Jiu-Jitsu for Women: Why More Women Are Getting on the Mat

Jiu-Jitsu Doesn't Require You to Be the Strongest Person in the Room

Walk into almost any Jiu-Jitsu academy and, historically, you were much more likely to find a room full of men than women.

That’s changing.

More women are discovering Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—not just as a form of self-defense, but as a challenging workout, a skill to develop, a sport, and a community.

At Growth Mindset Collective in Oakley, California, we believe women should have opportunities to learn legitimate Jiu-Jitsu in an environment where they feel comfortable being a beginner, asking questions, challenging themselves, and developing at their own pace.

So, why Jiu-Jitsu?

One of the fundamental ideas behind Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is learning how to use positioning, leverage, timing, and technique instead of relying exclusively on strength.

That doesn't mean strength doesn't matter. It does.

But Jiu-Jitsu gives you tools beyond strength alone.

You learn how changing your position can give you an advantage. You learn how to use your hips, frames, grips, and body weight effectively. You begin recognizing when you're in a strong position and when you need to move.

For women interested in martial arts, learning how to use those tools can be particularly valuable when training with partners of different sizes and strengths.

You Learn Skills You Can Actually Practice

There is an important difference between being shown a self-defense technique and having opportunities to practice physical skills against resistance.

Jiu-Jitsu gives you both.

When you're first learning, techniques are practiced slowly and cooperatively. As your experience grows, you can begin practicing against partners who are actively trying to escape, maintain position, or apply their own techniques.

This is often called rolling or live training.

Suddenly, the technique has to work while someone is moving.

You have to adjust.

You have to problem-solve.

And you have to stay composed.

That experience is one of the things that makes Jiu-Jitsu unique.

Jiu-Jitsu Can Be a Practical Form of Self-Defense Training

No martial art can guarantee someone's safety, and good self-defense involves much more than knowing how to fight.  Awareness, recognizing potentially dangerous situations, setting boundaries, creating distance, leaving when possible, and seeking help are all important.

But if a physical confrontation does happen, Jiu-Jitsu can provide experience dealing with close-range physical resistance.  Training can include learning how to maintain your balance, escape from grabs and controlling positions, protect yourself from underneath another person, control someone from a dominant position, and safely return to your feet.

These aren't skills you master after one class.

They develop through consistent practice.

It's a Workout That Gives You Something to Think About

If you've ever struggled to stay interested in a traditional workout, Jiu-Jitsu is very different.

You're certainly moving.

You're using your legs, core, upper body, and cardiovascular system.

But you're also constantly thinking.

Someone changes position, and you need to respond.

A technique doesn't work, and you need another option.

You recognize an opportunity and have to decide what to do next.

Instead of thinking about how many minutes are left in your workout, you may find yourself wondering how the person who weighs less than you somehow managed to pin you to the mat.

And then you'll want to figure out how they did it.

That's part of the fun.

You Don't Need to “Get in Shape” First

This is one of the most common reasons people delay starting Jiu-Jitsu:

“I want to get in better shape first.”

You don't have to.

You start with the body and fitness level you have right now.

Will Jiu-Jitsu challenge your conditioning?

Probably.

Will there be moments when you need to catch your breath?

Almost certainly.

That's normal.

Your body adapts as you train. Over time, Jiu-Jitsu can help develop cardiovascular conditioning, strength, coordination, mobility, balance, and body awareness.

You don't need to prepare yourself for Jiu-Jitsu by becoming good at Jiu-Jitsu before you arrive.

Starting Something New as an Adult Can Be Uncomfortable

Kids are beginners all the time.

They join a new sport. They try a new instrument. They walk into a classroom and are expected to learn something they've never done before.

As adults, we don't always put ourselves in that position.

We're used to knowing what we're doing.

Then you walk into a Jiu-Jitsu academy.

Someone starts talking about guards, mounts, frames, underhooks, shrimping, and passing—and you may have absolutely no idea what any of it means.

That's okay.

Everyone on the mat was new once.

Learning to become comfortable with being a beginner is one of the unexpected lessons Jiu-Jitsu can teach.

Progress Doesn't Always Look the Way You Expect

Your first accomplishment in Jiu-Jitsu probably won't be winning a tournament or earning a new belt.

It might be remembering where to put your hands.  It might be making it through class without feeling completely lost.  Then one day, you escape from a position you couldn't escape from a month earlier.

You recognize what your training partner is trying to do before they do it.

A newer student asks you a question—and you realize you know the answer.

Those little moments add up.

Jiu-Jitsu gives you countless opportunities to experience being bad at something, work at it, and eventually become better.  That's something we value deeply at Growth Mindset Collective.

Training With Other Women Matters

Women can and do train successfully alongside men in Jiu-Jitsu.  But having opportunities to train specifically with other women is valuable.

Different body types create different training experiences. Having more female partners gives women opportunities to work with people closer to their own size and physicality while also learning from women with different experience levels.

There's a community aspect, too.

Walking onto a mat and seeing other women training can make starting feel a lot less intimidating.

That's one of the reasons we're excited to continue growing the women's Jiu-Jitsu community at Growth Mindset Collective.

What If You Already Train Jiu-Jitsu?

Women's Jiu-Jitsu isn't only for beginners.  Experienced practitioners can benefit from having more opportunities to train with other women, get additional rounds, exchange techniques, and build connections with female practitioners outside their usual training partners.  Jiu-Jitsu communities become stronger when people have opportunities to train and learn from one another.

You Don't Have to Know If Jiu-Jitsu Is “For You”

You don't have to decide that you're going to become a lifelong Jiu-Jitsu practitioner before trying your first class.  You don't need to buy into a new identity.  And you certainly don't need to picture yourself competing or earning a black belt.  You can simply try it.  Learn a technique.  Meet some people.  See how it feels.  You may decide it isn't for you.

Or you may discover that the thing you were nervous about trying becomes one of your favorite parts of the week.  There's really only one way to find out.

Women's Jiu-Jitsu in Oakley, CA

Growth Mindset Collective offers a dedicated Women's Jiu-Jitsu class every Monday at 7:00 PM at our academy in Oakley, California.

The class is led by Coach Courtney, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and welcomes women who have never trained before as well as experienced Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.

Courtney comes from a family deeply connected to Jiu-Jitsu. Her husband, Rase, and her father are both Jiu-Jitsu black belts, and her mother is a brown belt.

Women who train at other academies are welcome, too.



Whether you've been thinking about trying Jiu-Jitsu for years or you've only just become curious, we'd love to have you on the mat.