Hobbyists make up the bulk of every gym, which is not a bad thing in the slightest. It’s actually quite the opposite. Any successful gym should have a diverse group of students. It’s an extremely small percentage of people who train that end up pursuing Jiu Jitsu as a full time career. Doing jujitsu as a hobby that you love is admirable, and should earn you the respect of your training partners. If your schedule only allows you to come twice a week that’s okay, just stay consistent and train for longevity. It’s your journey, and there’s no shame in only training part time if that’s all your schedule will allow. It doesn’t make you any less of a Jiu Jitsu practitioner. If you love the art, and you dedicate as much time as you can to it while still maintaining a healthy balance to your other life responsibilities you’re doing it right. It’s no easy thing to juggle family, work, and life responsibilities along with training Jiu Jitsu. The most important thing is that it’s bringing you happiness.
It’s the “hobbyists” that make it possible for the pros to earn a living doing Jiu Jitsu, and without them the academy would not be complete. Everyone plays a key roll in the success of the team including hobbyists, and they should never feel less important then full time competitors. Here at Atos HQ we try to treat everyone equally, and everyone gets the same world class instruction.
The only thing that matters is your personal progress, and that you are having a positive experience doing a hobby you’re passionate about. 2-3 times per week is enough training if that’s all your schedule can allow. Of course you will progress faster the more you come, but if you have other things going on just come as much as you can. If you are doing that, then you’re taking it seriously. The key is consistency over long periods of time.
The important thing is to take advantage of the time that you do have, and be present in class. Ask lots of questions, pay attention to the technique, and get as many tough rolls in as you can. It is helpful to have variety in your rolls. If you need an easier round go with a lower belt, and practice your attacks. Then get in some rolls with your peers to really challenge yourself, and get a competitive round. Try to also mix in some rolls with upper belts to find holes in your game, speed up your reaction times, and learn from their technique.
At Atos HQ we treat everyone equally, so that each member can meet their own personal BJJ goals. We don’t require any of our members to compete, and everyone gets the same world class instruction. If you are interested in training with the best team in the world please give us a call at (858)292-5040 or email us at staff@atosjiujitsuhq.com, and get started on your FREE one week trial today.
