Neale Hoerle has been practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) for decades and worked for years as a trainer in his own studio in Las Vegas. In an interview, he reveals more about his passion for this sport.
Why should you do BJJ, what are the advantages?
The social factor: Many people do not exist outside of work or their relationships at home. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu opens up the opportunity to experience a new culture or find a family that you can immerse yourself in. And which also gives you friends. These valuable experiences and benefits will stay with you for the rest of your life.
It also improves your overall physical strength, has a positive effect on your cardiovascular health and helps you lose excess weight.
The benefits for mental health should not be underestimated either. There are countless examples of how BJJ helps people with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and more. I myself used to suffer from an anxiety disorder. Jiu Jitsu helps me to "ground" myself. I honestly don't know what would have happened to me without BJJ.
In addition to respect and discipline, this sport also teaches you to use your head during training. Jiu Jitsu can be compared to "human chess". It's not about being the strongest or most athletic person in the room. BJJ is highly strategic, with athletes favoring the use of levers and angles over the application of brute force and power.
Is it suitable for children?
Absolutely! In addition to the benefits mentioned above, I would like to add a few more points: BJJ can help with developing balance, dexterity and hand-eye coordination. And don't forget: the little ones are safe! We teach them the importance of "tapping" from a very early age. We emphasize that protecting their training partners from harm is paramount.
For me personally, the main advantage is that children learn how to lose. There are now participation certificates and trophies in so many different sports. Our society shies away from teaching children the feeling of losing. We BJJ coaches teach that losing in competition can actually be an opportunity. So you can learn from your mistakes. Children who have lost in a fight learn that they are not worth less than the person who beat them! We help them to understand that losses are a part of life and that you can grow as a result. Of course, this is difficult and painful at first, but I believe that jiu-jitsu children become better adults through this process.
What about the risk of injury?
As with any contact sport, injuries cannot be ruled out. However, if you compare BJJ with sports such as (American) football, basketball, boxing, etc., you will notice something interesting. There are significantly fewer serious sports injuries such as concussions, cruciate ligament injuries (ACL, MCL, etc.) in BJJ than in the aforementioned contact sports.
Ultimately, I believe this is due to a very specific component of our training style. During competition and training, BJJ participants must be able to immediately stop the action by "tapping". This unique method makes it possible to train at a very intense or demanding pace while drastically reducing the incidence of serious injury. Respect for "tapping" and pride in ensuring the safety of training partners are things we take very seriously at BJJ!
Which belt do you have and how long did it take to get it?
I currently hold a second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I earned this rank after about 23 years. That's a longer period of time than most people (10-15 years on average).
The reason for this is that I didn't train jiu-jitsu for about six years of my life. I was busy with my career and my family. Each stripe on my black belt represents three years. I have two, so I've been a black belt for more than six years now.
That's a long time. Is it worth all the effort?
This saying from Brazil says a lot about the mentality of the sport: "Vem tranquilo. Afoba não!" It means something like "Slow progress - don't worry".
In my opinion, people who practice BJJ are among the most level-headed, determined, honest, reliable and conscientious people on the planet!
Is what we do easy? Absolutely not - but as we know, nothing in life worth having is easy to get. Is it worth the journey? Absolutely.
Thank you very much for your time!
For an insight into BJJ training, click on this link:
More about the sport of BJJ itself
If you would like to find out more about BJJ, you can find an article on my blog with all the details, terms and insights:
Credits:
Cover picture provided by Neale Hoerle.
*Interview translated from English.
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