Let’s say that you just found out about BJJ and that you want to start training it… Or that you are already training something else, such as going to a gym, and that BJJ has sparked your interest, but… You don’t have enough money to start with it! It makes you sad, it makes you mad and confused.
So, what can you do in this lousy situation? Jocko Willink has a few pieces of advice!
FIND THE RIGHT GYM… OR START YOUR OWN!
First of all, if you are already into weightlifting and don’t want to forfeit it because of BJJ, Jocko advises you to look for BJJ gyms that offer a weightlifting area as well – there are a number of gyms like this, and you can probably find one nearby!
But, if there are no gyms like this in your area, Jocko says that you can then start your own gym! A radical step, yes; but it is not as difficult as you might imagine!
Jocko explains that you don’t necessarily have to make a huge investment, as you can start off by placing a few mats in your garage. And if you’re not a particularly skilled BJJ practitioner to begin with, no worries: for the first time ever, there are heaps of great BJJ practitioners in the USA (and the rest of the world as well)! You can find a way to get a great purple, brown or even a phenomenal black belt to become an instructor in your newly founded BJJ gym.
JIU JITSU IS A PRIORITY
However, there’s an important point here which Jocko emphasizes: amidst all other activities that he does in order to be healthy, BJJ is a number one priority that makes him most happy and satisfied with himself – which he also believes to be true for anyone truly engaged and in love with the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
In other words, weightlifting and all other things should be secondary to the mats. If you feel that way as well, but still haven’t started with BJJ because you’re thinking if you should invest your money elsewhere – stop thinking and get started with Jiu Jitsu.
Meanwhile, if you are really into strengthening yourself outside of your BJJ classes, you can always train your body with calisthenics and through small investments, such as into a pull-up bar or into rings.
BUT, I STILL DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR BJJ…
But, what if your only goal is to get into a BJJ academy and start training – and you don’t have the money for it? Jocko says that you can become the „mop person“ in your academy! In other words, you might be able to clean the gym as a way to pay off your training; or you could strike up some sort of another deal with your instructors, which would work well both for them and for yourself.
Also, Jocko mentions a very important thing to ask yourself: what can you save on in your budget, in order to make more space for BJJ?
You could, for example, cut out coffee – if you drink it every day and you spend 3$ on it per day, that amounts to 90$ per month, which is a gym membership! You could also stop eating outside or get rid of your cable; suddenly, you have enough money for BJJ!
There’re a lot of things that you could cut out, but the point is that by sacrificing on the small and unproductive stuff, you can save up enough money to invest into your training.
Watch the video below to hear Jocko’s thoughts:
