How To Make Money in Jiu-Jitsu Without A Gym?

It is being said, “Choose an occupation you enjoy, and you'll never do a single day of work in your life.” For many, this sounds like a fantasy. Who wouldn't love to earn money doing the things they love? Many enthusiastic people about BJJ try to think of ways to earn money. It's time to learn strategies for making money through BJJ.

It's certainly possible to earn income while practicing jiu-jitsu. The most crucial aspect is whether you wish to teach jiu-jitsu to others or compete in jiu-jitsu competitions.

If you're interested in teaching BJJ, plenty of options are available.

You can start an academy yourself, work as an assistant instructor for an academy, or become a strength and conditioning coach in an MMA group (many of which have BJJ programs).

Establishing an academy yourself is the riskiest choice.

The most significant obstacle is finding an area to lease or rent out as retail space can be expensive, particularly in larger cities.

Also, you'll need to buy mats and equipment yourself.

If you choose to go this route, we suggest starting with a small amount (e.g., leasing space at the neighborhood community center) and gradually increasing the size of your training space when your business grows.

Being an assistant instructor is a great way to enter the financial world of jiu-jitsu.

Many instructors are always looking for great assistants because it makes it easier for instructors to focus on teaching and give each student the attention they need.

As an assistant instructor, you're likely to earn an hourly salary with your earnings increase as you gain more experience and take on more responsibilities.

The last alternative is to find a strength and conditioning coach job for an MMA team.

It's not as lucrative as the other options, but it's an excellent opportunity to understand jiu-jitsu better while you earn some money.

In addition, you'll get to learn from some of the most skilled jiu-jitsu practitioners worldwide!

There are only a few ways to earn money from jiu-jitsu.

1. Offer classes at the jiu-jitsu gym.
2. Participate in tournaments
3. Find sponsors
4. Create your academy

In this regard, look at these three job categories for BJJ:

• Coaching
• Competing
• Related Jobs

The world of jiu-jitsu is expanding every day, and the different ways you can earn money along with it.

The most challenging way to earn money is to compete in BJJ matches. You're expected to fight at least twice every month.

 Jobs related to participating in competitions include blogging and posting videos.

The opportunity to work in an environment that lets you practice BJJ is fantastic, but getting a job that promotes yourself is even more beneficial.

There are more chances to earn money through BJJ now than ever.

Even if academies post on their Instagram frequently, that doesn't mean that they don't require help with social media. If a new academy isn't running ads through Facebook, Instagram, and/or Snapchat, it should be.

If you're not sure how to create advertisements on Facebook, look it up. You will find hundreds of guides and free classes. It's unnecessary to master the more advanced techniques like retargeting or pixeling.

Keep in mind that until you finish making advertisements, you will not receive payments from any BJJ academy you work with. If even a tiny portion of the target audience decides to sign up, you'll earn this money back within one or two months. Most importantly, the analytics tools on platforms such as Facebook allow you to demonstrate that your works are helping to bring in traffic.

Being a professional grappler is one of the more popular ideas of how to earn money thanks to BJJ. However, this may seem impossible for many of us. It is possible to earn money by participating in tournaments. Most fighters desire to prove themselves at least once in their jiu-jitsu careers, motivating them to participate in BJJ competitions. Some people like to test their abilities now and then or just compete in tournaments for fun.

In addition to the growing popularity of grappling martial arts worldwide, BJJ’s popularity on the Internet is growing rapidly. Therefore, people who are adept at writing and rolling are in luck! There's a huge need for information as well.

Blogs are a fantastic way to advertise yourself and subjects related to BJJ to a larger audience. When it comes to BJJ, many bloggers start with a blog post about their daily practice and experience in competitions. The more imaginative ones frequently get noticed by popular BJJ websites that appreciate quality writing like BJJ-World.com.

The bigger your audience, the greater your chances of being able to negotiate agreements with supplement companies, apparel companies, etc. There are also advertisements you can participate in that can increase your revenue. Keep in mind that plenty of people are always hungry for BJJ content, and if they see you don't constantly update, they'll go to a different source before you can say rear-naked choke!

Another way to earn money from jiu-jitsu is to participate in tournaments.

There are different levels of competition, from small local tournaments that pay modest prizes to international competitions such as the IBJJF World Championships that have huge rewards.

The drawback of this choice is that it requires lots of effort and time to remain competitive at the highest level.

Most cash prizes and sponsorships are reserved for those with higher belts, which means you'll have to be creative in your approach.

There are two types of sponsorships:

• Celebrity Sponsorships
• Affiliate Sponsorships

Let's break both types of sponsorships down:

You've guessed it. This is how brands reward you for being famous.

Brands will pay you to have your name on their products if you can build a large following.

This type of sponsorship takes the longest to work towards because you'll need to build a large following first.

Every business requires an army of designers to manage aspects of their company’s brand — logos, banners, Facebook cover images, clothes, and advertisements. BJJ companies aren't any different. They require more innovative workers compared to other industries.

Websites like Canva.com have free versions of hundreds of templates to help you get your creative juices flowing. If you discover a company with a poor innovative team and enjoy designing things, then spend an hour creating a collection of images to send them. Send the pictures in a low-quality, watermarked format, then ask any BJJ company about the possibility of buying them from you.

For local schools or a small website, it saves them money hiring a designer like you rather than enlisting the help of a marketing company. They can get results today rather than wait for weeks to hear news about their products.

To be a promoter of BJJ-related topics, you don't need to be a world-class athlete. On the mat, it is possible to be a bit average. In this case, it's more important to know your online audience and the effectiveness of your advertisements. In reality, numerous BJJ companies will pay you commissions if you help them promote their products.

You could join as an affiliate if you've established an online presence on social media. It is possible to sign up directly through a company website or sign up for an affiliate program and market several products. Businesses will typically pay a 10 to 50% commission.

They could even send you free items to aid in your promotion if you have experience showing off products. The best part is that you'll get to market the items that you're already using and recommending.

Contrary to popular belief, writers are highly sought after. Every website requires regular content that can be shared via social media and in search bars. The great thing about BJJ is that, even if you don't practice it fervently, you'll still be able to write about a BJJ-related topic. That makes writers who can write BJJ content desirable.

Indeed, you do not need too many connections or have an extensive portfolio to be eligible for an opportunity to earn money. Create a blog using your Reddit account or use Instagram. Learn a bit about keywording and SEO. Contact websites and provide links to your work. 

To be considered for a sponsorship, you'll need to consider the following:

• Most likely to be dominant within your weight class.
• You have an active following on a social media platform.
• Be prepared to advertise the sponsor's product or services.
• The more active the company is, the more successful it is.

Most sponsors will approach you if they feel that you're a good fit for their brand and that your audience is in line with their desired demographics.

There's an entire group of competitive people who strive to participate in tournaments as frequently as possible. A professional BJJ career may not seem like a bad idea if you are part of this demographic. You could earn money by competing in and winning championships. You must first investigate which local competition you wish to participate in. Getting familiar with a tournament, making a name for yourself, and improving your skills are more important than chasing huge cash prizes.

To qualify for larger tournaments, you must be in a position of authority or have some level of popularity. Once you do, you can earn a living by taking p[part in the most lucrative BJJ tournaments. If you are serious about competitions like this, the Abu Dhabi Pro offers large cash prizes. 

Sponsorship in jiu-jitsu is a fantastic opportunity to earn extra cash. It's not as simple as simply being a skilled fighter. You must have a presence on social media platforms, participate in tournaments, and gain publicity. Also, you must find the right kind of sponsorship to suit your needs.

Teaching jiu-jitsu online is an excellent way to earn money. It also does not require enormous initial expenses. You just need the domain name, web hosting, a CMS, a payment processor, and a video conferencing system.

Once you've learned the best way to be sponsored and how to train online, you are on your way to creating your own jiu-jitsu company. Have fun!

Photo credit: @nikkicuddlejitsu