Do you keep your training secret?

[jrozen]

Yeah, like someone else said, it's not really relevant to anything. I have friends who train at other schools and in other states, and when we get together it's like "finally, we have someone in our normal life who can relate to jiu-jitsu!". My wife likes to hear about it, because she's supportive of me and she thinks it's fascinating. Otherwise, no one I know really understands it, so they either don't care or they make jokes about learning to kill people. That's cool with me, I'm not in it for the glory

In the same vein, for work I'm a recording engineer. Like bjj, audio production is a very technically deep combination of art and science. It's easy to do incorrectly and takes years of practical experience to do well. It's difficult to have good conversation around it because most people just don't know anything about recording music, even the musicians I deal with. So I get really excited when I'm talking shop with another engineer, because I rarely get to speak that language in my day-today interactions.

 

[Solidus Snake]

All the people close to me knows that I train and, more or less, what Bjj is.

The acquaintaces, it depends... if we accidentally end up talking about it I will explain what I do, if not I don't feel the need to.

 

[Forgottoduck]

No, strangely enough I feel awkward about it, my family and a few of my good mates know that I train, but I don't like to advertise myself as someone who trains because I think it would bring mmore trouble than good and it also when I meet people who introduce themselves as martial artists it often seems quite braggy.

 

[Dan Steer]

Don't you just hate it when people say "so you do UFC".

Yes, a friend of mine asked me 'how ufc was going' a few days ago.

He's always talking about coming to train but has never actually done it, if he ever does I shall punish him when rolling haha

 

[AllKnowing]

Yeah, like someone else said, it's not really relevant to anything. I have friends who train at other schools and in other states, and when we get together it's like "finally, we have someone in our normal life who can relate to jiu-jitsu!". My wife likes to hear about it, because she's supportive of me and she thinks it's fascinating. Otherwise, no one I know really understands it, so they either don't care or they make jokes about learning to kill people. That's cool with me, I'm not in it for the glory

In the same vein, for work I'm a recording engineer. Like bjj, audio production is a very technically deep combination of art and science. It's easy to do incorrectly and takes years of practical experience to do well. It's difficult to have good conversation around it because most people just don't know anything about recording music, even the musicians I deal with. So I get really excited when I'm talking shop with another engineer, because I rarely get to speak that language in my day-today interactions.

well put

 

[Junglist]

my alter ego
thats the only thing i keep secret.
that and my obsession of jerk chicken.

 

[jackstraw424]

Its not a secret so much as it doesn't come up. Theres definatly a stigma attached to martial arts and depending on who your talking to that conversation usually goes one of two ways: 1) People like to put on the tough guy/masculine assertivness face and claim they could take you anyways or 2) When they hear "martial arts" they instantly imagine a bunch of 10 year olds in karate suits because they've been bullied. Between the fact that I'm so excited/interested about it and people can be so negative, its really not worth bringing up.

 

[Falufalump]

I don't train currently, in school and no money to pay any of the gyms in the area (is this an excuse? Should I go beg to join?).

But, I am always talking about BJJ, MMA, or something like that around my friends. I think that the things you are most passionate about should be shared with as many of the people you interact with as possible. That kind of sharing is honest, and I think beneficial.

 

[cenix]

i don't wear any jiu jitsu or mma related clothing when not training. i don't tell people i train bjj if people ask me if i work out. only people who know i train are the people at my bjj school, my close friends, and immediate family. it's not a secret, but as others have said, it really isn't relevant to anyone or anything unless there is a discussion about it, which has not happened.

 

[grayam]

Are you kidding? I never shut the hell up about BJJ if there's someone around who's capable and willing to have an intelligent discussion about it. I see passion as something to be shared, and I may suck at BJJ (one stripe white belt heeeeeeeyyy) but damned if I'm not passionate about it.

 

[Vector_X]

I work in a suit/tie kind of enviroment. When I commonly have bruises, scrapes, blackeyes and limp around it's kinda hard to keep it hidden.

 

[mweaver123]

I don't keep it secret. I probably even talk about it more than other people care to know.

 

[MyBodyHurts]

I don't bring it up on my own unless someone asks me what I'm doing that night, but for the most part people at work and in my personal life know because it puts them at ease or benefits me. Meaning, I've had a few black eyes (accidental from knees, some hard punches), scratches on my face and neck (big ones), and I may limp around just from being sore, in which case people at work will ask if I'm OK. After explaining it they're at ease. Likewise, in order to be able to go to class my Supervisor and Assistant Manager know primarily because it guarantees I can leave at least two days a week right at 5 to make class by 6.

Overall, I don't like people to know and don't make it a point to ever bring it up. I will wear my schools t-shirts in order to support the school, both by buying the shirt and promoting it by wearing it, but I still feel uneasy doing that and won't wear one to a bar or a big social gathering.

 

[keynote]

No reason to discuss it with someone unless it comes up.

It's all good!

 

[highCdouble]

If some sort of conversation comes up where I need to mention it then yeah, but I don't go out of my way to mention it or anything. Lol, most of the time the response is: "So you do that cage-fighting UFC bro SHIT!?!111?!" or "Naw man I don't wanna roll around with dudes that shits gay" and my response is always Aiiight want me to show you how gay it is when I choke you out? lol! -- only say that one to my closer friends though haha

 

[Hamsterdam]

If it ever came up I'd talk about it, but it hasn't.

 

[dizzydean]

When people ask me I tell them. Most can't relate though. When asked what BJJ is all about I just tell them a stock response that it's sort of a cross between judo & wrestling.

 

[lefthooklowkick]

i just dont talk about it unless someone else brings it up. like someone said before me, u either get ppl who just imagine 10 year old kids in a karate class or u get the tough guys who ask "oh, so u think u can take me?"

 

[redaxe]

If I didn't talk about jiu-jitsu sometimes, people would wonder what the fuck I do in my spare time, because I spend almost all my spare time on jiu-jitsu. So if someone asked me how I spend my free time and I couldn't talk about BJJ I would just be like "uhh... well... I go drinking sometimes..." It would be awkward.

Now that I think about it, what the fuck exactly did I do with my free time before I started jiu-jitsu? I was in college, so I guess I just studied and drank a lot. And spent time with my girlfriend. I don't even know.

 

[Steve3730]

I wear shirts from tournaments and our team shirts but I don't tell unless asked. usually my friends bring it up. and i get the "so you're a ufc fighter" I tell them no i just train in the ground aspect of it