Make a Lifestyle Resolution, not just a New Year’s Resolution

It’s that time again where some people make New Year’s Resolutions. Even if you are not one of those people, it is still good time to create some new goals as the new year enters.

Every year, many people make New Year’s Resolutions and a lot of them are health & fitness related. Ultimately, health & fitness improvements directly impact your overall lifestyle. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an activity that can not only help improve your health & fitness, but a whole lot more!

Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Tens of thousands of people make a New Year’s Resolution and typically break away from it after only few weeks. This isn’t necessarily a reflection of weakness, it is simply that the new resolution doesn’t fit very well into their lifestyle.

The most common problem is that the new activity is simply just not that engaging, compelling or exciting enough for them to continue participating. Sometimes there are additional factors such as conflicts with the rest of their lifestyle (work, school, family, etc.) and that’s why we offer flexible schedules and memberships.

Jiu-JItsu for Sport & Self-Defense

The art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers so much more than what many people perceive it to be. Yes, it is a martial art and there is a sport side represented in MMA and the UFC and other leagues. In fact, it is one of the best practical self-defense martial arts out there, that is why it is one of the top disciplines used in MMA and utilized by many world champions.

It is also one of the top self-defense disciplines used for military, law enforcement and security training. We all hope we never need to use it for our own self-defense, but if we do, we are confident that it will help in any unexpected self-defense situation.

That doesn’t mean you have to practice it as a sport though, nor do you have to fight – we would recommend avoiding fights if possible. You can simply practice it as the “gentle art” that it is and you get all of the other benefits of Jiu-Jitsu (Jiu-Jitsu translates as gentle art).

Benefits of Jiu-Jitsu

  • The SELF-DEFENSE aspects naturally come with our art. This helps build confidence and awareness. It helps you be prepared for the unknown and you can take this into all aspects of your life.
  • The STRENGTH you gain comes in many forms, both in physical and mental. Many students do experience improvements in overall strength, core, resilience and flexibility. Jiu-Jitsu and many of its activities and sparring involves almost your entire body and almost every muscle.
  • The CONFIDENCE you my gain can be life changing and is part of the mental health benefits. That doesn’t mean you are invincible, but you can have confidence in success and failure. Knowing when to continue and when to pull back, both in the gym and in life. Not being afraid to fail and learn.
  • The HEALTH & FITNESS improvements also come in both the physical and mental. Many people experience a variety of health & fitness impacts from strength, weight, cardio, energy, emotional, etc.* Jiu-Jitsu utilizes physical movements in addition to the analytical parts of your mind. Many describe it as physical chess. *Everyone will experience different effects and impacts pending on your individualism and training regiment.
  • The DISCIPLINE you gain allows you to realize that you own your accountability. You decide the direction of your life and choose your own path. Sometimes, it’s not always perfect, but you always learn from it and improve upon it next time.

Free Trial

We offer a Free Class Trial – commitment-free, so you can get first-hand experience and see if Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for you and if we are a good fit for your training needs.

Enroll in Our Free Trial


Common Myths

We hear many reasons why some people avoid trying something new, even if it may improve their lifestyle. Now, Jiu-Jitsu may not be for everyone, but there are some myths that may be prohibiting you from training. Let’s address some of these myths right now.

Myth 01: I don’t think I am the “type of person” who can practice Jiu-Jitsu.

This is very common, but Jiu-Jitsu is for almost everyone*, all shapes and sizes, various cultures, young and old, men and women, etc.

  • You don’t need to be a world-class body builder or a triathlon champion to train Jiu-Jitsu.
  • Many of our students are young and still in school, while some are older professionals, some are parents raising families, and many have never participated in any type of combat sport before.
  • Our art does not discriminate, yet each individual finds their own way and path for their unique individuality within the art’s framework.

*note: We do advise you contact your doctor for approval if you do have any questions about your health qualifications.

Myth 02: I’m not in shape to start training*

This is a very common “excuse” that should not dictate if or when you start.

  • Training Jiu-Jitsu will actually help you get into shape. You wouldn’t try to get into shape prior to starting a program that helps you get in shape, would you? That is actually starting the program to get into shape.
  • The same applies with Jiu-Jitsu. Although Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, it will yield huge benefits with your fitness, strength, conditioning and overall health.
  • Many people who start Jiu-Jitsu see health & fitness improvements very quickly and continue to earn those benefits the more they train.
  • You will realize that Jiu-Jitsu is one of the best workouts for your body and it will workout parts of your body that you never knew you had.

Always consult with your doctor or physician for medical advise on starting any new physical activity.

Myth 03: I don’t have time to train.

We offer a flexible schedule, because we know it’s tough to schedule in training with work, rest, social life, family time, commuting, etc.

  • Most of our students and instructors actually hold full-time jobs or are full-time students, some even have families to care for, some rely on public transit schedules.
  • With our schedule, you can easily carve out time for at least 2 classes per week, which may be as little as 2 hours, and you will still see results and growth.
  • If you want to train more you are welcome to – we have some students who train 4 or more times per week. We are also conveniently located near public transit lie the RTD light rail and just minutes west of central down town Denver.

Myth 04: Martial Arts Schools are intimidating and I’ll probably get “beat-up” on my first day.

Some movies and TV shows have painted an ugly picture that martial arts schools may have strict masters and students with ego’s who bully the new students.

  • We can assure you this is not the case in our school or many other schools within our art.
  • We welcome anyone who wants to experience our art and we are willing to share that knowledge. That is why we have a school, to spread the knowledge and love for our art to others. It wouldn’t be very practical to open a school just to intimidate and scare off potential new students.

Myth 05: I can’t afford it.

We offer very competitive rates for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training with different membership packages to serve those who want casual training to those who want to train almost everyday.

  • You will find the price is about the same as many other health & fitness memberships, and we anticipate that you will “want” to come to class to learn and train compared to some other activities you may have tried.
  • Don’t look at it as you are spending a certain amount of money per month on just learning Jiu-Jitsu, think of it as you are learning a new art form that will benefit your health, physical & mental fitness, confidence, discipline, and self-defense.
  • On top of that, you will likely want to attend class instead of fearing it.
  • We still promote that you should always have balance in your life including your financials. Also, if you need a break from training or financials, you can always place a temporary hold on your membership.

Myth 06: I don’t want to be stuck in a contract.

Good news! We don’t want you stuck in a contract either.

  • First off, we offer a free trial, so you can get first-hand experience with our school and art to see if it is a good fit for you.
  • Even after you join, we offer a cancel anytime membership (with 30 day notice).
  • You can even put your membership on hold if you are traveling, work or school gets busy, family stuff, illness, or something comes up.
  • We know that life happens. We want our students to train, because they WANT to train, not because of a contract.

Myth 07: I’m not sure that I want to compete.

Totally fine with us. You decide if you want to compete in tournaments and competitions, not us.

  • We have plenty of students who do not compete and some that do.
  • For those who do want to compete, we do provide support and coaching for them to help ensure they can compete at their highest potential and level.
  • For those that don’t, just keep showing up to class, support your peers and train your way for your needs.

If you’re still not convinced, or maybe you are now and are ready to try something new, then feel free to enroll in our Free Trial and check it out for yourself.

Enroll in Our Free Trial

In the end, we don’t mind if you pick us for your training needs or another qualified school, we just want you to explore Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and see how it may improve your lifestyle.


*medical note: We do advise you contact your doctor for approval if you do have any questions about your health qualifications and participating in physical activity like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or any other martial art.

*If you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact 911 immediately. Please consult your doctor, qualified physician or medical health professional for any health & medical concerns. Mile High Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, any of its owners, employees, staff, instructors or members, cannot be held liable and or cannot provide any medical advice, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, or recommendations for any medical condition related or unrelated to any of our activities, products and or services, including COVID-19.