If you are reading this, chances are you have already been sucked into the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle. Routines like meeting up with friends at happy hour or going home to catch the 7 PM news have been replaced with rolling on the ground in a hot and humid room for several hours a week. As you get more immersed into your BJJ journey, it will start to become a bigger part of your life both on and off of the mats. What you enjoy, how you look at the world, what you eat, and how you choose friends will be influenced by BJJ. Here are 10 signs you have been sucked into the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle.
1.You relate more to people who do BJJ than people who don’t: Your non-BJJ’s friend’s conversations about Donald Trump or Kanye West will become even more annoying, while you are more drawn to your BJJ friend’s conversations on techniques, living in the moment, and training. After a while you will start hanging out more with people from BJJ and start to filter out the bad influences in your life like your friend who says the world is screwing him over as he sits on the couch watching The View.
2.You pronounce the “R” like a “H.”: After making the rookie mistake of pronouncing the “R” as a “R” rather than a “H,” you will soon start to inadvertently pronouncing the “R” as a “H” in your everyday life or do it just to get a cheap laugh out of your BJJ friends.
3.You are more interested in optimizing your nutrition and exploring life hacks for both better performance and life: After training in BJJ, you start to realize that eating a burrito after training might not be the best option. People in BJJ are pretty health conscious and are interested in learning how to optimize their nutrition for both performance and overall life reasons. It will be hard not to pick up on the tips and life hacks that you learn from training partners such healthy recipes, meal preparation, and healthy eating options. In time, your pantry, will have a jar of coconut oil and your refrigerator will be stocked with grass fed beef and avocados.
4.All your recommended videos on Youtube are BJJ related: After training for a while, most of your recommended YouTube videos will be BJJ related. Big brother knows you very well and knows you are more likely to click on a BJJ video than the latest summer blockbuster movie trailer or a video of cute animals.
5.You are constantly surfing the net for good deals on BJJ gear: Instead of shopping for clothes or electronics, you are checking BJJHQ for the latest impulse purchase. It could be a new gi for the weekly rotation or maybe a rashguard for the nogi classes you were thinking of starting. Either way, you are spending more time and money scoping out new BJJ gear.
6.You are telling people to try an acai bowl: A few years ago, you were telling people they had to try the cronut or the new sandwich at Fat Sal’s. Now you are all about promoting the acai bowl. Even though it is likely loaded with sugar, you are still selling it to friends and family as a healthy alternative to ice cream.
7.You are more open to taking on a new challenge in life: So you have managed to learn a few techniques and are getting better at rolling after struggling for months. The confidence you developed from learning something difficult will transfer to other parts of your life like business, career, relationships, new hobbies and challenges. Training in BJJ has helped boost your confidence and knocked down the mental walls that previously prevented you from reaching your human potential.
8.You have become a UFC fan: A few years ago, you thought UFC was violent or human cockfighting. Now that you have a better understanding of martial arts and BJJ, watching UFC fights is way more appealing and you are rooting for the fighter with a BJJ base or from an affiliate of your home gym.
9.You know the difference between Helio and Carlos Gracie: Now when you are at a dinner party or the bar, you can explain to your friends the differences between the Gracies and how Ralph, Renzo, and Ryan were the wild brothers who fought in Japan while their cousins in Torrance focus more on self-defense over competition. Sure the crowd at the cocktail party will be quick to get far away from you, but at least you let them understand the various factions in the Gracie family.
10.You are more relaxed and calmer: You were tightly wound up before you started BJJ. You were stressed out and sometimes let your frustration out in a less than admirable way. Now that you are training in BJJ, you have a positive physical and mental outlet for the pent up stress and frustration from everyday life. By having that outlet, you are less stressed, sleep better and have learned to be more patient with yourself and others in your daily life.
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