It’s often been said that there are many similarities between surfing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ champions such as Magid Hage even owns a gym that combines teaching BJJ and surfing and is located near a beach. Similarly, BJJ Globetrotters camps often teach both surfing and BJJ whilst in more exotic locations. Even the Turtle guard master Eduardo Telles has a DVD out called ‘surf passing’ where he likens passing the guard to surfing, as it’s all about keeping your base and refusing to fall over.
Well, it turns out that the surfing world also has a key ally of BJJ. That is, the GOAT surfer Kelly Slater is actually a blue belt and apparently loves the martial art. He even went as far as to say “Put your kids into Jiu Jitsu before other sports.” This idea echoes many peoples beliefs that BJJ is ideal for kids as it doesn’t just teach self defense skills but also self-confidence which is crucial when growing up.
Undoubtedly, there are many parallels between the two. For instance, both cultures use the ‘shaka’ handshake and also have a fairly chilled out atmosphere. Not only this but both sports require an athletic body and tough mind to endure the injuries and knocks that are commonplace. As mentioned previously, there’s also a big emphasis on managing your balance and also there’s a similar adrenaline rush that each share when getting submissions or riding massive waves.
