I started BJJ for many reasons such as self-defense, to get a good workout in and to learn a new skill. None of those reasons had anything to do with community but that has quickly come to be something that I really appreciate about BJJ. I am now surrounded by people on a regular basis who are looking to improve themselves just as I am. This helps motivate me to continue to push forward and reach for new heights.
As someone in my early 30’s I don’t find myself out meeting people very often and it wasn’t something that I really realized that I missed. But after getting to know people at my gym and regularly meeting new people as they tried BJJ out I found that I was really coming to enjoy chatting with new people. It is such a low pressure environment (from a social aspect) that it feels totally natural to have a brief conversation or even just a head nod before starting to grapple with someone you just met.
Being part of a community all about getting better and treating each other with respect is something that I have really come to enjoy. I love seeing how my training partners can best me and seeing how I can try and get around these challenges in future rolls. It is also really cool when rolling with someone who I have a hard time getting any offensive cycles in and then finally getting a successful sweep. I can tell that even though we all want to perform our best people are excited to see each other get out of situations that they couldn’t get out of in the past and it forces each of us to grow further as we learn each others moves and start working to counter them.
I find myself constantly analyzing what it is that I could be doing better and getting help from others in the community is always really helpful. It is also very exciting to see others on the team making progress and just adds more depth to the enjoyment of the sport. This environment also forces me to get better at such a faster rate and I love being apart of something that helps me reach my potential and push through my hurdles.
Even beyond the sport aspect I am just developing these awesome friendships that are bringing so much to my life. When rolling we don’t often have time for super deep conversations but just getting and giving a quick overview of what is going on in our lives meets a social need that I wasn’t aware that I had. I am just excited to see everyone succeed and get the feeling that everyone wants that for me as well. My second baby is due and day now and everyone was just wishing my wife and I the best on the whole process and it just felt good to be able to share that with everybody.
Being apart of a community focused on getting better and helping everyone get better is so powerful. I would highly recommend everyone try and find a community like this to be apart of no matter if it’s through BJJ or not. I believe that everyone needs progress and growth in their lives and cannot fully express how much meaning it has brought into my life.
Are you apart of any communities that push you to grow as a person? Let me know below if your BJJ gym is like this or if you are apart of a different community that helps you like this. Follow my blog to get regular updates on when my new posts go live!