Summer Jiu Jitsu: The Pros and Cons
It’s here! Or at least it feels like it. Summer has returned to the Lone Star State, and it is dang hot already. Now, here’s the thing: We think jiu jitsu is the perfect activity all year-round. It’s all that runs through our minds whether Fall, Winter, Spring, or beautiful, melt-your-face-off Summer. But, we’ll admit, everything should be in balance when it comes to loving jiu jitsu, and throughout the year, perhaps your personal goals will change. We figured now would be a great time to talk about some of the Pros and Cons of training jiu jitsu in the beautiful Bastrop, TX Summer!
Summer Jiu Jitsu Pro #1: We have the AC. The good stuff. During the Texas summer, we know it gets a little trickier to workout in the ways you normally might. Perhaps you love running – and unless you’re also an insane early bird, it’s not a great strategy to run around in that sunshine for miles and miles and get yourself some heat stroke. Or maybe you’re one of those monsters who has the whole garage gym set up, lugging sandbags up and down your driveway for the neighbors to admire. Well, when the temps hit 110, caution may be needed. Or perhaps instead, you head over to Airlock and get a tough workout with the AC on high! Don’t worry, you’re still going to sweat – in fact, the mats may turn into a bit of a slip ‘n’ slide after we’re done, but you’re a lot less likely to need an IV and an airlift when we’re done.
Summer Jiu Jitsu Pro #2: You’ve got the time, and you know it! Summer means the schedule starts to open up a bit, your flexibility improves, and you’re a little more willing to play hooky from work (cause the sun is shinin’). Why not take all that flexibility and use it to get more flexible on the mats? Ever went to Summer Camp? When you make it a priority to train in the Summer, you can throw yourself a little Summer Camp of your own. Seriously, if you haven’t ever done this, pick one week in this Summer and just DIVE into jiu jitsu. Train at every class, catch extra Open Mats, watch some BJJ Fanatics instructionals, then eat, sleep, and recover like you’re a pro athlete. You deserve to have a Summer camp again.
Summer Jiu Jitsu Pro #3: Keep that bod in swimsuit shape! Going to the pool or the lake this summer? Want to impress everyone at Barton Springs with your physique? Want to pop your shirt off while you grill up ribs for the lads? Summer has and will always be the perfect time to turn into that shredded animal you always knew you could be. Is there any better way to do it? We truly don’t think so. Come fight people, learn skills, and work the hell out of your core ‘til you’re the one flexing at the Summer function.
Alright, alright, we promised to keep this blog objective, so here you go, let’s talk about the Cons of training jiu jitsu in the Summertime.
Summer Jiu Jitsu Con #1: There are other things to do. Summer can be a busy time; when the weather is this beautiful, perhaps you want to make time for your other interests. And we get it! Jiu jitsu doesn’t have to be the only thing you do. Maybe you want to take the boat out on the lake! You start to load ‘er in the water, but wait, who is that drunk guy fishing on the dock? Is he really coming over here yelling at me for putting the boat in the water? Am I gonna have to fight this guy? Oh damn, I haven’t fought anyone in forever, what am I gonna do… Or… um… Or maybe you want to take the kids to the park this Summer! That’s always a good time! Dude, is this prowler really talking to my kid right now? I need to get my kids out of here and protect them from that guy, but what if he tries to fight me?
I’m losing my train of thought here, ya know what, maybe this should be on the Pros list – Keep training in the Summer because you never know when you need these skills, and there’s no such thing as being ‘prepared enough’ for a fight.
Ok let’s try again.
Summer Jiu Jitsu Con #2: It’s Summertime and the kids are around to spend all your time with instead! You get to spend lots of quality time together, playing in the yard, going to the park, watching Frozen, going back to the park… Wait, you guys want to watch Frozen again? Yea, OK I guess so. Mac and cheese for dinner again? Sure, yea, we can do that… What was that sound, did someone break something?? Please, dear god, no more Frozen, good Lord, I just need an hour to myself. We adore and love our kids, but ain’t it nice when we take them to jiu jitsu and let them get all that extra energy out wrastlin’ with each other? And I can just drop them off and go get some work done (Read: take a nap) in the Bastrop Cafe? Alright, fine, maybe Summer is actually a great time for Kids Jiu Jitsu Classes. Guess this one belongs in the Pro column too.
Let’s give it one more shot:
Summer Jiu Jitsu Con #3: Summer is vacation time! Time to travel and see the world. Maybe you’re heading off to some exotic spot, or perhaps you’ll be heading North to see the family in the Midwest now that it’s finally thawed out up there. And finally, we have a great Summer Jiu Jitsu Con because traveling and doing jiu jitsu don’t go hand in hand at all. Except for Open Mats of course. Those can be pretty fun – dropping in on a gym while you’re traveling and getting rolls with cool new people. Testing out your jiu jitsu skills and making instant connections and friends in towns all over the world. You could argue that doing jiu jitsu is even a great experience in a place where you don’t speak the same language since jiu jitsu is a language of its own… Are we really doing this again? Is this about to become ANOTHER Pro?
Alright, we give up. It turns out that there just aren’t any Cons to training jiu jitsu in the Summer. Get in the gym, get training, have a hell of a summer, bud.
