioning. However, the most common goal is to learn solo drills.
- Learn Solo Drills
Out of the many Jiu-Jitsu moves, Joel Townsend believes that solo drills are the easiest to learn at home and are essential to one’s training. The following are the most excellent Jiu-Jitsu home drills and workouts without a partner, according to Joel.
- Shrimping Movement
Shrimping is a fundamental movement that can be performed solely at home. It is highly effective and helps you improve your overall skill. It is, in fact, a basic Jiu-Jitsu move that all beginners can start with. It helps to regulate the distance between you and your opponent, recover the guard, escape the knee on the belly or the bottom side control.
- Bridging Movement
The bridging movement helps you get out of or into positions. In Jiu-Jitsu, it is an effective escape from the bottom mount position. This is among the basic movements that white belts learn and master in their early training days.
- Technical Stand-Up
The technical stand-up is yet another fundamental solo drill that can be learned at home and is essential for beginners. It is a way to move from a seated to a standing position that protects you from being physically compromised. It may also be utilized to break your opponent’s grasp.
- Forward and Backward Roll
The backward roll protects your back or head from an attacking attempt as you roll over your shoulders. You can use it to enter a submission or escape from vulnerable positions. On the other hand, the forward roll protects your head or neck from injury, but most commonly, it helps you avoid awkward positions like the bottom turtle.
- Get a Jiu-Jitsu Dummy
According to Joel, once you learn the solo drills, it is best to test them on a partner. But before you do that, be safe and get a Jiu-Jitsu dummy. Practicing solo drills with a dummy will sharpen your technique and prepare you for real-life scenarios.
- Watch Instructional Videos
You will only truly learn Jiu-Jitsu by practicing it, but instructional videos prove to be very helpful too. Joel believes that in order to achieve accuracy, you need as much knowledge and training as you can get. Joel Townsend’s journey towards martial arts is truly an inspiring one. He was physically bullied, went through a dark, harrowing phase of depression, and was even suicidal, but his life took a drastic turn when he started Jiu-Jitsu. Today, he not only practices this incredible form of art but has also introduced a “Bullied 2 Bulletproof” program to help people fight against bullies through Jiu-Jitsu, just like he did. However, what sets him apart from the rest is his ability to help fighters create a passive income stream through Crypto, giving them financial security so that they can focus on their craft. If there is something that life has taught him, it’s to fight in the face of adversity, and he wants everyone else to do that too!
