Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated BJJ gym in Singapore.
Regardless of background, almost anyone can safely train in martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu. BJJ is one of the fastest-growing combat sports today, alongside its cousin, mixed martial arts. With the hardship that comes from training, Jiu-Jitsu builds a special connection like no other among its practitioners while building the mental fortitude and clarity that helps us become better individuals.
As more people get into combat sports, it is not surprising that even some of the most influential personalities are now involved in the sport. Today, we’ll talk about why the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, trains in BJJ and MMA.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Today
From its roots way back in the early 1900s, BJJ has evolved at a tremendous rate. While it has exponentially leveled up as a sport, we still need to understand that Jiu-Jitsu is a battle-tested fighting style at its very core. BJJ is one of the most, if not the most, effective martial art. You can easily modify your application of BJJ depending on the ruleset and level of your training partners.
Today, Jiu-Jitsu is now more accessible than ever. As its demographics widen, so does the talent pool. Coming from different backgrounds, BJJ has produced some of the most skilled fighters in the world. BJJ is known for many positive things; typically, it allows its practitioners to fight and defend themselves if the situation calls for it. Apart from that, one of the most essential lessons from BJJ is to “never judge a book by its cover.” As Joe Rogan said, BJJ has produced many so-called “nerd assassins.”
These nerd assassins are grapplers that look like the stereotypical skinny nerd wearing glasses but are well-trained, capable of beating people stronger and bigger. These people can be commonly found in BJJ, as BJJ favors the analytic mind in most cases. From the muscled tough guys of the past, and the nerd assassins of today’s Jiu-Jitsu, it is now difficult to distinguish a person skilled in combat from someone who is not.
Mark Zuckerberg On BJJ And MMA
Mark Zuckerberg is an excellent example of someone who looks unassuming but trains in the sport. He is an intellectual who is exceptional in his field and is now learning to become skilled in combat. According to MMA fighter Khai Wu, who is a training partner of Zuckerberg, he is one of those people that you’d never expect to be able to take you down. The next thing you know, he’s attacking you with highly technical moves.
We live in a stressful world where most problems are stacked against us. As John Danaher said, Jiu-Jitsu gives us the capability to solve problems under stress. It allows us to stay calm when facing challenges, making it a helpful ability for a human being to have. Likewise, for Mark Zuckerberg, working out for an hour or two by rolling or wrestling with friends prepares him to solve whatever problem he might face at work.
To Mark, training in MMA is the perfect add-on to his busy schedule as it engages him physically and mentally. While training, you can’t afford to focus on something else; this keeps you in the zone. Training is vital for him as it maintains his energy levels.
It is obvious that training helps Mark in many ways and is a nice highlight of his day. In the past, running was Mark’s favorite physical activity, but because of the pandemic, he tried other hobbies like surfing. This has led Mark to meet different BJJ practitioners as the surfing lifestyle is related to BJJ, commonly in places like Hawaii, where he spends his time.
Mark trained initially with renowned BJJ blackbelt Dave Camarillo of Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu. Having learned much from Dave, Mark has referred to BJJ as the best sport. Showing his appreciation for BJJ, Mark jokingly asked where Jiu-Jitsu has been in his whole life, from the first five minutes of his first session, having a bit of regret having competed in fencing instead of wrestling in high school.
To live for something bigger than yourself: and become part of a community is what John Danaher believes to be the meaning of life. Training martial arts can bring people together for the common good, with every martial artist working hard to become a better person than they were yesterday. With Mark’s newly found love for BJJ and MMA, he has successfully introduced and converted many of his friends to the sport, and since then have trained together. Mark trains in BJJ and MMA because it’s fun, and he enjoys wrestling and rolling with friends.
According to Zuckerburg, he admires the philosophy that BJJ and MMA offer as they teach the flow and momentum of things and refers it to businesses similarly. It is important for him to know the nuances of positions as he likes to understand how he can logically apply techniques. These lessons on the mat will surely make him an even better entrepreneur. Check out the video below of Mark Zuckerberg sparring with Khai Wu before his MMA match.
To turn in the direction of the wave or get swallowed. Jiu-Jitsu has taught Mark to push through things and take action rather than waiting for the momentum to take control and dictate the outcome, giving importance to having the mix of these things in our lives. Likewise, Mark likes to instill the value of developing skills and appreciation for doing physical things as he believes it is a big part of who he is.
Future Of MMA In The Metaverse
Mark has also gone on to put his money where his mouth is by developing new gears and technologies through Meta that can bring MMA into the Metaverse, as we got to see a short clip of him training with UFC Featherweight World Champion Alexander Volkanovski at Meta HQ.
Conclusion
“He who is only an athlete is too crude, too vulgar, too much a savage. He who is a scholar only is too soft, to effeminate. The ideal citizen is the scholar-athlete, the man of thought and the man of action.” – Plato
We must keep our bodies strong and our minds sharp. In today’s world, where comfort and pleasure can be found easily, it is best to control one’s thoughts and actions. Find the balance between the two and live a harmonious life.
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