Executive summary

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a non-striking, partner-based discipline that pairs high-engagement problem solving with controlled physical stress. Across emerging studies, three themes stand out: (1) short-term cognitive function appears unchanged after brief choke exposures when measured with rapid ocular-motor screens; (2) long-term cerebral blood flow and cognition in elite BJJ athletes appear preserved, with some evidence of elevated resting cerebral perfusion versus fitness-matched controls; and (3) BJJ shares with other cognitively engaging activities a likely capacity to stimulate neuroplastic processes (e.g., activity-linked increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, shown in judo as a close analog). Together with a growing literature on physical activity and cognition in youth, these findings support BJJ as a credible, school-safe platform for self-regulation, resilience, and brain health when delivered with age-appropriate rules, safeguarding, and injury-mitigation protocols.

1) Short-term cognitive effects of chokes

A 2024 study using the King-Devick Test (KDT) which is validated, tablet-based oculomotor/cognitive screen which compared grapplers exposed to choke submissions with non-choke controls. Across 62 athletes, there were no significant differences in failures, total times, or difference scores immediately after or 10 minutes after choke exposure, suggesting no detectable acute decrement on this measure from transient, controlled chokes common in training. This contrasts with KDT slowdowns observed after striking-related concussions in boxing and MMA. Importantly, KDT is a screen, not a biomarker; the finding supports cautious reassurance, not complacency.

2) Long-term cerebral perfusion and cognition in BJJ

A case–control study in elite BJJ athletes (n=11) reported elevated global cerebral blood flow (duplex ultrasound of internal carotids and vertebral arteries) with no evidence of cognitive impairment versus age- and fitness-matched controls. Authors interpret this as adaptive neuroprotection, though the sample is small and elite-biased; replication in larger, community cohorts is needed. Still, as lower cerebral blood flow is associated with cognitive decline in vascular impairment, the BJJ signal is encouraging and biologically plausible.

3) Neuroplasticity signals (BDNF) from combat grappling: judo as a proxy

In elite judo/BJJ’s closest scientific analog, randori (sparring) acutely increases plasma BDNF more than a maximal ramp test, in both men and women. BDNF is central to synaptic plasticity and learning; while BJJ-specific BDNF studies are not yet published, similar training demands (problem-solving under pressure, intermittent high-intensity grappling) make transfer highly plausible. This dovetails with large reviews showing positive associations between physical activity, cognition, and academic performance, especially for cognitively engaging exercise.

4) Psychological profile and mental-health correlates in BJJ

A 2025 peer-reviewed study found higher mental strength, resilience, self-efficacy, self-control, life satisfaction, and better mental health among higher-rank BJJ athletes versus lower ranks (small-to-moderate effects; rank and experience covary). Although cross-sectional (causality cannot be inferred), results align with the lived pedagogy of BJJ which is iterative problem solving, “tap-learn-retry,” and peer-safety norms, and with broader literature linking structured activity to executive function and emotional regulation in youth.

5) Safety profile and risk management (what administrators need to know)

BJJ’s non-striking nature distinguishes its risk profile from striking sports. Contemporary epidemiology suggests injuries are primarily orthopedic and skew toward training/sparring rather than competition; recent multi-center work estimates ~5.5 injuries per 1,000 training hours and ~55.9 per 1,000 matches, with knees and shoulders common foci. Concussion can occur in grappling (lifetime self-report ≈25% in one survey); risks concentrate in novices and during hard sparring which reinforces the case for age-appropriate technique limits, tap-early culture, progressive resistance, coach certification, and return-to-learn/play protocols. Compared with striking-dominant sports, mechanism and severity patterns are different; program design matters.

Bottom line for schools and parents: With qualified instruction, age-tiered rules, and data-driven injury prevention, BJJ can be delivered safely in educational settings while promoting cognitive, emotional, and social benefits.

6) Practical implications for the ISBBJJ “Neuroscience & Martial Arts Research Program”

        a) Outcomes worth measuring in schools/universities

• Executive function & attention: brief computerized tasks + teacher ratings. Link sessions with attendance and behavior logs.
• Self-regulation & resilience: validated scales used in activity-based RCTs; pre-post by term.
• Psychological well-being: self-efficacy, grit, life satisfaction modules; stratify by belt progression.
• Safety metrics: exposure hours, injury logs (location/mechanism/severity), time-loss, and supervised return-to-play.

        b) Study designs to prioritize

• Prospective school cohorts (12–24 months) vs. matched PE controls to test EF/resilience and attendance/discipline.
• Session-linked cognitive testing (pre/post practice) to probe acute effects and dose–response, adding simple physiological markers (HR/RPE).
• Feasibility BDNF pilot after controlled BJJ sessions in older teens, informed by the judo protocol.

        c) Guardrails administrators will expect

• Certified coaches; female-coach options and safeguarding.
• Technique restrictions by age; no neck cranks; strict “tap means stop” norms.
• Concussion education; graded return-to-learn and return-to-play aligned to school policy.

7) What this means for our policy ask

• BJJ provides structured stress inoculation and consent-based problem solving that maps onto the same WHO social-ecological model used to address youth risk globally. When embedded from early years to Year 12 with proper safeguards, BJJ can help cultivate calm under pressure, empathy, impulse control, and perseverance, alongside fitness and brain health.
• The science is promising and increasingly specific to BJJ (perfusion, cognition; psychological correlates). It does not license overclaims; rather, it supports measured adoption paired with robust evaluation which our Neuroscience & Martial Arts Program is now positioned to lead.

Final Word

“BJJ is a safe, non-striking, problem-solving practice that trains composure and consent under pressure; the early science on cognition, perfusion, and neuroplasticity says it belongs in schools with safeguards and measurement.”

Selected references (open-access where possible)

• Short-term cognition after chokes: Stellpflug SJ et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2024.
• KDT sensitivity in striking concussions: Galetta KM et al., Neurology, 2011.
• Cerebral perfusion in elite BJJ: Stacey BS et al., Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2021.
• BDNF after combat sparring (judo): Schor B et al., Braz J Med Biol Res, 2019.
• PA, cognition & academics (systematic review): Donnelly JE et al., CDC archive, 2016.
• Psychological characteristics by BJJ rank: de Lorenco-Lima L et al., J Funct Morphol Kinesiol, 2025.
• Injury epidemiology in BJJ: Stegerhoek PM et al., BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2025 (global survey); Hinz M et al., 2021; Moriarty C et al., 2019; Spano M et al., 2019 (concussion survey).