Let’s be real: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn’t a cheap hobby. You’ve got to buy gi and no-gi equipment, which can be quite expensive (and it’s a good idea to have at least two pairs of both) – plus you have to pay your gym membership… Which, depending on the country and area you live in, can go up to a couple of hundred dollars per month.
So, what are you supposed to do if it all costs too much? How are you supposed to afford a BJJ gym membership? Jocko Willink shares some ideas.

START YOUR OWN GYM

Now, now. We see you rolling your eyes to this idea… But here’s the deal: if you can’t afford enough money for repeated monthly membership payments, perhaps you can invest a bit into creating your own place for training.
Jocko emphasizes that this doesn’t have to be an enormous investment. You could start out in your own garage and by bringing in people to roll with. And as far as instructors are considered, are there any purple belts around in your area that would be willing to teach, maybe even just once per week? Or blue belts? Chances are, there are; and that they’d be more than happy to use one to two hours per week to help a out a fellow BJJ enthusiast.

CUT OUT STUFF SO THAT YOU’RE ABLE TO AFFORD BJJ

So, you’re saying that you can’t afford a BJJ gym membership. But what about going out to eat 3x per week? And what about drinking Starbucks coffee every single day?
All of these, unnecessary expenses, add up over a 30-day period. And there’s a good chance that they add up to a Jiu-Jitsu monthly membership. Therefore, cut these things out from your budget to be able to afford training.

BECOME THE “MOP PERSON”

If you can’t afford paying the monthly gym membership, then feel free to reach out to the owner or instructors; and ask them if there are services you can offer, in exchange for training. Lots of BJJ gyms and academies are open to these ideas and you’ll surely find success at one or another.
For instance, you can offer mopping the mats after each training session. This will be of great help to your instructors and the gym owner, plus you’ll be able to train as much as you want.