Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu

A Guide for Survivors, Therapists, and Jiu-Jitsu Practitioners to Facilitate Embodied Recovery

By: Jamie Marich PHD, Anna Pirkl LMFT

Narrated by: Marissa Ghavami

Heal from trauma and PTSD with the martial art of jiu-jitsu--written for survivors, mental health therapists, and trauma-informed martial arts instructors.


This groundbreaking book introduces jiu-jitsu as a powerful embodied modality for trauma survivors in recovery, and includes 10 grounding practices, self-defense techniques, and 30 instructional photos.

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 people experience shifts in how they feel, connect with others, and interact with the world at large. This embodied, whole-person approach will help you heal the wounds of traumatic stress and how it shows up within yourself and your relationships, from disembodiment and numbness to anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, and dissociation.

As part of a martial arts trauma recovery program, you’ll learn about:

• Trauma, embodiment, and the transformative power of jiu-jitsu

• Self-defense skills that can help survivors of violence define boundaries and feel safe, secure, powerful, and at home in their bodies

• Creating a welcoming, responsive practice space as a studio owner

• Integrating 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, Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu is a unique and vital guide to healing trauma’s invisible wounds.

Incredible resource for the students, instructors, and therapists

I was looking so forward for this book to come out. I have purchased both the book and the audio so I could take in this information from anywhere and everywhere. It was so helpful in not only my journey, but in the journey of my training partners and students. Thank you Anna and Jamie for being absolutely amazing!

Starts Good, Gets kinda "meh."

I started off enjoying it, but it started getting a little woke-ish which was a turn off. The reader was a bit flat and had bit of a biting voice which made it hard to listen to. I am very passionate about the subject matter, and did find a lot of useful information in it which is why I gave it 3 stars. If I had to do it over, I would still give it a listen despite the things I didn't care for.

Absolute stunner

I was able to take an outside looking in review of how I have felt about BJJ over the last years. The change it leads to physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. 100% recommend to folks like me!

Decent but woke

Decent advice here, but too tainted with woke nonsense. A lot of it is common sense and decency shrouded in academic gobbledygook speak.

Great book about a great art

This books breaks down what so many us in jiu-jitsu have known for so many years: this art can not help you physically but also help you mentally.

Nothing to do with JiuJitsu!

All liberal/ leftist ideology and propaganda BS. The authors suggest the JiuJitsu world should bow to the minority. This book has little to do with how or what JiuJitsu is and is all about any and all gyms changing practices and implementing liberal ideas. I agree BJJ can help with trauma but this book has nothing to do with that. Replace trauma, with victim leftist mentality and that everyone everywhere should change their lives and accommodate, is the real purpose of this book.

Had to stop early on.

I thought this book would be a scientific one about the “how” jiu jitsu helps people cope with trauma written by what I presumed to be mental health professionals and jiu jitsu practitioners. I purchased this prior to reading any reviews or researching the authors. After hearing the opinions of the authors on pronouns and very basic terminology being spoon fed to me I looked up the authors and found that it appears only one has ever set foot on a mat and has only worn the gimmicky Gracie Academy women’s self defense pink belt. So I am quite skeptical of the authors jiu jitsu experience. I believe she is likely just a white belt. Now this would not be an issue if this book was what I thought it was but for the last hour I have heard nothing but explanations on technique and how to execute Basic moves you would learn during your first week of training. If you experienced trauma or have any stressors in your life like 99-100% of people don’t waste 10 hours of your life on this book. Take 10 jiu jitsu classes. You will then start to understand the benefits.

Not worth the Credit

Save your money/credits.

It could have been done in a third of the run-time if it wasn't trying to lecture you with leftist talking points.

I don't need to hear about sexuality, pronouns and privilege to understand how Jiu Jitsu can be helpful with trauma.

I'll summarize to save you time:

Jiu Jitsu can help people who have experienced trauma, work through it by teaching the ability to defend themselves and handle tough situations, through exposure in a controlled environment. It can help learn about grounding, breathing, and mental self talk which therapy also advocates. You could use Jiu Jitsu in conjunction with a therapist to work towards your goals if that is something that interests you.

An important topic content is embarrassing.

Maybe it's a matter of American style and culture but the book was full of a lot of advertising and marketing of specific bjj clubs.

There were also many inaccuracies that sounded like the agenda of a particular teacher. I recommend that you research the history of BJJ through the Faculty of Humanities in University of Brazil. Research work has already been done there about history of bjj that doesn't fully align with the publisher's narrative.

Congratulations on publishing the book. In the hope that he will be the first in a series of books on this subject.

so-so

The book was decent as far as intention, but the politically correct nonsense was ridiculous. It's difficult to take a "doc" seriously when they propose to enable mentally ill folks in their delusions. But, BY FAR, the worst part of the book...almost unbearable...was the reading. Wow! t
The narrator has to be THE worse adult reader I've ever heard. Choppy, robotic, completely inappropriate pauses. If it wasn't so distraction it would've been laughable. It was difficult to focus and finish bcuz the reading was so bad.