I Almost Quit BJJ

Ever feel like quitting? Read this

Feel like quitting? Story time.

I seriously thought about quitting BJJ only one time after I started training. This was back when I was still a white belt.

Year 2007. I had been training BJJ for 3 months. I went twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday nights) to the beginners BJJ class. I was 17 years old. I just bought a gi. I enjoyed BJJ training, the moves were cool - but at this point in time I wasn’t very good at BJJ. To be honest, I sucked. I lost a lot. In every class. As a scrawny teenager, the only time I ever got to “win” was against someone who was doing their first class who didn’t know anything. Even then it was a struggle.

I felt like when I went to class nobody knew my name or who I was, or anything about me. Maybe they didn’t care about me. I injured my elbow and I took a few weeks off from training. I thought “maybe BJJ isn’t worth my time”. My other high school friends who joined with me had already dropped out. I thought to myself, maybe I should join the club and drop out too.

Also, after I had started BJJ training a few students who started training after me seemed to be progressing faster than I did. I didn’t like that. I thought “I work hard, why not me?”

What kept me going? Two main reasons. The first was the desire I had inside of myself to achieve something. I set a goal, I wanted to achieve a black belt in a martial art.

Second, I began to develop a bond with some of the more senior students (blue belts) at my club and my coach actually learned my name! It was a game changing moment.

I know it probably sounds silly to some, but I try and learn something about all my students because I don’t want them to feel like I felt in my first few months of training.

It’s true that you can still feel quite lonely in a crowded room.

Whenever I hear about people quitting BJJ I always wonder where I would be if I never went back.

TLDR: Don’t compare yourself to anyone, focus on your own personal development. Embrace the support of those around you.

Josh Presley - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

Come train with me at Presley BJJ - Wellington, Nova Scotia

info@presleybjj.com

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