With its strange outfits and obsessive fans, Brazilian jiu-jitsu can seem cult-like to those on the outside, but for practitioners the ...SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyFitnessBrazilianjiu-jitsu:'Asoul-destroying,ego-clippingsportthat'ssunkdeepintomyveins'Withitsstrangeoutfitsandobsessivefans,Brazilianjiu-jitsucanseemcult-liketothoseontheoutside,butforpractitionersthemartialartissurprisinglycompassionateJiu-jitsuinaction:‘It’sarefreshingegoboosttobeabletopinapersontotheground,’ElenaGomezsays.Photograph:ChristosPsaras/GettyImagesJiu-jitsuinaction:‘It’sarefreshingegoboosttobeabletopinapersontotheground,’ElenaGomezsays.Photograph:ChristosPsaras/GettyImagesElenaGomezTue21Jan202016.30GMTLastmodifiedonThu6Feb202000.53GMTThreeyearsago–fivemonthsaftermovingcitiesandoneweekafterquittingsmokingcoldturkey–Iturnedupatamixedmartial-artsgyminMelbourneforthefreetrialclassI’dbooked:IntroductiontoBrazilianjiu-jitsu.Iamnotnaturallyathleticandwassluggishandtiredfromchangingjobsandcities.SoIdecidedtogiveitacrackforreasonsI’mstillunsureabout.Thefirstclassconsistedofvariouswarm-updrills,whichincludedhipescapes,whereyouscootbackwardsonthefloordownthemat,forwardrolls(sortoflikeasomersault)andbackwardsrolls,whereyourolloveryourshoulder.Iwasstartledandembarrassed