Russel Brand is a famous English comedian and actor, well known for his various key roles in movies like “Get him to the greek”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshal”, and “The Tempest”. He is also the voice of Doctor Nefario in the hit animated movie “Despicable me”. 

But did you know, he is also a practitioner and holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling martial art that has created quite a following after the first UFC, where Royce gracie Gracie used BJJ to dismantle opponents of different styles, most of them rather larger than himself. He wanted to prove that Jiu-Jitsu was the ultimate form of fighting.

Russel Brand has been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for the past 5 years under Kev Capel at a Roger Gracie Academy in the UK.

Most people who train BJJ find that it has so many more benefits than just the physical side to it. Below is a video of Russel Brand sharing the life-changing effects it has had on him and the lessons he has learned that he used to tackle problems in his daily life.

To summarize, here are the 5 things Russel Brand learned from training BJJ

1. ACCEPTANCE

• You learn to accept that you’re in difficult situations. Just like being under someone’s side mount pressure, you have to accept you screwed up along the way and have to take steps to improve the situation.

2. HUMILITY

• You gain the humility to know your own limitations. Jiu-jitsu is a humbling sport. You have to fail and learn from failure before you can even taste success.

3. CONFIDENCE

• Jiu-jitsu teaches you to have confidence , know what you’re capable of ,and the potential for improvement you have in life.
• “I used to be a person that was very uncomfortable in all kinds of situations, but through Jiu-JItsu, my confidence has greatly improved” – Russel Brand

4. VULNERABILITY

• Jiu-jitsu helps us understand our vulnerability as human beings. He  shares that it is “The knowledge that we remain vulnerable and that in a sense relates to humility. “

5. RESPECT

• The necessity for respect. We should treat all people with respect, not because they are badass blackbelt. But because we are all in a community where relationships are lived out through combat.

Russel Brand also mentions Joe Rogan and how he embodies the martial art of Jiu Jitsu:

“ Joe Rogan has so much respect and Authority in certain communities because he is a person that has been through a number of initiations and processes, who can speak from clear authority, who is willing to listen to people from a variety of different backgrounds, who has apologized when he is heard. I think many of these principles are kind of embodied and inhabited in the martial arts world.”

So what do you think of the 5 ways Jiu-Jitsu has changed Russel Brands life? Can you relate and have you had Jiu-jitsu change your lifes too? Share your thoughts and comment below!