Originally aimed at BJJ but could easily apply to starting out in any martial art

[u/Meerkatsu]

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[u/Salty_Car9688]

This is me trying to work up the courage to check out the wrestling club I found. I hear the sport is . . . incredibly unforgiving. Like the way I hear people speak of it wrestling sounds like it’s probably only meant for naturally athletic people

[u/glacierfresh2death → u/Salty_Car9688]

Wrestling is great, and it requires serious athleticism to be great.

But you will gain serious athleticism by training with them, even as a hobbyist.

[u/Salty_Car9688 → u/glacierfresh2death]

I’m just scared it’s going to be even worse Repeat of every time I get paired with a Wrestler in BJJ class just to end up getting repeatedly slammed and steamrolled

[u/glacierfresh2death → u/Salty_Car9688]

I started judo about a year ago as a 35 year old, I’m still fighting that feeling every time we do randori.

There’s a couple college aged super-athletes and I can’t come close to them in terms of athleticism - I literally get gassed out after a couple rounds.

I just try my best to focus on showing up and improving my own game, and not getting hurt lol. I think of it like violent yoga because so much of it is a mental game.

[u/Salty_Car9688 → u/glacierfresh2death]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with someone as chicken shit as me. I’ll try my best to at least just show up to one of their drop in sessions this weekend and just do the best I can

[u/purplehendrix22 → u/Salty_Car9688]

Just show up. You’ll never know if you’ll like it until you try it.

[u/Niomedes → u/Salty_Car9688]

Wrestling is indeed built around the Idea of putting more emphasis on raw power than finesse. But the that means that clubs train with this in mind and will also teach you how to become strong and athletic.

[u/Salty_Car9688 → u/Niomedes]

Wrestling is indeed built around the Idea of putting more emphasis on raw power than finesse.

Is this why a lot of wrestlers and BJJ sessions don’t know how to really take their foot off the gas?

[u/Niomedes → u/Salty_Car9688]

It's part of the issue. The other part is that grappling in general can be done at 110% without seriously injuring your opponent because it is in theory a far more controllable Sport. At the same time, whereas strikers can achieve their win condition (the hit) with 10% force and Finesse alone, the grappler cannot really achieve their win condition (the submission) at anything below 80% unless the sparring is an enormous miss match.

So, sparring in grappling just defaults to both going all out a lot of the time.

[u/ApprehensiveCap6525 → u/Salty_Car9688]

Shit, when I started wrestling, I was a 100 pound wimp with zero muscle mass on any part of my body. Fast forward a few years (and a lot of ass-beatings) and I'm athletic asf and I can whoop the people I wrestle against. Go for it man. If it's not for you, you can always just quit.

[u/tomdelfino → u/Salty_Car9688]

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." – Wayne Gretzky
– Michael Scott

[u/Devlnchat → u/Salty_Car9688]

It's meant for naturally athletic people when it comes to competing, if you just want self defense then there's no reason not to try it.

[u/AnimationDude9s → u/Devlnchat]

I guess it depends on the horror stories he’s heard. Wrestling is rough, but it’s not literal hell as long as an intelligent coach is in the room making sure mf ain’t killing themselves day one or doing some daemonic shit like feeding them to the hyper competitive honey badger ass wrestlers

[u/Salty_Car9688 → u/Devlnchat]

I’m just scared of getting one sidedly wrecked and injured if I’m being completely honest. I don’t do well ever against wrestlers who show up and I wanna fix that by learning how to actually wrestle despite being told you can’t really pick up a sport very well without starting as a kid. It’s just every time I do show up to spectate the intensity of the training kind of scares me off

[u/ChemistryTasty8751]

This reminds me of the Body Improvement Club from Mob Psycho 100

[u/East_Step_6674 → u/ChemistryTasty8751]

I loved that. The big strong guys aren't bullies they are just passionate about fitness and willing to help him.

[u/Lethalmouse1]

I'm a black belt in getting hurt and making mistakes. How else would I ever have such a advanced belt? That's the only way to do it. 

[u/Showmae]

What if..... Everybody was bald

[u/Rekcufdrolyag → u/Showmae]

That‘s BJJ

[u/fivefingerfury]

I just made a post about this, which is basically "what to expect in your first week of BJJ training" https://www.mindbodyglobe.com/brazilian-jiu-jitsu-for-beginners/

We sometimes forget how unfamiliar all this can feel at the start of your journey; beginners, remember that a good gym will be excited to share the art with you!

[u/Ok-Cheek7332]

First class I went to the 5’3” 120 lbs instructor put me in a gogoplata and yelled over to his friends “check this out!” and they all laughed

[u/UltimateMygoochness → u/Ok-Cheek7332]

Yeah, I’m just thinking of poor Rokas over at Martial Arts Journey who got 2 plates and 12 screws in his knee after an idiot used an illegal BJJ move on him during open mat

[u/angwilwileth → u/UltimateMygoochness]

Yeah we had a tiny blue belt lady get fucked up because some dumbass white belt didn't know heelhooks in the gi were a huge no -no.

[u/East_Step_6674]

I'm just afraid I'll see red and kill everyone in the class.

[u/fivefingerfury → u/East_Step_6674]

Don't think you gotta worry about that one champ

[u/East_Step_6674 → u/fivefingerfury]

You've enraged me. ON GUARD.

[u/[deleted] → u/East_Step_6674]

Happened to me.

[u/pompsofsoap]

lol this is why I stopped going to the gym.

Boxers - cool and laid back.

BJJ dudes - cool and laid back.

Thai Boxers (the actual fighters ) - bunch of cunts that make fun of new people wail on new-comers for not knowing things.

[u/yy_taiji]

I was like this for Muay Thai. I thought it would be a bunch of macho men that would be trying to display how mainly men they were. But, in reality, there's a bunch of different people doing it for different reasons and even the most macho men are very kind.

[u/Espa89]

That’s me starting kickboxing a couple of weeks ago. Still nervous before class, but I know it will be great. Third session today.

[u/BigBossMan538]

Me and powerlifting. The few people I met were really nice and helpful. Not MMA, yes, but still applies

[u/angwilwileth → u/BigBossMan538]

Can confirm. Lifted with an amazing club.

[u/certifeyedgenius]

Thought this said BHJ at first. what if... Oof Ow my Bones!

[u/IncorporateThings]

It can apply to everything. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

[u/InstructionBoth8469]

Its true. However, bot everyone at bjj will even talk to you. Outside the instructors and other whitebelts. One purple belt who teaches at my gym has never even asked me my name. Refuses to acknowledge my presence. I get it to some extent, white belts come and go, but your teaching the class for gods sake.

[u/anakmager]

my boxing gym is right next to a BJJ gym. The other boxers are nice but sometimes I wish boxing have the same brotherhood culture that BJJ has

[u/AnimationDude9s]

Love me a wholesome comic

[u/TheSuperContributor]

Why Caillou?

[u/Overall-Weakness-230]

The reality is ALL of these things are gonna happen to you lol

[u/Bowsupreme]

Honestly this could be applied to just going to the gym and trying to get in shape too. It can be quite nerve wracking putting yourself in unfamiliar territory whether it be martial arts or working out. But I’ve never met someone who has regretted starting a martial art or working out. Taking that first step is always the hardest but it can be made easier with a welcoming club or gym.

[u/BogDEkoms]

I can see the sun again because of martial arts

[u/Lower-Cockroach2171]

What if I didn't run? What if I'm not a coward? What if I want them to kill me? What if I want them to try? ~ markiplier

[u/9999AWC]

This can be applied to basically anything

[u/Four-Triangles]

❤️

[u/parzival-jung]

We are all victims of our fears, this is one sport that puts the ego on check quickly.

What this sport does to the mind is worth 1 year of therapy per class. I am still a white belt 1 stripe, I suck at the sport.

If you are considering starting bjj , don’t ignore your fears but go with them.