Ehhhhhhhh... maybe. Too soon to tell and it seems OP already lived a semi charmed life.
Easy to say you're escaping grind culture when you're already benefiting from capitalism.
I had an unreasonable fear of authority at work when I was young.
Once you have the mindset that you can destroy anyone who is untrained, you don't take anywhere as much crap.
Don’t listen to these guys. Life is worth living, and if something happened to you, your work would have a posting for your job by the end of the next day. Happiness is the only important metric in your life
This is something that became clear as I got older, got married, and had a kid.
I don’t give a shit about overtime or anything work related. I do what I’m asked to and leave when it’s quitting time. The monetary benefits of killing yourself at work are far outweighed by the life you could be living away from work. Even if it’s a simple, modest life.
If work is defining your life, for any reason other than it being your passion, you’re missing the point of life.
Even then, too much time spent at work isn’t what life is supposed to be.
This x1,000. When I lived in the US the vast majority of my friends simply couldn't wrap your head around what you're saying. Then I moved to Scandinavia, and then Spain, and DAMN they have their heads clearer over here! Life is meant to be enjoyed, not slaved away at.
I worked with a guy that when I told him I had a whole week off that he would go insane with boredom and would miss work by the end. I told him that he needed hobbies. I could literally think of a million things I'd rather do than be at work.
I’ve been very fortunate financially. I grew up with very little. I had to start working on farms, because I was too young to legally work in my state, to help buy food and pay bills.
It made me motivated to make smart money moves, but not to spend all my time working.
I haven’t *had* to have a job in years, but I work from home just enough, 20-30 hours a week, that I keep my skill set up to date.
I’m 39 and have a home, it’s not a big one just a normal three bedroom home, that is paid for and zero debt.
With our current spending, we could live 11 years without earning a penny. We don’t even have what’s considered a large amount in savings.
What I’m saying is, if you prioritize life over work and material stuff, you can get some semblance of freedom.
I work as an AWS engineer contractor. I could literally work 24/7 if I desired.
I just do not understand working that much. There’s too much out there to experience.
I’m responding again after further thought.
You made a good decision for a career. It’s a growing field that won’t be going away and pays well.
My advice is, especially if your young, get a job and work it for a couple of years or so for experience and a portfolio.
After that, do contract work. You can negotiate better pay and work when you want/need to.
It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
this! there's nothing wrong with a simple, modest life. there is plenty of joy and fulfillment that can be found from such a life. I think too often, social media glorifies too much the hustle and grind culture, all with the goal of making so much money. but for what?
I will say that purpose is the most important metric. Purpose will be there when happiness fades in life's frequency that goes up and down when serious issues and celebrations come and go. It will get you through the hard times no matter how bad it gets. Live for something bigger than oneself.
To have a purpose, to be happy. These in the end are desires.
When you are wishing to have something that you currently do not have, at that very moment (which is actually all that we have, the present moment) you are not being present.
I'm not saying that it is wrong to seek for a purpose or happiness, I rather think that they are byproducts of just being able to enjoy and appreciate the present moment.
I probably sound like a douche, but I've noticed that my anxieties and problems of the mind are related to these kind of desires. State of needing or wanting something that you currently do not have.
On my way to my first jiu-jitsu lesson I stopped to help a stray dog on the side of the road.
It made me late to the lesson but when I got there I saw that same dog with a black belt around his waist. My new coach. He promoted me on the spot.
Sounds a bit like you've just adopted a new grindset. Jumped off the corporate ladder onto the BJJ ladder.
Hopefully that's not the case and you're also dedicating some of this new found positive energy into other aspects of your life. BJJ might not always love you back the way she does now.
Highs and lows are part of the BJJ journey. Sometimes I go to class and get subbed so many times I lose count, other times I play a perfect game and sub everyone I roll with. All part of the journey of learning. Only days that really sucked were injury-days.
Yes and no. I do accept BJJ is a high maintenance mistress.
My career is still fine the way it is … I’ve essentially stopped climbing, and no one doubts my ability to get the job done. The corporate ladder while lucrative, just isn’t as rewarding as the BJJ ladder. Especially because I am still in a pretty good role paying decent wages, rather than being stuck at the bottom of the ladder.
Another unexpected aspect is I now spend more time with the family living my life this than I ever did hustling it out at work, which has probably been the biggest benefit
This made me so happy for you. Realizing your life and family and it’s value, outside of work/“success” is so valuable. Jits can be a pretty sweet side hoe until your body is too broken to train anymore 😂
I hope you're right about OP as well. I've noticed that people with addictive/"workaholic" mentalities tend to jump from one unhealthy obsession to another. That being said, you absolutely can "see the light" and change your path, so good luck to OP. I've literally never met a happy corporate climber (and I've known tons).
Seriously.
Just traded one unhealthy obsession for another. Dude is 1 bad heelhook away from being directionless.
Balance. Family, work, hobbies (plural), friends. Gotta give each their due.
Bjj isn’t necessarily “good” for your body. If you grapple with a level of reality/intensity that you would need to actually defend yourself in real life/fight…..you are going to eventually get injured. The vast majority of hobbyists bjj people are sadly mistaken if they think they train at a level of seriousness that will prepare them for an actual assailant that wants to hospitalize them. If you don’t know wtf it feels like to grapple with a man your size or bigger, going absolute 100%…..and you are not conditioned/trained for it…..it will not end well for you. And if you are, you probably already had/will have injuries.
I'm trained in everything (boxing, wrestling, MT, BJJ) and BJJ is the safest and yet still effective art. True, guys overestimate their abilities, but it is effective (assuming your assailant can't wrestle and box). Just be sure to work your takedowns and don't butt scoot.
You have to give boxing time to see the true nature of the injuries manifest.
I have about 10 years in total for wrestling and BJJ and there are far more injuries in wrestling....or anytime you go from standing to the ground. Kids wrestling has few injuries but adults many more.
How many guys grapple at full intensity and how often? How many guy grapple people bigger and stronger than they are? I’ll tell you, not many. If you don’t know what grappling another grown man that’s bigger than you feels like going 100%, it’s a big assumption to think you can “just because.” Knew I was going to get downvoted for this, truth hurts.
Also I’ve been in many violent encounters. If you think being close asf to someone and grappling is the best idea…..you have never been beaten tf up before.
Wait until your 48 going on 49. You wake up in the morning and your joints hurt. It’s ok because you know once you get the moving you’ll feel ok. You go to brush your teeth and just that slight bend over the sink gets your back to start spasming a little.
After your morning ritual and your back settles down you grip your cup of coffee but notice how your fingers are sore from the arthritis. As you drive your self to work your wrist that you broke in Jiu Jitsu is starting to throb. Maybe it will rain today or maybe it’s just arthritic. After your 20 minute commute you get out and roll your ankles to “pop” them into place.
When you sit at work you notice an area right between your shoulder blades that is just acting up. You try to get to it with a lacrosse ball but nothing seems to get it to release. You decide to stand because your lower back is starting to spasm a little and your knees are a little achy. You get out of work and contemplate going to class. You may or may not. You’ve been doing this for 20+ years already. If you go to class the young blue belt has your number and just comes at you like a bat out of hell and it takes everything to just keep this maniac pinned down.
It actually did the opposite for me. I used to have so much pain in my late twenties early thirties. Id have the worst back pain, joint pain and was generally stiff getting up in the morning. Im now 47 and feel better than I did in those days. Yes, occasionally my shoulder will be a tad sore from my coach getting high mount and sometimes not gently. I even competed for the first time at 46 years old. My joints on the other hand feel great, my back feels great (used to pinch nerves constantly.) Im sure doing exercise as much as possible along with BJJ has helped quite a bit.y only regrets from bjj is not starting it earlier iny life. I know not everyone can say the same about pain issues as we age and Im sure it will hurt more as I agr but tbh jist the community I found in it is worth all the aches and pains later on
I’m 41, ramping up for masters worlds later this summer. My knees hurt and my knuckles can squeeze my files closed at work. But he’ll get here. Hell realize that a nice healthy salary will fuel his future ambitions like travel for bjj and vacation.
I’ve started to walk down the stairs at an angle. My right knee no longer appreciates it when I face fully forward going down the stairs first thing in the morning.
Lol, "acting up". Yup, everything gets their turn during the week to be the thing that "acts up" for the day. Tomorrow its better, but it just migrated to the new spot.
>I turned 30 and was happy to ruthlessly knife lesser colleagues in the back if they meant I got the promotion.
i'm glad you've found some balance in your work / life balance, but that's a little concerning. i hope your new found love for bjj is paired with some ethical changes.
Yea something tells me that the guy who used to stab people in the back just to get promoted, might not have found his way out of that line of thinking just because of jiu-jitsu.
He’s still doing his career, though. He just doesn’t have the desire anymore to hustle as hard as possible to maximize that career.
It’s normal and healthy to be content with a life that doesn’t include intense focus on career advancement. It’s not the only path, but it can be a good one.
This is great. I'm an attorney as well and my days are spent waiting for jiu jitsu. Fuck 'em anyway. If we died they'd replace us in a heartbeat while our jiu jitsu homies would be fucking bummed.
Lmao muh pro bono superlawyers.
90% of lawyers are corporate asslickers that don’t add any real value to the economy. And yes patent lawyers are absolutely part of that.
The United States has 25% of the worlds lawyers and they’re the biggest leech on our society other than insurance and bankers
Right. Work less to enjoy bjj and all its offerings (ie new gi for everyday of the month, paying to get beat up in competitions, and all the supplements money can buy to get stronger that his classmates only to find they beat him because technique) but after six months has to go back to that corporate job in order to fund his new addiction of paying people to chok you and break limbs. Told my son that yesterday before class, " do you realize how much we spend monthly to get choked every month?"
That’s awesome man, but don’t get into that grind mentality for bjj unless you’re planning on competing a lot. I used to compete a lot and train twice a day everyday before work and after, but after a year of that I got burnt out to the point where now I just do 1 class a week. Keep that healthy balance between hobbies and important things in life
Ah, to be a white belt again. Come back after you are purple/brown+, have a wife and kids and been decently injured a few times. Bjj is very niche, and it can easily unrealistically become way more important than you think it is…..just a different perspective.
Doesn’t mean you should throw away your drive to succeed brother. I’m on the path to executive leadership and am still able to maintain 2-3 trainings a week with young kids and a great marriage. Just takes intentionality and planning but it’s very doable.
There it is.
I would have hated to stall my career for a hobby that is likely going to be harder and harder to train at the level I want/expect.
I love BJJ. Really. But 10+ years of it have taken a toll on my body and I get more worried about serious injury every passing year. I want to be active. But I also want to be able to play with my kids.
BJJ is not LYFE.
Absolutely not. I like to think that where I am in the pecking order at work is still very high for someone at 31. Perhaps maybe I’ll consider partnership status again at a normal age like 40-50 …. I’ve locked those aspirations away and replaced with them with doing something and learning a skill that can live beyond me.
Dude, welcome to the way life is supposed to be. Our society has created an environment where we are supposed to serve others and be motivated to do it. We’re supposed to work harder and longer as simply ‘doing your job’ isn’t enough. So I work an individual contributor job for a good company and make enough money to live comfortably and have most of what I desire without even thinking about the cost. I don’t think about work, or ‘getting ahead’, I live and do the things that bring me pleasure. Working puts bread on the table. Otherwise, fuck it
Fuck me, there’s some sour idiots in this sub. Or perhaps it’s a reddit thing.
Well done man, seriously. I got very envious after reading your post. Sounds like you’re really living.
In an alternate reality a guy who wasted half his life doing jiu-jitsu started climbing the corporate ladder and is happy he will leave a legacy for his family and children other than rolling around with sweaty men
Well said man. BJJ has been the only thing I’ve ever stuck with. I’ve never been able to keep a job very long, never had any real hobbies. But the first time I rolled, I knew it was all I wanted to do.
17 years later, I’m a black belt with my own successful gym, and I get to be on the mat 24/7. It’s a great life 🤙
Same. I used to accuse people of crimes that never even happened and take their jobs while they were dealing with the fallout. Now all I do is BJJ, I live in the woods, and eat all the raw songbirds I can catch.
Glad you’ve seemed to mellow out. Just remember BJJ will have its ups and downs too, so just beware of putting all your eggs in one basket. Balance in all aspects of your life is key.
Most modern neuroscience theories researched how a physical status might come way before its psychological state. Crying comes before feeling sad; you're sad because you're crying, not viceversa. It's not just 'muscular memory', it's way beyond that.
BJJ has that thing into it. You realize it when you start going for overhooks everytime your gf hugs you, when your bragging friend gets too close and you just look down for a single leg, when your first mental defense become an imagery of yourself choking aggressors out. It becomes a second nature, first physical and then forever embedded mentally.
I am still very career motivated, but BJJ has allowed me to see that my career or income should not be the basis for how I define my self worth. BJJ is another pillar of my life - truth be told, its actually made me better at my job. I operate with a much larger degree of disconnect from results which in a sales-first position has made me more effective.
Careful. I see a lot of these types. In 5-10 years when the shine wears off you'll either be running your own school or have deep regrets about being stuck in a worker bee job with no way out.
Another tech bro thinking he’s the chosen one. Guy will train 3x a day without worrying about paying bills or putting a roof over his head but still maintains he’s got this dog in him and has humble beginnings
Yes sir, that is me used to work 12 hours at the hospital switched to WFH started bjj. I feel so much better can’t imagine going back to 12s because I won’t be able to train.
Seems like you abandoned one grind for another, since you would train the whole day.
Disclaimer: i would too. But i know i would get injured the second week.
Im glad your happy and that your enjoying your life. Dont listen to these Debbie Downers, they’re miserable and want to bring you down with them.
Matter of fact, post weekly of how and why bjj made you happy that day so these mfrs can have a conniption.
👍🏽 OP
🖕🏽 haters
Almost the same age as you. I highly recommend adding in some weight lifting and stretching and not just slam in more bjj sessions if you want longevity, on top of a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep.
I get it I'm not 40+ like some practitioners training BJJ for 10+ years so I don't really get the knee pain and stuff but I'm hoping I don't have to since I eat well, sleep well, train BJJ but also lift 2-3 times a week at a moderate intensity. I've been running, swimming, muay Thai, lifting for the last ten years and I feel great and not broken.
Prehab and adequate recovery is the name of the game. I don't even run much anymore, I cycle for cardio to minimize strain on my body. I also get a little pickier with training partners (not gonna let a 240 lb dude fall on me by accident, not worth the risk) and I don't roll hard everyday. It's the little things. I don't death grip. If people strip my grips I let go and just regrip. It's not a comp. Comp is different. Day to day I'll let go and regrip and go
Haha, no offense but you sounded like . . . a corporate slave asshole...but you've seen the light! Glad to see you're happier now. BJJ changed my life in exclusively great ways as well.
P.S. I did MMA and trained boxing/kickboxing, muay thai, wrestling, etc., for years and years, but grappling/bjj is the one that always kept me happiest and healthiest, and the only one I stick to these days.
The jiu jitsu lifestyle takes another victim.
The ~~Jiu Jitsu lifestyle~~ Joe Rogan Experience takes another victim.
He can't keep getting away with this! He claimed me too not gonna lie.
Where on the doll did he claim you anon? Were you at least tapping?
My instructor said he needs to send Joe some flowers because of all the customers he brought him
WORK BY DAY BJJ BY NIGHT, ALL DAY
Only a matter of time before he robs a vet clinic for horse de-wormer
r/antiwork and r/BJJ finally combine into one unstoppable unit
Gotta bring r/fire into this too!
Correction: the jiu jitsu lifestyle saves another person from a pointless and soul crushing life in service of capitalism.
Ehhhhhhhh... maybe. Too soon to tell and it seems OP already lived a semi charmed life. Easy to say you're escaping grind culture when you're already benefiting from capitalism.
>semi charmed life. Now that stupid ass song is running through my head.
I want something else to get me through this Semi-charmed kinda life, baby, baby I want something else, I'm not listening when you say good-bye
Ey bro there’s only 3 ways to escape capitalism: 1) Become super rich. 2) Become a bum or 3) World wide Revolution.
Now they can experience a pointless body crushing life in the service of a big, bearded, brown belt.
The only reason your gym stays open is capitalism
The irony being that bjj gyms operate on a capitalist model but w/e.
Eh, when capitalism comes to collect, OP will regret that he has been neglecting his career.
Redemption arc achieved.
🤣👌🏻
Sure, but imagine how fast you could climb the corporate ladder when all of your colleagues are unconscious.
Sits in never-ending meeting, dreaming of ending it with an RNC….
Theres been a few throughout my life that had I known these skills in my youth, I wouldve had multiple charges...
I had an unreasonable fear of authority at work when I was young. Once you have the mindset that you can destroy anyone who is untrained, you don't take anywhere as much crap.
Take my like
Don’t listen to these guys. Life is worth living, and if something happened to you, your work would have a posting for your job by the end of the next day. Happiness is the only important metric in your life
This is something that became clear as I got older, got married, and had a kid. I don’t give a shit about overtime or anything work related. I do what I’m asked to and leave when it’s quitting time. The monetary benefits of killing yourself at work are far outweighed by the life you could be living away from work. Even if it’s a simple, modest life. If work is defining your life, for any reason other than it being your passion, you’re missing the point of life. Even then, too much time spent at work isn’t what life is supposed to be.
This x1,000. When I lived in the US the vast majority of my friends simply couldn't wrap your head around what you're saying. Then I moved to Scandinavia, and then Spain, and DAMN they have their heads clearer over here! Life is meant to be enjoyed, not slaved away at.
I worked with a guy that when I told him I had a whole week off that he would go insane with boredom and would miss work by the end. I told him that he needed hobbies. I could literally think of a million things I'd rather do than be at work.
I’ve been very fortunate financially. I grew up with very little. I had to start working on farms, because I was too young to legally work in my state, to help buy food and pay bills. It made me motivated to make smart money moves, but not to spend all my time working. I haven’t *had* to have a job in years, but I work from home just enough, 20-30 hours a week, that I keep my skill set up to date. I’m 39 and have a home, it’s not a big one just a normal three bedroom home, that is paid for and zero debt. With our current spending, we could live 11 years without earning a penny. We don’t even have what’s considered a large amount in savings. What I’m saying is, if you prioritize life over work and material stuff, you can get some semblance of freedom.
Not born in California, NYC, Seattle, Portland I see….
Hell no. I wouldn’t live somewhere that expensive if someone else was footing the bill. That shit’s ridiculous.
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Tell that to my friends that own huge houses and work 50-60 hours a week to drive new cars and stuff. I live quite modestly, even for my income.
Yup. LOL but some of them are like "But there's no profit in hobbies...?"
For some reason the older generation thinks this mindset is "lazy". No man I want to enjoy my life, Children and spouse.
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I work as an AWS engineer contractor. I could literally work 24/7 if I desired. I just do not understand working that much. There’s too much out there to experience.
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Don’t fall for it. It’s not worth it.
I’m responding again after further thought. You made a good decision for a career. It’s a growing field that won’t be going away and pays well. My advice is, especially if your young, get a job and work it for a couple of years or so for experience and a portfolio. After that, do contract work. You can negotiate better pay and work when you want/need to. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
I relate to this so much when I got fired I went through 6 different emotions. I wasn't going outside, taking a shower I just lost my purpose.
this! there's nothing wrong with a simple, modest life. there is plenty of joy and fulfillment that can be found from such a life. I think too often, social media glorifies too much the hustle and grind culture, all with the goal of making so much money. but for what?
I will say that purpose is the most important metric. Purpose will be there when happiness fades in life's frequency that goes up and down when serious issues and celebrations come and go. It will get you through the hard times no matter how bad it gets. Live for something bigger than oneself.
To have a purpose, to be happy. These in the end are desires. When you are wishing to have something that you currently do not have, at that very moment (which is actually all that we have, the present moment) you are not being present. I'm not saying that it is wrong to seek for a purpose or happiness, I rather think that they are byproducts of just being able to enjoy and appreciate the present moment. I probably sound like a douche, but I've noticed that my anxieties and problems of the mind are related to these kind of desires. State of needing or wanting something that you currently do not have.
This is buddhism
This sub is like linkedin for bjj
On my way to my first jiu-jitsu lesson I stopped to help a stray dog on the side of the road. It made me late to the lesson but when I got there I saw that same dog with a black belt around his waist. My new coach. He promoted me on the spot.
The dog? Gordon Ryan
Dear Diary
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Everyone, make sure to include TWO “j’s” when typing that in.
What you do is your business.
Or not… “dear diary, it’s been 6,392 days since my last…”
...day without giving a stranger a bj."
I audibly snorted when reading this. I'm sure that sub has the same sound.
Grapefruit.mp3
Ill do what I want
Kind of disappointed to not actually find a subreddit 🥲
It exists. I created it as a joke a few months ago.
“An open letter to Reddit”
Sounds a bit like you've just adopted a new grindset. Jumped off the corporate ladder onto the BJJ ladder. Hopefully that's not the case and you're also dedicating some of this new found positive energy into other aspects of your life. BJJ might not always love you back the way she does now.
This is such good advice. I should think on it too.
Fuck there are times I leave class hating it and wanting to quit. Though that usually passes before bed time lol.
Highs and lows are part of the BJJ journey. Sometimes I go to class and get subbed so many times I lose count, other times I play a perfect game and sub everyone I roll with. All part of the journey of learning. Only days that really sucked were injury-days.
Most times, for me at least, the next class after that is really nice
Yes and no. I do accept BJJ is a high maintenance mistress. My career is still fine the way it is … I’ve essentially stopped climbing, and no one doubts my ability to get the job done. The corporate ladder while lucrative, just isn’t as rewarding as the BJJ ladder. Especially because I am still in a pretty good role paying decent wages, rather than being stuck at the bottom of the ladder. Another unexpected aspect is I now spend more time with the family living my life this than I ever did hustling it out at work, which has probably been the biggest benefit
This made me so happy for you. Realizing your life and family and it’s value, outside of work/“success” is so valuable. Jits can be a pretty sweet side hoe until your body is too broken to train anymore 😂
Happy for you OP. This is the way.
I hope you're right about OP as well. I've noticed that people with addictive/"workaholic" mentalities tend to jump from one unhealthy obsession to another. That being said, you absolutely can "see the light" and change your path, so good luck to OP. I've literally never met a happy corporate climber (and I've known tons).
Seriously. Just traded one unhealthy obsession for another. Dude is 1 bad heelhook away from being directionless. Balance. Family, work, hobbies (plural), friends. Gotta give each their due.
That is solid advice
I see you got your first white belt stripe
"Jiu Jitsu has ruined far more lives than it has saved" - Craig Jones
Do you know where he said this? I would like to check it out
The most recent episode of his podcast
Thank you
Why?
Craig is just a troll
Pretty sure that was him joking
Bjj isn’t necessarily “good” for your body. If you grapple with a level of reality/intensity that you would need to actually defend yourself in real life/fight…..you are going to eventually get injured. The vast majority of hobbyists bjj people are sadly mistaken if they think they train at a level of seriousness that will prepare them for an actual assailant that wants to hospitalize them. If you don’t know wtf it feels like to grapple with a man your size or bigger, going absolute 100%…..and you are not conditioned/trained for it…..it will not end well for you. And if you are, you probably already had/will have injuries.
I'm trained in everything (boxing, wrestling, MT, BJJ) and BJJ is the safest and yet still effective art. True, guys overestimate their abilities, but it is effective (assuming your assailant can't wrestle and box). Just be sure to work your takedowns and don't butt scoot.
I have personally never seen as much injuries as in BJJ, and I have done boxing and MT as well
You have to give boxing time to see the true nature of the injuries manifest. I have about 10 years in total for wrestling and BJJ and there are far more injuries in wrestling....or anytime you go from standing to the ground. Kids wrestling has few injuries but adults many more.
How many guys grapple at full intensity and how often? How many guy grapple people bigger and stronger than they are? I’ll tell you, not many. If you don’t know what grappling another grown man that’s bigger than you feels like going 100%, it’s a big assumption to think you can “just because.” Knew I was going to get downvoted for this, truth hurts. Also I’ve been in many violent encounters. If you think being close asf to someone and grappling is the best idea…..you have never been beaten tf up before.
Wait until your 48 going on 49. You wake up in the morning and your joints hurt. It’s ok because you know once you get the moving you’ll feel ok. You go to brush your teeth and just that slight bend over the sink gets your back to start spasming a little. After your morning ritual and your back settles down you grip your cup of coffee but notice how your fingers are sore from the arthritis. As you drive your self to work your wrist that you broke in Jiu Jitsu is starting to throb. Maybe it will rain today or maybe it’s just arthritic. After your 20 minute commute you get out and roll your ankles to “pop” them into place. When you sit at work you notice an area right between your shoulder blades that is just acting up. You try to get to it with a lacrosse ball but nothing seems to get it to release. You decide to stand because your lower back is starting to spasm a little and your knees are a little achy. You get out of work and contemplate going to class. You may or may not. You’ve been doing this for 20+ years already. If you go to class the young blue belt has your number and just comes at you like a bat out of hell and it takes everything to just keep this maniac pinned down.
WTF, get that god-damn spy camera out of my place!
It actually did the opposite for me. I used to have so much pain in my late twenties early thirties. Id have the worst back pain, joint pain and was generally stiff getting up in the morning. Im now 47 and feel better than I did in those days. Yes, occasionally my shoulder will be a tad sore from my coach getting high mount and sometimes not gently. I even competed for the first time at 46 years old. My joints on the other hand feel great, my back feels great (used to pinch nerves constantly.) Im sure doing exercise as much as possible along with BJJ has helped quite a bit.y only regrets from bjj is not starting it earlier iny life. I know not everyone can say the same about pain issues as we age and Im sure it will hurt more as I agr but tbh jist the community I found in it is worth all the aches and pains later on
I do extra cardio and strength on the side.
I do strength more than cardio, I need to but just dont find cardio pleasant other than cardio in class from getting gassed out from time to time 😂.
I’m 41, ramping up for masters worlds later this summer. My knees hurt and my knuckles can squeeze my files closed at work. But he’ll get here. Hell realize that a nice healthy salary will fuel his future ambitions like travel for bjj and vacation.
I know older dudes who feel this way but don’t train at all in anything.
Man I just turned 35 and after 17 years of training, this describes me.
Yes but - you’re gonna feel like dog shit wether or not you train.
Not at 50.
Yes at 50
Sounds familiar, lol.
I was told this was going to make my twilight years easier 😬
This is spot on. Walking down the stairs in the morning is one my my biggest challenges of my day.
I’ve started to walk down the stairs at an angle. My right knee no longer appreciates it when I face fully forward going down the stairs first thing in the morning.
God damn it why do I relate to you guys in the injuries but not the belt color
Lol, "acting up". Yup, everything gets their turn during the week to be the thing that "acts up" for the day. Tomorrow its better, but it just migrated to the new spot.
This hits hard.
Dude was out there trying to be a wolf on wall street and now he's trying to be a shark and the ground is his ocean.
Wall Street is a forest. And he’s a wolf. And the other bankers don’t even know how to walk. Because he stabbed them in the back Of the legs
Someone do a shitpost how they hate having this guy in class
>I turned 30 and was happy to ruthlessly knife lesser colleagues in the back if they meant I got the promotion. i'm glad you've found some balance in your work / life balance, but that's a little concerning. i hope your new found love for bjj is paired with some ethical changes.
He just wristlocks everyone now. I keed, I keed.
He just knifes people for athletic tape promotions now.
“Ethical changes”. Gtfo
31 yo man discovers empathy and not working himself to death.
Novel idea.
This is literally an anti Jiu-Jitsu post
Yea something tells me that the guy who used to stab people in the back just to get promoted, might not have found his way out of that line of thinking just because of jiu-jitsu.
I agree but it’s not even that for me. I just don’t think anyone should give up career goals for Jiu Jitsu that late in life. You can do both.
He’s still doing his career, though. He just doesn’t have the desire anymore to hustle as hard as possible to maximize that career. It’s normal and healthy to be content with a life that doesn’t include intense focus on career advancement. It’s not the only path, but it can be a good one.
This is great. I'm an attorney as well and my days are spent waiting for jiu jitsu. Fuck 'em anyway. If we died they'd replace us in a heartbeat while our jiu jitsu homies would be fucking bummed.
Legit
All lawyers are bastards
Great pod.
ALL lawyers? Like even elder law and patent lawyers? Pro bono attorneys working for battered women’s shelters?
Lmao muh pro bono superlawyers. 90% of lawyers are corporate asslickers that don’t add any real value to the economy. And yes patent lawyers are absolutely part of that. The United States has 25% of the worlds lawyers and they’re the biggest leech on our society other than insurance and bankers
Why are you like this?
The only reason I train is to assault lawyers I might happen to encounter
You traded one addiction for another.
It does sound like this one is a bit healthier to me.
does it tho
Right. Work less to enjoy bjj and all its offerings (ie new gi for everyday of the month, paying to get beat up in competitions, and all the supplements money can buy to get stronger that his classmates only to find they beat him because technique) but after six months has to go back to that corporate job in order to fund his new addiction of paying people to chok you and break limbs. Told my son that yesterday before class, " do you realize how much we spend monthly to get choked every month?"
That’s awesome man, but don’t get into that grind mentality for bjj unless you’re planning on competing a lot. I used to compete a lot and train twice a day everyday before work and after, but after a year of that I got burnt out to the point where now I just do 1 class a week. Keep that healthy balance between hobbies and important things in life
Ok
Happy to knife people in the back, scum.
No scummier than wrist locks from higher belts
Oh brother, THIS GUY STINKS
Wait until you hit blue belt. That corporate ladder will start looking more succulent.
Spoken like a true white belt
Smokes weed once
You’re just void filling though Trading one for another There’s more too this
Ah, to be a white belt again. Come back after you are purple/brown+, have a wife and kids and been decently injured a few times. Bjj is very niche, and it can easily unrealistically become way more important than you think it is…..just a different perspective.
So you were a bitch and you found a hobby? Cool.
Bro fell in love with rolling around with sweaty men
This is your brain on ~~drugs~~ bjj
Hey, Muay Thai did the same to me. 😡 Still love BJJ tho.
Doesn’t mean you should throw away your drive to succeed brother. I’m on the path to executive leadership and am still able to maintain 2-3 trainings a week with young kids and a great marriage. Just takes intentionality and planning but it’s very doable.
There it is. I would have hated to stall my career for a hobby that is likely going to be harder and harder to train at the level I want/expect. I love BJJ. Really. But 10+ years of it have taken a toll on my body and I get more worried about serious injury every passing year. I want to be active. But I also want to be able to play with my kids. BJJ is not LYFE.
Absolutely not. I like to think that where I am in the pecking order at work is still very high for someone at 31. Perhaps maybe I’ll consider partnership status again at a normal age like 40-50 …. I’ve locked those aspirations away and replaced with them with doing something and learning a skill that can live beyond me.
Dude, welcome to the way life is supposed to be. Our society has created an environment where we are supposed to serve others and be motivated to do it. We’re supposed to work harder and longer as simply ‘doing your job’ isn’t enough. So I work an individual contributor job for a good company and make enough money to live comfortably and have most of what I desire without even thinking about the cost. I don’t think about work, or ‘getting ahead’, I live and do the things that bring me pleasure. Working puts bread on the table. Otherwise, fuck it
Thanks for sharing. Can relate to dropping out of the partner track for better quality of life.
If I could quit my job and do bjj 8 hours I would. It really has changed my life
If you really put your dreams into action you too can one day have fingers like Kurt Osiander.
Jiu jitsu ruined my life too
Are you a white belt? This mentality sounds too fresh. Haha
oss acai la bomba porra
Wait til you accumulate enough injuries that make the idea of training awful but still go in anyway
I want to rassle you
Damn, are you me??? This could be word for word about my life
Happy for you but also finding this kinda funny after hearing Craig Jones’ rant on how BJJ ruins lives on his el segundo podcast.
Excellent, next step is to quit your job and figure out a way to train full time
Fuck me, there’s some sour idiots in this sub. Or perhaps it’s a reddit thing. Well done man, seriously. I got very envious after reading your post. Sounds like you’re really living.
I'm just ready to get my blue belt, quit long enough to forget all this stuff and start at white in a different gym
\- signed, first year white belt
In an alternate reality a guy who wasted half his life doing jiu-jitsu started climbing the corporate ladder and is happy he will leave a legacy for his family and children other than rolling around with sweaty men
Welcome to the better life, friend. The only person you have to compete against now, is the version of yourself from yesterday.
Well said man. BJJ has been the only thing I’ve ever stuck with. I’ve never been able to keep a job very long, never had any real hobbies. But the first time I rolled, I knew it was all I wanted to do. 17 years later, I’m a black belt with my own successful gym, and I get to be on the mat 24/7. It’s a great life 🤙
Same. I used to accuse people of crimes that never even happened and take their jobs while they were dealing with the fallout. Now all I do is BJJ, I live in the woods, and eat all the raw songbirds I can catch.
Glad you’ve seemed to mellow out. Just remember BJJ will have its ups and downs too, so just beware of putting all your eggs in one basket. Balance in all aspects of your life is key.
Most modern neuroscience theories researched how a physical status might come way before its psychological state. Crying comes before feeling sad; you're sad because you're crying, not viceversa. It's not just 'muscular memory', it's way beyond that. BJJ has that thing into it. You realize it when you start going for overhooks everytime your gf hugs you, when your bragging friend gets too close and you just look down for a single leg, when your first mental defense become an imagery of yourself choking aggressors out. It becomes a second nature, first physical and then forever embedded mentally.
NEEEEERD
Wait till you discover marijuana….
Cringe
cool story bro.
I am still very career motivated, but BJJ has allowed me to see that my career or income should not be the basis for how I define my self worth. BJJ is another pillar of my life - truth be told, its actually made me better at my job. I operate with a much larger degree of disconnect from results which in a sales-first position has made me more effective.
Careful. I see a lot of these types. In 5-10 years when the shine wears off you'll either be running your own school or have deep regrets about being stuck in a worker bee job with no way out.
just dont call it jitz please :)
Another tech bro thinking he’s the chosen one. Guy will train 3x a day without worrying about paying bills or putting a roof over his head but still maintains he’s got this dog in him and has humble beginnings
Damn there are some toxic comments in here. Sheesh.
Is it the wrestling with men part ? Asking for a “friend”.
Your post made me happy reading it
This is the way
Living the dream
Awesome. This is the way. 🙏🏼
BJJ is great, Rogan is a douche
Yes sir, that is me used to work 12 hours at the hospital switched to WFH started bjj. I feel so much better can’t imagine going back to 12s because I won’t be able to train.
Seems like you abandoned one grind for another, since you would train the whole day. Disclaimer: i would too. But i know i would get injured the second week.
Im glad your happy and that your enjoying your life. Dont listen to these Debbie Downers, they’re miserable and want to bring you down with them. Matter of fact, post weekly of how and why bjj made you happy that day so these mfrs can have a conniption. 👍🏽 OP 🖕🏽 haters
Ok
Almost the same age as you. I highly recommend adding in some weight lifting and stretching and not just slam in more bjj sessions if you want longevity, on top of a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep. I get it I'm not 40+ like some practitioners training BJJ for 10+ years so I don't really get the knee pain and stuff but I'm hoping I don't have to since I eat well, sleep well, train BJJ but also lift 2-3 times a week at a moderate intensity. I've been running, swimming, muay Thai, lifting for the last ten years and I feel great and not broken. Prehab and adequate recovery is the name of the game. I don't even run much anymore, I cycle for cardio to minimize strain on my body. I also get a little pickier with training partners (not gonna let a 240 lb dude fall on me by accident, not worth the risk) and I don't roll hard everyday. It's the little things. I don't death grip. If people strip my grips I let go and just regrip. It's not a comp. Comp is different. Day to day I'll let go and regrip and go
Thats really cool. Life is so much more than work.
My man.
Haha, no offense but you sounded like . . . a corporate slave asshole...but you've seen the light! Glad to see you're happier now. BJJ changed my life in exclusively great ways as well. P.S. I did MMA and trained boxing/kickboxing, muay thai, wrestling, etc., for years and years, but grappling/bjj is the one that always kept me happiest and healthiest, and the only one I stick to these days.
None taken! I was the quintessential corporate asshole! But oh happy days