Ju want to learn a martial art?
Like to get in shape but worried you are too old or out of puff to start? Here is our final Fit for Life interview with a Londoner who shares their life-long love of exercise.
Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (BJJ) has been popularised in recent years as one of the skills displayed by combatants in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Practitioners of the martial art, which is based on grappling, ground-fighting and submission holds, range from actor Tom Hardy and comedian Russell Brand to ex-Navy SEAL turned best-selling author Jocko Willink.
Instructor Enrique ‘La Furia’ Villaseñor, welcomes wider public interest in BJJ saying it can benefit people of all ages and genders.
“There is a lot of emphasis on the combat side of the sport but there is so much more too it and it is a great way to keep physically and mentally fit. I liken it to a game of chess with you playing all the pieces.”
His one reservation about its increased profile is quantity over quality. There are now hundreds of Ju-Jitsu clubs across the UK and Enrique, who runs the Studio NW2 Club in Cricklewood, advises newcomers to try taster sessions at several different clubs to see which one feels right for you.
Enrique, 46, said: “I understand it can be intimidating walking into a dojo for the first time but just take a deep breath and do it. You’ll soon find yourself at home and age and gender isn’t an issue.”
He first heard of BJJ in the early noughties as a university graduate when a friend who enjoyed martial arts used to buy video tapes and magazines of the early UFC fights. The friends would then try and replicate the move.
Enrique said: “No-one really knew about BJJ at the time and, after much searching, we found one place in Mexico City that taught it. It turned out we weren’t that bad after all that practising!
He drifted in and out of BJJ over the following years due to various commitments until his family suggested he taught the martial art after becoming disillusioned with his job.
He initially dismissed the idea but coming runner-up in the masters category of an international competition convinced him to take the plunge.
“It just clicked and I knew this is what I wanted to do. I love teaching and watching my students’ progress. It is a journey.”
The black belt advises students to be patient but says they will be ultimately rewarded for their efforts.
“I’d say it takes about a year of coming to classes two or three times a week to get the basics down. You have to learn the techniques properly and then link them together. The more mat hours you put in, the more fit and the better at Jiu Jitsu you will get.”
Studio NW2 in Oaklands Road, Cricklewood has four instructors offering classes six days a week for beginners and intermediate/advanced.
There are also children’s classes and a free trial class. For more information, see www.studionw2.com