Gordon Ryan recently shared some insight into the reasons why many intelligent people find themselves being drawn to Jiu-Jitsu. He went on the popular podcast ‘The Fast Ones’ and that was one of the questions that he was asked, with the host specifically referencing people like Mark Zuckerberg and Lex Fridman. Although they are two of the celebrity BJJ practitioners that most people would most likely associate with intelligence, there are a number of smart people involved in the sport. Jiu-Jitsu has been likened to Chess many times and there are a number of key figures in the sport who have taken a more philosophical or scientific approach to grappling.
Ryan was able to answer the question pretty quickly, and he thinks there are two main reasons why the sport appeals to intelligent people. The first was more about the learning process involved and although it’s not something entirely unique to Jiu-Jitsu, it is a key part of grappling:
“Number one, it’s a never-ending puzzle. There’s always something to improve upon and it’s very methodical.”
The second reason he gave was one that is a lot more unique to combat sports specifically, as most of them provide a place where everyone can simply be themselves:
“Number two, when you’re on those mats you’re a regular guy. You’re not an ultra-rich guy, you’re not a celebrity, you’re a sh***y blue belt.”
That’s appealing to everyone of course, and for many people Jiu-Jitsu is a way to escape the pressures of their everyday life. It’s even one of the reasons that people refer to Jiu-Jitsu as their therapy, but Ryan explained why that’s even more attractive to famous people:
“I think that really puts everything into perspective for celebrities and for people who are ultra-rich. It kinda normalizes things again.”
Gordon Ryan shared the clip from his recent interview where he explains why intelligent people are drawn to Jiu-Jitsu in a recent post to his official Instagram account:
