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The Top 5 Fears that Keep People from Starting Jiu-Jitsu

  1. “I will get hurt”.  Its true.  You will be hurt but then again with anything physical that happens.  The more active you are the more likely something is going to happen from a scratch to a broken bone.  So don’t worry about it.  You can get hurt brushing your teeth.  It happened to my Uncle.  He leaned over to spit out tooth paste and ended up having back surgery.  One of the reasons you are consider BJJ is to keep from letting others hurt you.
  2. “I’m claustrophobic”.  So am I.  I am not as bad as I used to be thanks to Jiu-Jitsu.  Learning to control fear is a important part of functioning in life.  If you want to over come and make your weakness a strong point Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a excellent way to do it.  I found that working with someone I trusted in my BJJ family made the difference.
  3. “I don’t like to come into physical contact with people”.  Remember to tell that to the person assaulting you.  It also might work on the your spare tire to make it go away.  Whether it’s shaking hands or slapping a buddy on the back, face it, we live in a social environment, physical contact is inevitable.
  4. “I’m all thumbs.  People will laugh at me”.  All white belts are that way and everyone can remember being that way.  A good school will have sympathetic members that will help you learn and grow while having some good laughs along the way.  See [Top 5 Things To Look For in a Martial Arts Instructor]
  5. “I don’t have the money”.  Ok, then its time to look at your priorities.  Do you need the latest and greatest cell phone?  How much more tricked out do you need to make that car or bike?  Why not stop eating out all the time.  With the money you save and eating healthier you will feel better, lose weight, and be mixing it up on the mat.

I realize that these arguments don’t cover all situations. But I hope they help you think about your desire to start BJJ and how you might make changes or over come rationalizations that are stopping you from get you there.  Once you find something you love you are motivated to share it with others.  That is the intent of my post, share the BJJ love.

Jiu-Jitsu is Life and Life is Jiu-Jitsu