You can read many personal stories about BJJ and trauma. They can be honest and moving. They are not evidence.
This article looks at what studies of BJJ in people with difficult experiences have actually examined, what they show and what they don't. It is for anyone thinking about starting BJJ, and for anyone who works in the emergency services or the armed forces.
First: BJJ is not therapy
Before we get to the studies, the most important point: BJJ is not therapy, and it does not replace a diagnosis, psychotherapy or medication. Our coaches teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They are not therapists, and we do not offer therapeutic programmes.
If you are not doing well, talk to your GP or to a psychotherapist.
What the early studies looked at
Three small pieces of research from the US followed people with difficult experiences as they trained BJJ. All three used questionnaires to measure how strongly participants were affected by post-traumatic stress symptoms, before and after a period of training.
| Study | Who took part | Training | What was reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willing et al., 2019 (Military Medicine) | 23 men, serving and former US service members with combat deployments and significant stress symptoms; 9 completed the programme | 5 months, twice a week, 70 minutes each | Lower scores, analysed only for the 9 who stayed to the end |
| Weinberger & Burraston, 2022 (Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship) | 32 service members, veterans and first responders in Arizona with no BJJ experience | Questionnaires before the start and after 20, 40 and 60 hours of training | Lower average scores on all five questionnaires |
| DeWitt, 2025 (dissertation, not peer-reviewed in a journal) | 16 disabled combat veterans | At least 24 sessions over 3 months | Lower stress scores, higher resilience scores |
At first glance the three point in the same direction. The second look matters more.
Why these studies prove little
All three have weaknesses, and they are substantial:
- No comparison group. Nobody knows how the scores would have changed without BJJ. Stress symptoms can also change with time, through other support, or simply through the attention of being in a study.
- Many dropped out. In Willing et al., only 9 of 23 completed the programme, and only they were analysed. Nobody knows how those who stopped were doing.
- Missing statistics. Weinberger and Burraston report only averages: no statistical tests, no effect sizes, and not how many participants were still taking part at each measurement.
- Not peer-reviewed. DeWitt's work is a dissertation that has not been peer-reviewed in a journal.
- Close to the programme. The dissertation's participants came through a foundation that pays for veterans' BJJ training. In Willing et al., the owners of the gym where the training took place were among the authors; according to the study, they had no role in its design, analysis or writing.
A review of BJJ among veterans and first responders doesn't change this (Segovia et al., 2024). Its 13 sources include online pieces, a press release about a police programme, a thesis and a gym's blog. Exactly two of them are peer-reviewed studies of veterans or first responders: Willing's and Weinberger and Burraston's.
The only comparison study we know of: BJJ versus CrossFit
A study from the UK at least built in a comparison (Channon et al., 2025). Veterans and police, fire and ambulance staff trained for 60 days, at least twice a week, in either BJJ or CrossFit. Of 119 people who agreed to take part, 60 completed all the questionnaires, 21 of them in the BJJ group.
The result: in both groups, scores for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, sleep and wellbeing improved. There was no significant difference between BJJ and CrossFit.
What that means:
- BJJ did no better than another demanding group workout.
- Whether the improvements came from the training remains open. There was no group without training here either; the authors deliberately left one out for ethical reasons.
- Participants chose for themselves whether to do BJJ or CrossFit. The BJJ group was small, and recruitment ran through a charity that funds these training programmes.
More on this study in our article BJJ or CrossFit.
What the research says overall
- As far as we know, no randomised study of BJJ and the effects of trauma has been published yet, meaning one in which chance decides who trains and who doesn't.
- A systematic review of martial arts and mental health in adults analysed 72 studies, 70 of them snapshots and only 2 that followed people over time (Ciaccioni et al., 2024). For self-esteem and self-image it found no clear associations, and for wellbeing only limited evidence. It covered martial arts in general, not BJJ and not trauma.
What a meaningful study would need
To really say whether BJJ does anything for stress symptoms, a study would need:
- random allocation to BJJ, another form of training and a group with no training;
- enough participants for small differences to show;
- a diagnosis by professionals at the start, not just questionnaires;
- follow-up over months, to see whether effects last;
- researchers with no ties to a BJJ programme.
We don't know of such a study yet. Until there is one, the question stays open.
In short: the early studies are a reason to look into the question seriously. They are not a reason to recommend BJJ as help with the effects of trauma. More on the research into BJJ as a whole in our research overview.
If you want to start with difficult experiences behind you
People with difficult experiences are welcome here, like everyone else. A few things are worth knowing beforehand:
- Talk to the people treating you. If you are in treatment, check first whether training suits you right now.
- BJJ means close physical contact. Lying underneath someone, weight on your chest and stomach, grips from behind, chokes: this can feel uncomfortable or bring back memories. That is not a weakness, but it is good to know. With us, chokes are part of your very first class, in a controlled form.
- Tapping ends every technique. You learn to tap on your first evening, and whoever taps is released immediately, without exception. If someone says "stop", "slow down" or "not there", their partner stops at once.
- Breaks and positions. Our code of conduct says: "If anything feels wrong in your body, stop. Tell the coach. Sit out if needed." On top of that: you can sit out a round or turn down a partner without explaining yourself. If there are positions you'd rather avoid, tell the coach. You don't need to give a reason for that either.
- You don't have to tell anyone your story. If you'd like to ask something first, you can write to us or speak to the coach before class.
What we can offer you and what we can't
We built Imperial Ground as a place where everyone feels safe and welcome, and where you are respected on the mat and off it. For you, that means:
- Control before intensity. In our Foundation classes you roll under a coach's eye, and everyone matches their intensity to their partner.
- Clear rules with consequences. We have a written code of conduct and a published infraction system. Harassment, intimidation and unwanted physical contact outside of trained technique have no place here.
- Three ways to raise something. In person with João or a coach, by email, or anonymously through Speak Up in your member account.
What we can't offer you: treatment, a diagnosis, or a promise that you will feel better afterwards.
To be honest: what the studies don't show
- None of the early studies had a group that did not train, and neither did the comparison study.
- The groups are small, and in Willing et al. most participants stopped early.
- The only comparison study we know of found no significant difference between BJJ and CrossFit.
- All the studies involve service members, veterans and first responders in the US and the UK. They say nothing about anyone else.
- Whether BJJ helps with the effects of trauma has not been shown. We do not recommend it for that.
Frequently asked questions
Does BJJ help with post-traumatic stress disorder?
That has not been shown. Small studies without a comparison group report lower questionnaire scores; the only comparison study we know of found no significant difference from CrossFit. BJJ is not a treatment and does not replace one.
Can I train with you if I have been through difficult experiences?
Yes, you are welcome. If you are in treatment, check first with the people treating you whether training suits you right now. You don't have to tell anyone your story.
Is BJJ better for stress than other sports?
The research does not show that. In the only comparison study we know of, there was no significant difference from CrossFit, and whether the training itself caused the improvements is an open question.
Are there studies of BJJ with first responders?
Only a few, and small ones. None had a group that did not train. The only comparison study we know of, with veterans and emergency services staff in the UK, found no significant difference between BJJ and CrossFit.
What if a position in training is very hard for me?
Tap: whoever taps is released immediately, without exception. You can sit out a round or turn down a partner without explaining yourself. If there are positions you'd rather avoid, tell the coach. You don't need to give a reason for that either.
Do you offer special programmes for veterans or first responders?
No. We offer BJJ training in our regular classes, not therapeutic programmes.
Sources
- Willing AE, Girling SA, Deichert R, Wood-Deichert R, Gonzalez J, Hernandez D, Foran E, Sanberg PR, Kip KE. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Training for US Service Members and Veterans with Symptoms of PTSD. Military Medicine 2019;184(11–12):e626–e631. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz074
- Weinberger K, Burraston T. Benefits of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Managing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship 2022;13(4):1–9 (issue dated 2021, published 29 July 2022). https://doi.org/10.54656/MSFA1684
- DeWitt K. The impact of regular participation in jiu-jitsu on posttraumatic stress symptoms, posttraumatic growth, and resilience in disabled combat Veterans. Dissertation, 2025. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, PQDT 160148380 (nicht in einer Fachzeitschrift begutachtet / not peer-reviewed in a journal). Abstract: https://www.centreforevidence.org/article/20251001-the-impact-of-regular-participation-in-jiu-jitsu-on-posttraumatic-stress-symptoms-posttraumatic-growth-and-resilience-in-disabled-combat-veterans
- Channon A, Morgan J, Huber J, Higbed L. Comparing Mental Health Outcomes of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and CrossFit Training among Trauma-Exposed Professionals: Findings of a Mixed-Methods Study. Martial Arts Studies 2025;(18):94–109. https://doi.org/10.18573/mas.299
- Segovia RO, Buelna A, Sunderman B. An examination of studies related to Brazilian jiu-jitsu in enhancing mental and physical health among veterans and first responders: A scoping review. The Sport Journal 2024. https://thesportjournal.org/article/an-examination-of-studies-related-to-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-in-enhancing-mental-and-physical-health-among-veterans-and-first-responders-a-scoping-review/
- Ciaccioni S, Castro O, Bahrami F, Tomporowski PD, Capranica L, Biddle SJH, Vergeer I, Pesce C. Martial arts, combat sports, and mental health in adults: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise 2024;70:102556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102556
About the author. João Macedo is a 1st-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has been on the mats for more than 14 years, and is co-founder and head coach of Imperial Ground Martial Arts in Düsseldorf-Derendorf.
Read on: BJJ or CrossFit · Research overview: what studies show about BJJ · Starting BJJ in Düsseldorf