Pilates, BJJ and My Journey to Black Belt

Pilates might seem like a strange partner for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For me, they complement each other beautifully.

If you’ve been around Nu Energy Body Therapy for a while, you might know that I’m also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

I’m currently a purple belt with three stripes, and the goal is still the same: Black belt.

It’s a big goal. And it’s going to take a lot of time, training, patience and probably a fair amount of getting thrown around on the way there!

But one of the things I’ve learned along the journey is that what you do outside your main activity can be just as important as the activity itself. For me, that’s where Pilates comes in.

BJJ asks a lot from my body

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a very physical practice.

There’s grappling, pushing, pulling, twisting, changing positions, working against resistance and spending plenty of time in positions that aren’t exactly part of everyday life.

It also requires concentration. You have to pay attention to what’s happening, respond to another person’s movement and make decisions while you’re moving.

Pilates gives me a different way to train.

It gives me another way to work on strength

BJJ is certainly strength work, but Pilates challenges my body differently.

I can work on controlled movement, stability, strength and endurance without simply replicating what I do on the mats. Sometimes I need to challenge myself.  Sometimes I need to work on something I’ve been neglecting. And sometimes I just need to move.

Mobility matters

Anyone who has watched BJJ knows that the human body can apparently be folded into positions you didn’t know existed!

Mobility is important to me because I want to be able to move well both on and off the mats. Pilates gives me time to work on controlled movement through different ranges and to pay attention to how my body is moving. That awareness is something I value in BJJ too.

It teaches me to pay attention

This might be one of the biggest crossovers for me.

Pilates asks me to notice.

  • How does this movement feel?
  • Can I control it?
  • Where am I compensating?
  • Can I breathe?
  • What’s happening when I slow things down?

BJJ asks a different version of the same question:

  • What’s happening right now?

Both practices have taught me that paying attention is a skill.

It gives my body some variety

I don’t want every session I do to place the same demands on my body. BJJ is my challenge on the mats.

Pilates gives me another way to develop strength, mobility, control and body awareness. And sometimes, simply doing something different is exactly what I need.

It keeps me connected to the bigger goal

My black belt isn’t going to happen because of one amazing training session. It’s the result of thousands of small decisions.

  • Turning up.
  • Learning.
  • Getting things wrong.
  • Trying again.
  • Resting when I need to.
  • Building the physical capacity to keep going.
  • And continuing to work towards something that might still be a long way away.

That’s something I think about a lot when I’m teaching Pilates too. Big goals are built through small, consistent actions.

Pilates isn’t my secret weapon

I probably wouldn’t call Pilates my ‘secret weapon’ anymore, it’s simply one of the tools I use to support the life I want to live.

  • I want to keep training BJJ.
  • I want to keep getting stronger.
  • I want to keep moving well.
  • I want to keep gardening, walking, traveling, playing with my grandchildren and doing all the other things that make up my life.

Pilates is one part of how I look after my body so I can keep doing those things. And that’s really the philosophy behind the way I teach.

It’s not about doing Pilates because Pilates is supposedly the answer to everything. It’s about finding movement that supports your life and the things you want to be able to do.

For me, that’s BJJ and the long road to black belt. Three stripes down. Black belt still on the horizon.

I’ll keep showing up.