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Pictured: Trent Jiu-Jitsu members[/caption]

I’m not sure what exactly what got me on the mats at the Trent Jiu-Jitsu Club. One thing I’m certain of, however, is how glad I am that I took that plunge and joined.

Speaking as someone who was once a keen and nervous novice around this time last year, let me be your guide in what to expect when you first begin your training in the awesomeness that is Jiu-Jitsu.

The Trent University Jiu-Jitsu Club, aka the best club at Trent, meets from 8:30-10:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Athletic Centre.

When I showed up for my first day of training, I found out that you will be greeted by an extremely welcoming group of students who are excited to get back on the mats. The beginning of the semester is a perfect time to join, as you will be amongst a bunch of brand-new novices all ready to learn the basics of this martial art.

But what exactly is Jiu-Jitsu? At its most bare-bones definition, Jiu-Jitsu consists of locking, throwing and striking techniques all rolled up into a system of self- defence. Among other things, it focuses on yielding, balance and joint manipulation in response to a conflicting force.

Your first few sessions will introduce you to a number of fundamental Jiu-Jitsu skills, most notably break-falling (which is essentially learning how to fall down properly). It is super fun, I promise.

As you train, you’ll gradually expand your ‘Jitsu toolbox’ as you learn and integrate new techniques into your Jiu-Jitsu. And if you’re someone like me, with absolutely no martial arts background going in, you’ll be surprised at what you’ll be able to do if you stick with it.

One of the allures of the Trent Jiu-Jitsu Club is that, in addition to needing no previous experience, you don’t need a high level of physical fitness either. All you need is the drive to train. With that will come noticeable improvements in many areas as you continue to learn and develop your Jiu-Jitsu, including strength, endurance, and agility.

Another draw of the Trent Jiu-Jitsu Club is that the drive to train isn’t particularly hard to come by. You’ll have the valuable advantage of learning within a very friendly and very dedicated community who are especially supportive and patient towards new students, as I discovered first hand.

The sessions manage to be both fun and invigorating while still taking training seriously, generating an energy that is difficult to describe. What I’m saying is, once you start doing Jiu-Jitsu, you’re likely to get hooked.Jiu-jitsu literally translates to ‘the gentle art’, which ultimately means responding to a violent conflict with a controlled reaction.

Although it is technically described as a system of self-defence, you can pretty much get whatever you want out of Jiu-Jitsu. Because at its most all-inclusive definition, the main goal of practicing Jiu-Jitsu is bettering oneself.

If all of this sounds pretty good to you, you’re probably a welcome addition to our Jiu-Jitsu community. Again, we train from 8:30-10:30PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Athletic Centre. The first few sessions are completely free to try out, so keep your eye out for the club in the Fall! Just come with some comfortable, loose clothing (e.g. a t-shirt and track pants). For more extensive information, be sure to stop by our Clubs and Groups Day booth on September 16th.

You can also find out more online at www.peterboroughjiujitsu.com or via the Trent University Jiu Jitsu Facebook group.