Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is far more than just a sport for most people involved in it. It turns into a passion bordering obsession very fast. BJJ is not only addictive but its ever-evolving nature means it is going to keep even those with ADD interested for a long time. BJJ has the power to change lives, figuratively and literally. However, it is everything but a cheap sport to train in.
First of all, an academy needs students in order to keep working. That means paying for the class, which is granted more sports. Gis and rashguard are not cheap to come by either, and competition takes a good portion of an average salary, especially when you include travel. Most people train Jiu-Jitsu and have a job at the same time. But everyone has at least once thought about a way to earn from BJJ.
The cruel reality is that, even if you own a Jiu-Jitsu academy, you still might not earn from BJJ enough to make a living. Most academy owners also have other jobs as well. People involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu come from all walks of life and most of them would give it up in an instant if they knew they could make a living through the Gentle Art. There are, however, certain options within the world of grappling martial arts that can provide satisfactory income. Not all are going to require that you wear a Gi for the better part of a day, though. BJJ is rapidly growing and spreading which opens up plentiful opportunities. Just keep an open mind and use everything at your disposal, and you might just make Jiu-Jitsu a profitable profession that you also enjoy. The dream job for any grappler!
Online Grappling Jobs
Along with the growth of grappling martial arts across the globe, their presence on the World Wide Web is also growing exponentially. So, all those who have a knack for writing along with rolling are in luck! There is a real demand for information out there and the Internet is the best platform to provide it. All it takes is the desire to write and at least some experience in grappling.
Blogging is a great way to get your thoughts on a subject to a worldwide audience. In terms of BJJ, bloggers often start by sharing their thoughts regarding daily training and competition experiences. Those that are more creative often get picked up by major sites that appreciate good writing, like BJJ-World.com.
The beauty of writing content about the art that you love doing means that you reach a wide community. Once people find something they enjoy reading, they tend to go back to it looking for new content. Your personal experiences do mean a lot to other people training, especially those that are just starting. Furthermore, you could always start your own blog and slowly build up an audience. The better your reach, the more opportunities you’ll have to strike deals with supplement companies, apparel manufacturers etc. There are also ads that you could host which in turn, might raise revenue for you. You could make a decent wage, provided you work diligently and constantly. Remember that people are thirsty for BJJ information and if you slack they’ll move on to another source before you have the time to say “rear naked choke”!
Becoming A Professional Grappler
Most grapplers do end up competing at least a few times in their life. While many are content with just putting their skills to the test from time to time, some really embrace the competitor lifestyle. For those that really thrive under the lights, a professional BJJ career might not be such a far-fetched idea. And the prospect of earning some cash along the way won’t do you any harm either.
For starters, look to enter any and every cash prize competition at a local level. Building up a reputation and experience is more important than looking for huge prizes only. IN order to get to the “big money” tournaments you need the small stage momentum. From there on you can look to truly earn from BJJ by making it to the top cash-prize tournaments of today.
For all Gi-only grapplers out there, the Abu Dhabi Pro offers quite a lot of money. Granted, unless you’re a black belt you won’t get a chance to compete for hundreds of thousands of dollar, but you’ll get more than decent amounts if you’re a lower belt as well. The Abu Dhabi Combat Championship offers $200,000 in total prize money. Winning your weight class brings you $10,000while an absolute victory will earn you $10,000 more. Remember that this is only the case with the main ADCC event, which takes place every couple of years.
Of course, Eddie Bravo’s EBI submission only tournament is probably the best bet to earn from BJJ. Taking place multiple times during the year, competing grapplers get the chance to make between $25,000 and $50,000. The way to do it is by submitting everyone on the way through, which is no easy task.
Grappling-Specific Digital Art
Jiu-Jitsu websites are always looking to provide original content and stand out among the plethora of resources that cover grappling. Nothing captures the spirit of BJJ better than well-composed photographs of athletes engaged in a battle. The art of photography is one that can bring you an income in many sports, but none will offer the uniqueness that grappling does. High-quality BJJ photographs are sought after assets, seeing as they are few and far in between. If you’ve ever been at a BJJ tournament you know the unbelievable positions grapplers get into. Catching moments like that is one surefire way to earn from BJJ.
As a Jiu-Jitsu photographer, you could cover everything, from competitions to seminars and classes. It doesn’t take much to place your product on a BJJ related website or a photography one. Even better, you could go for both as a freelancer and roll, take photos and get paid at the same time. Your creativity is the only limit.
Another aspect of digital art is making videos. Digital publishing is easier than ever with YouTube, podcasts etc. In all honesty with today’s technology, it takes almost no technical skill to record decent audio or video. Publishing it take even less of an effort. With social media platforms, it is very easy to promote yourself. You could even go a step further and ask a BJJ website to promote your stuff. That way you’ll be helping the community and receive help in return. As long as you publish relevant information that’s fresh and interesting, you can expect your audience base to grow. You could take any direction you want with your product. Technical videos, lifestyle videos, conditioning tips, even recipes are in high demand among grapplers. You just need to provide the camera.
Earn From BJJ By Teaching
Speaking of the dream job, nothing beats teaching. The reason people enjoy teaching BJJ so much is that they learn and polish everything they teach as well. Plus you get to spend even more time on the mats.
In order to open an academy, you need to be patient and take things to step by step. First, you need to know how many students you could get at a certain location. If the location is profitable, you can look to buy or rent a space. Associating yourself with a strength and conditioning gym is a great way to both get space and exposure to a customer base. Since it goes both ways, plenty of strength gym owners are open to a relationship of this kind. Also, be sure to prepare a business plan and contact a few investors, preferably from the grappling community. Like Jiu-Jitsu, entrepreneurs is challenging and unpredictable so be ready to adapt and evolve.
Remember that you do not need to be a black belt in order to be a successfully BJJ teacher and academy owner. You can earn from BJJ as a brown, purple or even a blue belt instructor.
Once you’re well established as a teacher, you can broaden your range by teaching seminars. Teaching a seminar is a really fun and practical way to earn from BJJ. Whenever you land such an opportunity, look for travel expenses and make sure you agree on a fee beforehand. As you get more experienced and sought after, you can raise your fee. Make an effort to help the community and associate yourself with apparel manufacturers and BJJ websites and photographers. That way the whole community is going to grow stronger, providing more financial opportunities for everyone involved.
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