Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu

The first book for using jiu-jitsu to transform trauma--for survivors, mental health practitioners, and trauma-informed martial arts instructors.

This groundbreaking book introduces the martial art of jiu-jitsu as a powerful healing modality for trauma survivors in recovery. While embodied movement practices like yoga and dance have long been recognized as effective tools for trauma healing, this is the first to apply jiu-jitsu--with its emphasis on grounding, empowerment, body positioning, and leverage vs. brute strength--as an ideal research-backed practice for trauma survivors looking to build confidence, process and integrate trauma, and take back their lives.

Unhealed trauma--from "little t" traumas to complex PTSD--leaves a lasting imprint on the bodies and minds of survivors. And in the aftermath of trauma, many survivors experience shifts in how they feel, connect with others, and interact with the world at large. Embodied, holistic treatment is essential to deeply heal the wounds of traumatic stress and the myriad ways they manifest--from disembodiment and numbness to emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, and confusion, to far-reaching impacts within interpersonal relationships. As part of a martial arts recovery program, readers will learn about:
• Trauma, embodiment, and the transformative power of jiu-jitsu
• How studio owners can create a welcoming, responsive practice space
• Self-defense skills that can help survivors of violence define boundaries and feel safe, secure, powerful, and at home in their bodies
• 10 grounding and self-defense techniques, aided by 30 instructional photos
• How to integrate jiu-jitsu practice into a safe, accessible recovery protocol for survivors--and how therapists can recommend them to clients or build them into a treatment plan

Written for trauma survivors, mental health clinicians, and martial arts practitioners and studio owners who want to create a safe, empowering, and trauma-sensitive space, The Healing Power of Jiu-Jitsu is a unique and vital guide to healing trauma's invisible wounds.