So what is the appeal, and what are the benefits of training BJJ?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a journey of self-discovery

BJJ is more than just a method to physically conquer an opponent. Many practitioners of BJJ gain a newfound confidence in their ability to not only physically challenge themselves, but mentally challenge themselves as well to break their own perceived limitations.

According to Sanjan, a student who trains BJJ at Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD: “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been a life changing experience for me. I am constantly being challenged whilst I am training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and this has given me the skillset to push past any obstacles.”

BJJ takes the practitioner out of their head and into the physical world, where they are actively engaged and pushed beyond their comfort zone.

“Every class is challenging and there is always something new to learn or develop my skills further,” says Patrina, a BJJ student at Legends. “The support I receive from the instructors and teammates encourages me to want to be better than I was the day before.”

With the physical aspect of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu comes fitness

BJJ is an activity where you are constantly grappling with another person to catch them in one of your submission moves…while resisting their attempts to do the same! Training consistently will strengthen your body to handle the demands of the activity.

Unlike many other martial arts styles, BJJ heavily emphasises live, unrehearsed training. Every BJJ class includes a “rolling” session where the student will have a chance to implement what they have learned against other members. As the student trains more and more, the moves become muscle memory, which the practitioner can perform intuitively.

Zareena, a brand developer who practices BJJ at Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD says, “Every time I learn a new move or make mistakes, I get really motivated to conquer my mistakes and improve.”

BJJ also tends to fit well with smaller people, as it gives them the ability to challenge stronger and bigger people. Because striking is not a component of BJJ, students don’t need to worry about incurring injuries from heavy blows. This gives people a sense of security knowing that no matter their body type, they can prove to be effective in training BJJ.

One of the major factors that keeps people training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the community which has your back

BJJ at Legends MMA is taught in a relaxed rather than rigid environment where everyone is made to feel welcome.

As Andrew, from Legends describes it: “It’s very intimidating to start anything up, but from day one; I felt relaxed and comfortable. If I was to sum up Legends in three words it would be: welcoming, supportive and fun.”

“At Legends there’s a perfect balance of fun and discipline,” says Zareena. “All the people I have trained with share the same great attitude, we all start and finish with a smile. Also, the music is really good!”

Students train with all members of the gym, to ensure they’re used to rolling with different people. As a result, everyone has the chance to meet each other and practice with each other. Everyone becomes crucial to each other’s growth and development as a martial artist. BJJ is about community as well as the individual journey.

At a quick glance, it may be hard to tell that BJJ is about combat sports. BJJ is less about brawling and more like a game of human chess; each person competing for the dominant position and looking to finish with a check-mate. The check-mate is the submission where the opponent can go no further and is in a position where they have to tap out.

This more strategical aspect of BJJ may be one of the reasons it appeals to people of all backgrounds. Legends MMA has female and male members who are engineers, students, bankers, business owners, and many more. In fact, this is the case with BJJ gyms all over the world.

One of BJJ’s most distinguishing benefits is its effectiveness in self-defence. BJJ approaches combat sports from a scientific point of view, having the student practice only what works, and not practice what doesn’t. The emphasis on live training assures that the practitioner will have real world experience knowing their capabilities and how they handle grappling an opponent.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu may seem intimidating to try at first, but you will quickly feel welcome, and the benefits to you are unlimited.

Just do it. You won’t regret it.

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MMA incorporates many martial arts such as Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; combining them into a single system for maximum effectiveness. Along with the martial arts aspect, MMA also emphasises physical fitness and a non-linear approach to training. There are no belts in MMA, rather a progress which is unique to every student.

Today, people from all backgrounds, genders, and ages participate in MMA; not in an octagon to become aspiring fighters, but in a safe and friendly local gym for fitness purposes. Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD has female and male members who are engineers, students, bankers, business owners, and many more. So the question is, why are so many everyday people taking up MMA today?

This is largely due to the undeniable benefits that people gain from taking up MMA training. People training MMA will discover numerous benefits for themselves which include physical fitness, being in a positive environment, learning self-defense, and confidence.

What people will notice right way when they join an MMA gym is the supportive environment it promotes

Isha, a swimming instructor and member of Legends MMA, says her experience at Legends helped her overcome her depression and anxiety as she got to be part of a supportive environment.

Additionally, Cindy, a banking & financial analyst who trains at Legends described:
“They really keep you mentally sharp. Let’s just say this is not the place to just go through the motions. They whole heartedly foster your individual growth, they will guide you but ultimately it’s on you to be the driver of your growth & development. It’s really great when your coaches see the effort you’re putting into yourself.”

Training MMA typically means you will be in close proximity with your coaches and fellow students, all of whom will play an integral part in supporting your journey in bettering your health, fitness and overall lifestyle.

The majority of people taking up MMA now are doing so for fitness purposes and for the mental aspect

When many people think of MMA, they think it’s all about fighting and defeating another opponent. However, this only applies to the minority of people who wish to compete. The majority of people taking up MMA now are doing so for fitness purposes and for the mental aspect – MMA is predominately about challenging yourself, not someone else. Through MMA training, you overcome your fears, expectations, and limitations.

Cindy keeps training MMA as she says personal growth is her greatest motivation.

“Personal growth is really important to me which is my main motivation,” she says. “There’s always ups and down in my training. The trick is to not give into the negative feelings and I just park those thoughts and train away and I’m always so thrilled for persevering and pushing myself.”

As a sport that has a bit of everything and variety in each workout, regular training of MMA will keep a person fit and healthy

Students can train with heavy bags for cardio work, circuit training combining weights, calisthenics, and bag-training, and even simulated drills to test their skills in real time. But whatever methods one uses to train, it always provides a phenomenal workout.

One of the most immediately obvious reasons people take up MMA is that it is a complete form of self-defense

For many people, being able to defend their self instills a strong feeling of confidence.

“Martial Arts has definitely made me more confident in all aspects of my life…which is exactly why I started in the first place,” says Dan, a carpenter who has been training at Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD for over a year. “There’s a certain confidence that comes from anything that teaches you a practical skill for self-defense, gets you fitter and introduces you to heaps of new people.”

Learning self-defense does not make a person violent. In fact, it does the opposite; it gives people the confidence to not need to be aggressive. People that learn MMA know that they can be confident in their daily life, but know they still have a capability to defend themselves if they ever actually needed to.

MMA does not rely on theory or rehearsed movements. Rather students train in a safe environment, and will get to see for themselves how the training has benefited them.

What should people know if they’re interested in taking up martial arts?

“When you start, don’t be so focused with making progress right away,” says Cindy. “Over time if you stick with it, you’ll start to appreciate the journey.”

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For such a physical activity, it would almost make sense if this sport drew the popularity of a small, niche market. However, people from all walks of life are becoming interested in Muay Thai – and in particular, people from the corporate world.

But why would corporate workers be interested in Muay Thai, and how would they benefit?

Muay Thai is a highly effective method for people to improve their lives in all aspects – including in their careers

Studies have been showing for years how physical activity positively affects people in all areas of their life. As blood circulation to the brain is improved, people are mentally sharper, more energised, and more confident. It also makes for a healthier body, able to handle various demands of life. In the corporate world, for a person to balance long working hours with simultaneously handling many tasks at once, it helps to make sure you’re at your optimal best. “Martial arts really keeps me mentally sharp,” says Cindy, a banking and financial analyst.

Another reason for taking up Muay Thai is because of the personal growth it fosters

This personal growth gives a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Vanessa, another member of Legends MMA in Melbourne CBD trains martial arts as a way of personal growth. She claims learning martial arts helped her get out of her shell and started her on a personal journey. “In Martial Arts everyone has their own style and that nobody you train with is the same – and through this I learnt the importance of being myself,”

One of the greatest gifts people receive from martial arts is not just knowing how to fight, but it’s the feeling of watching themselves grow and evolve as people. That’s the thing that draws many people to martial arts – being able to see themselves overcome a challenge. As Cindy says, “Personal growth is really important to me which is my main motivation. There’s always ups and down in my training. I sometimes give into the negative feelings and sometimes I just park those thoughts and train away and I’m always so elated for persevering and pushing myself.”

Muay Thai brings balance to one’s hectic life

The self-improvement that Muay Thai offers is appealing to people from all walks of life. In the case of corporate workers, Muay Thai brings balance to one’s hectic work life with an intense physical activity like nothing else out there. Vanessa says her motivation for learning Muay Thai is, “always wanting to better myself – my gains in cardio, strength, and technique have been go-ing through the roof.”

With the popularity of the UFC, Muay Thai has gained mainstream popularity which has made many people want to try martial arts, creating a lot of opportunity for gyms like Legends MMA in the Melbourne CBD to offer the best experience to their members. Many corporate workers are finding their decision to make Muay Thai into a serious passion of theirs was a gradual one, start-ing out with them just trying out a class.

“I would come into the gym and watch my friend train and one day decided to give it a go myself and I became hooked,” says Vanessa. “I just wish I started earlier!”

Despite their seeming difference on the surface, Muay Thai has a lot to offer people in the corpo-rate world. Because at the end of the whether you’re a banker or a UFC fighter, you’re still a hu-man being. Muay Thai, and martial arts in general, is meant to benefit anyone who wishes to practice it.

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Al Iaquita is part of Serra-Longo Fight Team based out of New York headed by UFC Hall of
Fame member Matt Serra as well as one of the world’s top MMA coaches Ray Longo.

Check out the video below for the full feature of Legends MMA in the UFC’s Embedded video
series leading into UFC 243!

Watch this video on YouTube.

The post Legends MMA Host UFC Lightweight Al Iaquinta And UFC Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa Ahead Of UFC 243 appeared first on Legends MMA.

Yet, despite being illegal many countries in the past, it’s one of the most popular sports in the world today.

Millions of regular, working people are taking up MMA training as a recreational activity – whether for exercise, a personal challenge, or a way to connect with similar people.

Even if you have no desire to fight inside a cage, training MMA will change your life for the better. Here are several benefits you will gain from learning MMA.

“It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

-Chinese proverb.

MMA is built on the most effective techniques from various martial arts. There’s no room for showy moves with style but no substance. Why is the leg kick and rear-naked choke used so often? That’s because well… They work.

But the true power in this knowledge is not that you can go around beating people up. True martial artists know better than anyone how martial arts can destroy an opponent’s body, and don’t treat that power lightly. Being able to defend yourself means you no longer need to fear being preyed upon in a back-alley. You no longer see yourself as a potential victim. For most people, you will rarely, if ever, need to defend yourself from a physical attack. But you will know that if the day ever came, the bad guy’s gonna have a bad day.

People who have held a gun for the first time have said they felt a newfound confidence carrying it. To them, holding such a devastating weapon was like wielding a new power.

When you train MMA, you aren’t caring a weapon. Your body is literally the weapon. You are carrying the power of this weapon all the time.

When you trust your own ability to handle a physical confrontation, you’ll notice other aspects of your personality change too. You’ll become more assertive, you’ll be more comfortable with conflict, and you’ll feel in control of your own life.

MMA is intensely physical, and the physical stakes are high. Even if you spar with an opponent in a controlled environment, you’re putting yourself in the imminent threat of physical harm. Your body, sensing the danger, activates the sympathetic nervous system – also known as the fight or flight response system. This is the same stress response you feel when worrying about your job, finance, or school.

MMA training teaches you to control this stress response. When fighting a person is no longer scary to you, it will be hard to get worked up about something which isn’t trying to punch you or choke you out that moment.

Doctors say sitting is the new smoking. Modern life has made us so comfortable that our bodies are rarely stimulated. We sit in our cars, drive to a workplace where we sit most of the day, only to sit on our cars again until we get home – where we relax by watching some TV… More sitting!

Our bodies were made to be in motion. When our bodies are moving, blood circulation improves, toxins are released through our pores, and the stress hormone, cortisol, which ages and deteriorates our bodies is eliminated.

MMA is unique in that it encompasses all aspects of exercise. From cardio-aerobics, to strength training and even elements of yoga, it is an intensely physical sport which forces your body to adapt and become stronger. See if you don’t feel a new vitality and abundance of energy from your regular MMA sessions!

We live in an age of constant distractions. The easy accessibility of social media and internet takes our attention away from present moment, and has us wasting our mental energy on trivial matters. It’s become normalized to check our smartphones ever few minutes.

When you’re hitting the heavy bag, doing padwork, or sparring with a partner, you only have time to focus on what you’re doing then and there. When you do this several times a week, you’ll notice something new… You can focus on bettering our self without constant distractions.

To add to that, exercise improves the blood circulation to your brain, while lowering blood pressure, and increasing serotonin (the happy hormone). All this gives you the ability to perform well in other aspects of your life, whether it’s pursuing your dream career or acing your exams. MMA will be the key to getting everything you want out of life.

This last part seems contradictory because at a first glance, isn’t MMA about hurting other people? Well not necessarily.

Martial arts teaches that violence is a last resort. Martial arts is like fire: beautiful, but incredibly destructive if wielded improperly. When you release how powerful you are, your newfound confidence shows you have nothing to prove. You know you’re powerful you don’t need to impose this on others.

“To beat someone up is easy, but to love someone is hard.”

-Jet Li

MMA more than anything else, is about self-mastery. Mastery over your body, mastery over your mind, and mastery over your spirit. A true martial artist doesn’t allow their spirit to be swayed by petty issues. He or she is above that. Through your training you realize your only true opponent is yourself.

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All proceeds on the night were donated to charity.

The post UFC Lightweight Beneil Dariush Seminar for Charity appeared first on Legends MMA.

Congratulations to all of the competitors who came down, and thank you to all of the
spectators coming in to cheer everyone on.

It was a full house!

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There were a number of members at the gym who came in with a lot of existing training under
our head coach David Younan, who were therefore overdue for their belts since joining Legends
MMA. Ninos Dammo, head of the Australian Elite Team, joined us to promote four new blue
belts on the night.

The night was also highlighted by Legends MMA head coach, David Younan, receiving his 1st
degree black belt – marking 3 years of experience as a black belt!

The post Legends MMA – Inaugural Grading appeared first on Legends MMA.

During his seminar, Kit shared with us his unique approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which breaks
away from traditional training practices – Kit’s focus is more on training the mind during live
rolling, as opposed to training the body which comes from the traditional approach of repetitive
drilling of techniques.

The post Kit Dale Seminar appeared first on Legends MMA.