So you just started training BJJ – or, perhaps you’ve been training it for quite some time already – but you’re sort of having second thoughts on whether or not this is truly the martial art, the sport for you. Don’t worry about it; almost every Jiujiteiro has had these types of thoughts, even if only once during their BJJ lifetime.
Here’s how you can know, for certain, if Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the right thing for you.
MOST OF THE TIME, YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT
Let’s be honest here. You won’t be ecstatic about Jiu Jitsu all the time. Some of the days, you really won’t feel like coming to the mats and being thrown, mounted and submitted over and over and over again. And that’s alright! Because not all days will be fantastic, and not all moments will be the ones of enjoyment.
What matters is that most of the time, you’re looking forward to training. This, yet again, doesn’t mean that you’re constantly euphoric about it; but that coming to training is something that brings up joyful feelings in your stomach… That coming to training makes you feel good.
If the opposite is the case, and you’re dreading coming to class more often than not – for a longer period of time now – then you might need to reconsider your choice.
THE PEOPLE ON THE MATS ARE RIGHT
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the best things you can do for your heath and fitness; it will skyrocket your cardiovascular endurance and shed pounds upon pounds of fat off of your frame. But it’s also a great investment into your mental health as well. This, naturally, is because it teaches you how to perform under pressure and how to deal with stress in a more constructive manner (rather than just freezing up in front of it); as well as because it enables you to exhale all of those worries you’ve been carrying on your shoulders throughout the day.
However, this is also true because of the people you’re spending your time with – your training partners.
The thing is, if you like the people you’re rolling on the mats, then Jiu Jitsu is that much more the right sport for you. You’re not going to often find the type of camaraderie that you’re a part of in your BJJ academy; and if this is the way you feel, then keep going with BJJ.
If you’re at ease with your training partners, as well as with your coach, then there’s no reason to harbor second doubts. If not, however – if you sort of feel that your coach is an arrogant prick and that your training partners are egocentric maniacs – then don’t stop with BJJ altogether; just find a different academy.
YOU WANT YOUR FAMILY AND NON-BJJ FRIENDS TO BECOME… WELL, BJJ FRIENDS
The third and final great indication that BJJ is the right sport for you is that you’re nudging your non-BJJ friends and family to come out and try a class or two.
Why is this so important? Because you’re trying to persuade the people you care about to try out the sport you’re training. You want the best for your family, for your friends, for the people you love; and since you’re trying to get them into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you believe BJJ to be something which’ll bring great benefits for them… That you’re enjoying it and that you found the right place to be in!
Wanting the best for your family and friends should also mean that you want the best for yourself. Therefore – keep training Jiu Jitsu!
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