Many people know chef, author, and television host Anthony Bourdain as the guy from The Parts Unknown television show. There was a time when the then mid-50 year old sported a soft body as he indulged in life as a foodie. However, now at the age of 61, Anthony Bourdain has transformed himself into a chiseled grappling machine.
So how did he change his body and health for the better? The easy answer is Jiu Jitsu.
Bourdain told Aspen Times that he was introduced to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu back in 2014 by his then-wife, Ottavia, who is a Jiu Jitsu professional. He said his daily Jiu Jitsu training, combined with giving up carbs and sugar, led to him dropping 30 pounds in 9 months.
So what exactly is it about Jiu Jitsu that makes it such a killer workout? The practice itself consists of a lot of grappling, or ground fighting, with another person, which requires constant movement. Typically, a jiu-jitsu training session consists of a 10- or 15-minute warm-up, which includes arm pummeling, footwork, and sprawls. The next 30-40 minutes is spent learning new techniques and working on drills to prepare for the final part of class, which is 15 to 20 minutes of fighting. The body is constantly moving during the entire training session, which equates to one killer full-body workout.
Interested in giving Jiu Jitsu a shot? Fill out your information on the sign-up form on this page and we’ll hook you up! See you on the mats!
Andy Gonzalez is a coach at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club. He has earned his BJJ Brown Belt under 2nd Degree Black Belt, Professor Mikal Abdullah. Follow Andy on Twitter at @GoGoGonzilla
Andy lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Amanda and their 3 beautiful children. Andy is also the father of a Marine who is honorably serving in the United States Marine Corps.