Jiu Jitsu Saved My Life: Play, Healing and Social Media among Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Practitioners

Abstract

There have been many studies that support physical activity as being beneficial to one’s mental health. These studies have been valuable in promoting exercise as a holistic approach to assisting those who struggle with mental illness. In recent years the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community has begun having an open conversation about mental illness — with foundations like Submit The Stigma helping lead the movement. This paper derives from ethnographic methods to analyze how some have achieved healing through the practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by way of concepts such as Competitive play (agôn) and Dark Play. This paper also relies heavily on social media to analyze the claim, “Jiu-Jitsu saved my life”, and how through social media people are attempting to bring about social change and eliminate the stigmatization of mental illness.