“Just have fun” – Demetrious Johnson says making jiu-jitsu entertaining helps one appreciate the discipline more

Throughout 2023, Demetrious Johnson found himself working on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

‘Mighty Mouse’ may already be one of the best grapplers in MMA but he forced himself out of his comfort zone by attempting to improve his skills with the gi.

Having competed in his first world championship tournament this past year, finishing at the top of the podium in the Masters 2 featherweight brown belt division, the AMC Pankration and Evolve MMA athlete is a big advocate for picking up the sport in 2024, if you haven’t before.

The ONE flyweight world champion was recently asked during a Q & A video on his YouTube channel about how you should get into grappling if you don’t know where to start.

Demetrious Johnson gave some advice on what is most important about starting jiu-jitsu if you’re serious about giving it a try:

“Just try it. Find a gym that you feel comfortable training at and just go and have fun. I took the kids ice skating today, and they loved it. It was absolutely amazing and when we did that, it was their first time ice skating as an eight year old and a 10 year old. But they had fun. So yeah, I think the biggest thing is to find a gym where you're comfortable at, ask questions, and just have fun in jiu-jitsu. I tell people the only way you're going to get better is just to ask questions.”

Watch the full video below:

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Demetrious Johnson finds himself in a great place to inspire others to learn BJJ

As one of the most complete martial artists that the sport has ever seen, Demetrious Johnson is certainly a high-level grappler.

Though he may not have the same kind of motivation and passion for competing in MMA right now, he has been able to fill that void through the grappling discipline.

Not only does he get the same benefits of being able to focus on his training, competing in the gi is new territory for ‘Mighty Mouse’ and that lets his mind run wild and experiment.

It’s likely that long after he has hung up the gloves for good and walked away from a legendary career, Johnson will continue to spend time on the mats in the endless pursuit of knowledge and perfection.