Talking to London Real TV, Royce Gracie was asked about the benefits of training BJJ and martial arts. He spoke in detail about the mental side of learning a martial art and the confidence that it brings, saying “Martial arts what gives you the confidence to deal with any situation. It doesn’t matter if he’s big, strong fast…not to attack somebody but to defend yourself. You start looking at people different.”
He also added “I never really had a fight on the street, even before the UFC…there’s so much confidence.” This ties in with the attitude that if you’re confident in your own physical ability and don’t have low self-esteem then you will never look for fights due to be comfortable with yourself. As BJJ teaches you how to fight, in turn you become more confident which means you will no longer feel the urge to prove yourself through physical conflict.