Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Good morning fella, well, only thing you can do is find a local club and give it a go, most clubs offer a free trial class, you can see how you feel,

I personally love bjj, and through MF I’ve met new friends and now I travel to places in Europe to roll with all kinds of people

Looking at your profile you should be a shoe in, good physique and good to start it all.

There is a group also called “grapplig alliance” on fb and instagram, they are relaxed about MF people who want to join bjj seminars and then roll.

Good luck!!

I’ve been on this website for years now and rolled with many amazing people who typically have a background in BJJ. This all started out as a fetish for me (chokeholds/strangulation to be specific) but as of recently I have grown an interest to want to start training properly. I don’t know what brought this interest on since I still feel strongly intimidated - yet equally curious - from what I’ve seen online, whether they be training videos or footage from tournaments.

However I’ve also seen some great benefits that can come from this, whether it be the ability to apply these movements if I was ever confronted in the streets or something to have as a discipline next to powerlifting (I’ve been at the gym long enough and consistent enough that it isn’t really my discipline anymore)

I picked up a quote that has inspired me about this sport; “In BJJ you never lose.. you either win or you learn” and I have always lived by a quote from a Disney film called ‘Meet the Robinsons’ where one character says; “From failing, you learn! From success? Not so much” with that said, I’m curious to hear about everyone else’s experiences and what they’ve learnt from this sport, whether your experience has been good or bad (I only know of one friend that I work with and she’s told me to go for it, but I’d like some more inspiration)

So if you see this feel free to comment your experience and hopefully it will inspire me further.

Many thanks :)

~ Suffoc801

Very well said. BJJ has done so much for me. Best stress reliever around, lots of fun, and the best comraderie. Also, no ageism at the dojo as well.

I can relate to this. I felt interested but also intimidated. Initially, I started with personal training sessions with a trainer, which was less intimidating. However, I had a chat with the coach about my feelings of intimidation in a class setting. I said that it scares me that someone is attacking me!

He explained that this is a crucial component of the gym culture that is often difficult to visualize. Some gyms have a toxic culture that thrives on intimidation, while others are aware of this impact and proactively work to create a more conducive learning environment for their members. He also explained to me how the head coach of the gym has strict policies to protect this culture. He doesn’t tolerate any behavior that risks the culture of the gym.

After that conversation, I decided to push myself and try a class at their gym. Surprisingly, I felt no intimidation at all. I enjoyed the session and learned a lot. I repeated this experience several times at the same gym.

Perhaps visiting several gyms and having conversations with trainers at each one could be helpful. It would allow you to express your interests and concerns and see how they respond.

Great reply. The culture is crucial. It’s intimidating enough, to even go through the doors the first time, for a lot of people.