AskIt Logo
  • New to BJJ?Starter Guide
  • The RulesDos & Don’ts
  • White Belt Problems
  • Starting BJJ
  • Learning BJJ Faster
  • BJJ for Self Defense
  • BJJ Belts & Promotion
  • BJJ vs Other Martial Arts
Home » Starting BJJ » Can I do BJJ if I’m a woman?
2

Can I do BJJ if I’m a woman?

- John Q. Whitebelt

Posted by John Q. Whitebelt in Starting BJJ | 2 comments

Community Answers

  1. 68
    9-8-14
    Marshal D. Carper says:

    The early years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were dominated by stereotypical alpha males, and very few women trained. Thanks to a handful of pioneering female jiu-jiteiros, that is changing, and more and more women are joining them on the mat every day. They teach all women’s classes. They run all women’s seminars. And they host all women’s grappling camps. The mat has become a much more welcoming place for women, and that’s a very good thing. The more minds on the mat, the better.

    That said, it would be a disservice for us to not address an unfortunate truth: there are assholes everywhere, and some of them train jiu-jitsu. As much as we love jiu-jitsu and its potential for good, the mat is not always a paradise. If you are a woman or know a woman looking to train, the best thing to do is to find gyms where women already train. If there is not a gym like that near you, try one and get a feel for the instructors, the quality of the culture, and the nature of the students. Any culture that is less than welcoming, accommodating, or respectful is to be avoided.

    Log in to Reply
    +113

    Was this answer helpful?

    LikeDislike
  2. 2
    1-29-16
    melmik says:

    I agree with everything written by Marshall.

    My studio has about 10 women who roll and we keep tabs on which guys to avoid training with and share that information with each other. Our instructors are also pretty good at not putting us with the meatheads.

    It’s definitely a counter-intuitive sport for a woman (i.e., having someone in closed guard), however, once I made it over that (and a few other) speed bumps, I’ve found that BJJ is very empowering from a self-defense perspective, and that makes it more than worth it to get on the mat, harness your fears and go for it. It’s also the best workout I’ve ever had – sore from head to toe! “Pain is simply weakness leaving the body” as my daughter likes to say.

    Log in to Reply
    +104

    Was this answer helpful?

    LikeDislike

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: By submitting an answer, you give permission for it to be published in future editions of the White Belt Problems book.

Ask a BJJ Question

Buy the Book on Amazon

Categories

  • BJJ Belts & Promotion
  • BJJ Books & DVDs
  • BJJ Competition
  • BJJ Etiquette
  • BJJ Fitness & Diet
  • BJJ for Fitness
  • BJJ for Kids
  • BJJ for Self Defense
  • BJJ Gis & Gear
  • BJJ History
  • BJJ Injuries
  • BJJ Lifestyle & Culture
  • BJJ Techniques
  • BJJ vs Other Martial Arts
  • Finding a BJJ School
  • Health & Hygiene
  • Learning BJJ Faster
  • Starting BJJ
  • White Belt Problems

Recent Questions

  • Youth to adult transition
  • private lessons when your a newbie worth it or not?
  • Is it good practice for a beginner to be at open mats?
  • Is it ok to wear shirts and gear of other people/academies that im a fan of?
  • Is an open level gym bad?

Recent Answers

  • dogs_bolx on Is it good practice for a beginner to be at open mats?
  • LittleAussieGrappler on Does Gi color matter?
  • LittleAussieGrappler on What makes a martial art effective?
  • LittleAussieGrappler on private lessons when your a newbie worth it or not?
  • LittleAussieGrappler on Does BJJ prepare you for self defense?

Categories

  • BJJ Belts & Promotion
  • BJJ Books & DVDs
  • BJJ Competition
  • BJJ Etiquette
  • BJJ Fitness & Diet
  • BJJ for Fitness
  • BJJ for Kids
  • BJJ for Self Defense
  • BJJ Gis & Gear
  • BJJ History
  • BJJ Injuries
  • BJJ Lifestyle & Culture
  • BJJ Techniques
  • BJJ vs Other Martial Arts
  • Finding a BJJ School
  • Health & Hygiene
  • Learning BJJ Faster
  • Starting BJJ
  • White Belt Problems
  • Home
  • About
  • Ask a Question
  • Beginner’s Guide to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
  • Contact
  • Dashboard
  • Edit Post
  • Rules
  • Sitemap
  • Your Profile
  • BJJ Belts & Promotion
  • BJJ Books & DVDs
  • BJJ Competition
  • BJJ Etiquette
  • BJJ Fitness & Diet
  • BJJ for Fitness
  • BJJ for Kids
  • BJJ for Self Defense
  • BJJ Gis & Gear
  • BJJ History
  • BJJ Injuries
  • BJJ Lifestyle & Culture
  • BJJ Techniques
  • BJJ vs Other Martial Arts
  • Finding a BJJ School
  • Health & Hygiene
  • Learning BJJ Faster
  • Starting BJJ
  • White Belt Problems