Get in touch
555-555-5555
mymail@mailservice.com
I want to try Jiu Jitsu but.....
Author name
....I need to (insert reason) first
We have all done it at some point in our life. We think about trying something new. It sounded great in our head and when it came time to try that new thing, we don't take action. We hesitate and search for excuses of why we can't or shouldn't try that new thing. It's the fear of stepping out of our comfort zone. It's the fear of failure and what people may think. It's the fear of not being ready or in shape to try it.
About a year ago I read a book written by Mel Robins "The 5 second rule". Mrs. Robins was an attorney and on top of the world. Her husband Chris owned a successful restaurant. Then one day it came crashing down. The family had invested everything they had into the failed restaurants. Mrs. Robins went into a depression and often laid in bed all day. Finally fed up with her families situation she knew she had to take action. She was watching a space shuttle launch. The count down of 5 4 3 2 1, lift off clicked with her. She counted out loud backwards from 5 to 1. At one she launched herself out of bed. She started to take action to fix her families financial situation.
I wont give away any spoilers, it's a great book. I will tell you the technique she used and a brief explanation of why she uses this particular technique and how you can apply it. Mrs. Robins started doing research into the human behavior of hesitation. Mrs. Robins found in her research about the brains defense mechanism. She found that our brains are designed to protect us from discomfort and keep us in a state of comfort. When we get a new idea that has the possibility of failure or humiliation the brain takes immediate action to keep us in a state of comfort.
The good news, we can override it. Through extensive research Mrs. Robins found a way to bypass the brains comfort mechanism. "It's so simple its almost silly" said Robins. She found out you have exactly 5 seconds to take action before your brain talks you out of it. Hence the 5 second rule. Mrs. Robins said when a new idea starts to transpire we need to "launch" ourselves into action. We need to count out loud "5 4 3 2 1" and jump to action. Taking action within that 5 seconds allows us to live up to our true potential.
Imagine if Thomas Edison had hesitated to take action, would we have the light bulb? If our founding fathers hesitated to meet in Philadelphia and sign a declaration of independence would we have the great country of opportunity we have today? I'm sure anyone who has dared to be great has faced the fear of failure. They have faced the fear of humiliation. Thankfully anyone who has dared to be great or accomplished great things have all had to overcome those fears we all experience.
How does all this apply to wanting to try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Simple, ask anyone who has been training BJJ for a while, 2 plus years and have invited a friend or co worker to try it out. They will be told a hundreds of excuses. In the 8 years I have been training, I have invited so many people to try out BJJ. My law enforcement family to friends, I have heard tons of reasons why they can't. "I need to get into shape first", "I'm too old", "I don't have time", "That stuff is silly" and my personal favorite "I just see red bro when I train and start dropping bodies" Uhh yeah right.
Now there are legit reasons one may not be able to train, but those are few and far between. It comes down to getting out of our comfort zone and doing something that is uncomfortable at first. The excuses I have heard I can always have a rebuttal. You don't need to be in shape to start. You're not too old to start. You do have the time cause I have seen the Facebook posts of that person at the club or at a bbq. That "BJJ, UFC" stuff won't be so silly when your faced with a situation where you need to defend yourself or a loved one. When you start to "see red and drop bodies" you will find your not in the great shape or the great fighter you though you were.
Need proof? check out this article of a 65 year old woman who earned her BJJ black belt. Here is another one about a man who was obese and out of shape and decided he didn't need to be in shape to start BJJ. Here is another one of a 67 year old female BJJ black belt who fought off a home intruder.
So let me ask you this, What is stopping you from trying BJJ? Better yet don't think about what is stopping you, take action. Apply the 5 second rule, jump up from where you are sitting or from what you are doing and take the first step and schedule a free BJJ class today. Click the join button and get in the best shape of your life and learn the best self defense system, BJJ.
After you schedule your free class, you may start to feel hesitant and uncomfortable about showing up. Count out loud 5 4 3 2 1, get in the car and come to the academy. We are a beginner friendly, family friendly environment. You will be welcomed and we will do everything we can to make you feel wanted. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Remember the 5 second rule, 5 4 3 2 1 LET'S GOOOO!!!!!!
Starting anything new can always be challenging. Especially when it involves physical fitness. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can not only be challenging but also intimidating. Speaking from 8 years of experience in BJJ, I can attest to this. March 2015, I started my Jiu Jitsu journey. I had zero grappling experience and had only trained in striking arts. My first class I remember feeling lost, having no idea what I was doing. I was being pushed physically and mentally like I haven’t experienced since going through Marine Corps boot camp in 2005. I loved it and I signed up that day. I had great teammates and coaches who helped me acclimate to BJJ. The first few months were such a struggle, I didn’t feel like I was getting any better. I was getting smashed on the mats. To add to the struggles, I was driving 45 minutes one way to the nearest BJJ gym 3 times a week just to get tapped out over and over. I was speaking to blue and purple belts about struggling and not feeling like I was getting better. I’ll never forget being told that what I was experiencing was normal and if I would just keep coming and giving it my all, it would pay off. I was told to write down in a journal the areas I was struggling with and to watch BJJ videos about those positions . On the drive home I had plenty of time to think about the advice I was given. Remembering my training from the Marine Corps about adapting and overcoming, I was determined to get better and stick with it. I got home and started finding videos on YouTube. One was a documentary with 8-time BJJ world champion Robson Moura. Professor Moura spoke about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is for everybody. Young, old, male, female it didn’t matter as long as you showed up and left your ego at the door. I was brainstorming that night and thinking about my teammates and coaches. Everyone on the mats had different backgrounds and came from different walks of life. I knew if they could do it, I could do it. I didn’t get better right away but I remembered what Professor Moura said “Jiu Jitsu is for everybody”. A few months went by, and I was getting better. I worked on the positions I struggled with and showed up to every open mat I could attend and pressure tested everything I was learning. It paid off and felt like it was for me. My journey through blue and purple belt were filled with trials and tribulations. Each new rank presented new challenges. But, the reward of sticking with it and pushing through felt so much better and made the struggles worth it. I grew spiritually, learning to apply what I learned on the mats to everyday life. Realizing if I can overcome the physical and mental difficulties of BJJ, I can overcome anything. The confidence gained through perseverance on the mats were all worth it. 8 years later I am now a 2 stripe brown belt with my own BJJ gym. Being a coach I can see some of the similar struggles with my students that I saw in myself and with many people I have watch come and go on the mats. I’ve seen people with so much potential quit because of difficulties on the mats and in life. I write this so that people thinking about training BJJ or are just starting their journey can see that it’s going to be challenging. It’s going to push you mentally and physically. There are going to be days where you question why you are doing this, why are you paying monthly dues to get smashed on the mats after work. I write this so when those times do come up and they will, you can see it get so much better. Pushing through those difficulties has so many rewards that will make it all worth it. You will not only have learned self-defense, you will also learn to overcome the many difficulties life may throw at you. And, in my opinion, the best reward is the relationships and bonds you will form with your teammates over the years. The comradery is something special. Most importantly you will see that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is for everybody.
