The basic goal of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as an art is to give a weak person the tools to defeat or escape from the attacks of a strong person. So no, you do not need to be strong or athletic to do jiu-jitsu.
The full answer, however, is a bit more complex.
Even though jiu-jitsu is designed to focus on technique and the calculated use of positioning and leverage, strength and size do matter, and they will always matter. The stronger your opponent, the better your technique will need to be in order to overcome his physical advantages. If your opponent is strong and also has technique, the challenge is even greater. If a gifted athlete trains jiu-jitsu and has the presence of mind to learn proper form (instead of relying on his physical gifts), he can become a terror on the mat. The longer you train, the more likely you are to encounter someone like this.
And it’s easy for the experience to frustrate you. Yes, the original goal of jiu-jitsu was ostensibly about empowering the weak in the face of the strong, but this self-defense motivation now coexists with a sport motivation. Now we see competitors who are not only smooth operators but also top tier athletes. They have brain and brawn. If you want to become a world champion, you will probably need to lift some weights. If you are training for fun and personal enjoyment (like me), keep most of your focus on your technique.
The basic goal of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as an art is to give a weak person the tools to defeat or escape from the attacks of a strong person. So no, you do not need to be strong or athletic to do jiu-jitsu.
The full answer, however, is a bit more complex.
Even though jiu-jitsu is designed to focus on technique and the calculated use of positioning and leverage, strength and size do matter, and they will always matter. The stronger your opponent, the better your technique will need to be in order to overcome his physical advantages. If your opponent is strong and also has technique, the challenge is even greater. If a gifted athlete trains jiu-jitsu and has the presence of mind to learn proper form (instead of relying on his physical gifts), he can become a terror on the mat. The longer you train, the more likely you are to encounter someone like this.
And it’s easy for the experience to frustrate you. Yes, the original goal of jiu-jitsu was ostensibly about empowering the weak in the face of the strong, but this self-defense motivation now coexists with a sport motivation. Now we see competitors who are not only smooth operators but also top tier athletes. They have brain and brawn. If you want to become a world champion, you will probably need to lift some weights. If you are training for fun and personal enjoyment (like me), keep most of your focus on your technique.
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