Thoughts on the complementary benefits of Tai Chi and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu \ stacker news ~spirituality

Roger Gracie

Full disclosure I’ve done Tai Chi for around 20 years but BJJ for only around 1 year.

However the effects on my body and mental state have been fascinating since beginning BJJ and I now believe these practices are complementary rather than antagonistic. Let me explain.

Tai Chi trains the human body in a particular way to develop power, skill and health. The Yang style in particular utilises the Yi Jin Jing (易筋經) which is an old method for transforming the body.

Yi Jin Jing translates as ‘sinew changing classic’ and focuses on building ‘Qi’ to then in turn build incredibly strong muscle, fascia and tendons. It deeply connects the body through the fascia and develops ‘Jin lu’ or lines of power. I realise that’s a slightly esoteric explanation however bare with me.

BJJ is more about the efficient use of leverage, angles and position when grappling on the ground. It builds an incredibly fit and robust body and a calm and calculating mental state which is forged under pressure through constant sparring and testing.

My experience so far is that the Tai Chi body that I had developed was immediately useable in BJJ giving me a slight edge in terms of strength and robustness particularly against larger opponents and positions such as the mount or side control.

However the greater technique of my more experienced training partners while rolling will often eventually win out and cause me to tap to the submission.

I also quickly realised that I lacked cardiovascular fitness and my lower back was not as strong as I thought it was . I pulled a muscle within the first month and it took a few weeks to heal .

My back now feels much stronger and my flexibility and manoeuvrability on the ground are much improved. It’s BJJ practice that must take credit for that.

A concern I had was that due to the fact that both arts use different methods to generate power would my Tai Chi get worse as I started to build power for jiu jitsu?

There is an endless debate between ‘internal’ methods and ‘external’ methods that some of you may be familiar with.

However it seems there is no problem. In fact my tai chi form practice feels more connected since doing BJJ regularly. It feels like there is more ‘juice’ available and my body feels ‘fuller’. Time will tell.

And the real test will come with regular bouts from standing where Tai Chi is naturally more at home.

Adam Mizner with Curtis Brough

Looking forward to 2025 and seeing what training in these two great arts will bring. 🙏

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @anna 2 Jan

My teacher explained Tai Chi as a way of harnessing our energy to use it in other activities. Maybe you are using some methods you learned there subconsciously (or consciously) in your BJJ practice?

I haven’t practiced Tai Chi much but I felt wonderfully energized when I was in the habit. Thanks for sharing.

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @cristaiji OP 2 Jan

Yes Tai Chi builds energy for sure. And I generally find the more I practice the more energy I have for life. And that extra ‘juice’ so to speak I have found useful for jiu jitsu particularly if I can stay mentally calm when rolling and not enter into ‘fight or flight’ .

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @987654321 2 Jan

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I've always loved martial arts and hatha yoga. I learned things from basic training that I still practice today. That's 29 years!

In no way am I a serious practitioner so I have a great respect for those who train with skilled teachers beyond the military capacity.

11 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby 2 Jan

Awesome. That’s for posting.