John Danaher on the benefits of Jiu Jitsu off the mat


John Danaher speaks about Jiu Jitsu not being a skill that can be used on the mat, but something that can be translated into everyday life. We're not just talking about using BJJ in self defense situations, but the mental activity of making fast decisions and coming up with quick solutions under fire. At times fast decisions are needed to be made and if you have practiced coordinating your mind to fire off fast solutions under duress, that will allow you to have that type of mental acuity in everyday life. John Danaher noted this in an interview with Open Mat Radio:

“The deepest benefits of Jiu Jitsu come off the mat.  It encourages a world-view based upon the idea of rational problem solving.  Jiu Jitsu is all about solving problems that are rapidly changing under stress, and that gives you an ability to identify the crux of the problem in front of you, even in a stressful situation and adapt your body and tactics to overcome that problem and to continue overcoming it as the problem itself changes.  It encourages you to use a very rational trial and error method, basically the same method that science uses to overcome these problems.  So it gives you this sort of problem solving mindset, which I think applies throughout life itself.”