To practice Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you need a great deal of cardiovascular endurance. Because of the cardio workouts Judo and BJJ it is highly recommended for those who desire to lose weight. When practicing Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you get to sweat because it is very intensive which makes it ideal exercise for losing weight. People have lost almost 20 pounds in just two months while practicing these two martial arts only two times a week and not altering their diets or lifestyle.

This makes these styles very effective in helping many achieve their goals. Judo was founded in 1882, by Jigoro Kano in Japan. It was a refinement of Japanese jujutsu.
Jujutsu is one of the oldest martial arts styles, dating back hundreds of years. Judo made the biggest impact in 1964 when it was first introduced into the Olympic Games. Now, it is practiced by millions of people all across the world. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu actually comes from Judo.

A skilled Judoka named Mitsuyo Maeda was sent to brazil to help spread Judo. He taught the Carlos Gracie Judo. Several years after training under Maeda, Carlos in 1925 started his own academy. It was at this point that Carlos and his brothers developed a profound reputation for being skilled ground fighters. As Gracie Jiu-Jitsu spread and non family members learned this style it became known more commonly as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Judo and BJJ can help students stay in shape, excel in all areas of competition, stay protected with self defense, and several other things. For a majority of students, Judo is practiced just for fun. Although it starts out as fun for many, it quickly turns into a way of life, a burning passion if you will. These two martial arts will be very challenging sometimes but different schools offer several different classes and are different when it comes to how fit you really have to be.

I have observed some of the Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes can be laid back and center solely on technique. Lessons that last for 60 minutes are sufficient for trying to loose weight. Eddie Bravo, an expert in Jiu Jitsu said, Lessons differ to a great extent depending on how much focus they offer to conditioning.

I have experienced some extremely intense judo and BJJ workouts that have lasted for over two hours. After staying this long you can barely walk. In addition another intensive exercise is the judo throwing drills, extensive repetitions where you will have to do repetitions on each side. Judo is an Olympic sport, Olympians are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are two physically demanding sports which lead to high calorie burning workouts. Another thing about BJJ and Judo practitioners in general is that they tend to take better care of themselves so they perform better during workouts in class or when preparing for a tournament.

Many BJJ practitioners go as far as following the Gracie Diet developed by Carlos Gracie some years ago. He was one of the originators of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu. This method has proved itself for some time now and in fact a lot of competitors in Jiu Jitsu are still using this diet today.

Author's Bio: 

Beethy Chang