Anxiety before BJJ class? Anyone else

I have trained since 98 and I always lol about this subject because people always act bravado about it but the reality is that a lot of guys get anxiety. I used to get to my gym early based on traffic and every time I would see guys pull up, sit in their car and then drive off. I have a buddy that would have to take a couple of shots to train which is retarded.

dont put pressure on yourself. Tap a thousand times when you roll and you are still better off than the guy that didn’t train today.

Think of training as a mental sharpening and physical sharpening not as a competitive go.

I would sometimes, but I’m not sure how much of it was attributed to epilepsy as that is a precursor.

Although it did occur more specifically before comp training I think related to wondering if I would handle the cardio portion of a hard class. Regular classes I can always just flow if I’m not feeling up to it… I never ever skip a class if I’m feeling tired, so it can be tough

Meatgrinder - I would sometimes, but I'm not sure how much of it was attributed to epilepsy as that is a precursor.

Although it did occur more specifically before comp training I think related to wondering if I would handle the cardio portion of a hard class. Regular classes I can always just flow if I’m not feeling up to it… I never ever skip a class if I’m feeling tired, so it can be tough

*packs small flash (not flesh) light into gi to flash bright lights into meatgrindr eye when I drop in and roll with him

Sometimes covid-19 lets me porrada - 
Meatgrinder - I would sometimes, but I'm not sure how much of it was attributed to epilepsy as that is a precursor.

Although it did occur more specifically before comp training I think related to wondering if I would handle the cardio portion of a hard class. Regular classes I can always just flow if I’m not feeling up to it… I never ever skip a class if I’m feeling tired, so it can be tough

*packs small flash (not flesh) light into gi to flash bright lights into meatgrindr eye when I drop in and roll with him

just an fyi - if you expect that to be an effective strategy then make sure that you don’t pull the soft helmet that I’ve been wearing since brain surgery, over my eyes. Sometimes I have to roll by using the force and the flashlight (and fleshlight) will be of no use!

I think I can shed some light on this having experienced this particular thing.

This is not “bjj anxiety”, its social anxiety in a BJJ context.

People who have experienced this have most certainly experienced similar episodes before in different contexts…school, work, dating, parties…anywhere they feel that they will have a chance to fail in public.

But there is real hope here…unlike a party or social event a BJJ class follows a particular script…all you need to do is show up and follow the program and you cant “socialy fail”.

Just get through the door and on the mat and follow the program.

effinggoof - I think I can shed some light on this having experienced this particular thing.

This is not "bjj anxiety", its social anxiety in a BJJ context.

People who have experienced this have most certainly experienced similar episodes before in different contexts…school, work, dating, parties…anywhere they feel that they will have a chance to fail in public.

But there is real hope here…unlike a party or social event a BJJ follows a particular script…all you need to do is show up and follow the program and you cant "socialy fail".

Just get through the door and on the mat and follow the program.

 

Is that necessarily true though? I remember my first few weeks of training being nervous and anxious. Same feeling one gets when one is competing. Maybe it was more fear of injury/general stress.

But it went away after a few weeks. Ironically for me, I had some anxiety before I did BJJ, and doing BJJ more or less cured it.

This thread was a little surprising actually. I just assumed everyone else was like me. Where BJJ gave them that “martial art confidence” in a potential physical situation. Along with the grind of the sport/rolling gives you that ability to be ‘in the moment’ of high stress and violence and be able to keep a cool head. That’s transferred over to quite a bit of other areas of life.

At any rate, this is my fun hobby that I enjoy doing. Well at least I did until covid hit. As mentioned above, people like OP should try having fun with it, not take it so seriously. Find the joy in the journey, all that stuff.

I’ve trained places where the students seem to confuse with competition. Everyone goea 100% strength & tries to get side & stall for their non existent pass points win.

At those places the stress is palpable. But I’ve also trained places that have a vibe of training & not competition where white belts tap black belts & the woman tap the men & it’s clear that this isn’t competition.

If the stress is a big issue then maybe look for another place.

I got stressed out training in Brazil sometimes but the vibe there is intense. Most of them train like lunatics and do not want to lose to anyone, especially the gringo.

I still get this when I visit another gym for Open Mat, even at 57 -when it shouldnt matter for squat- and of cousre a tournament, but it's so much easier to handle now with time, skill, experience whic begets confidence, but most of all rationalization. I pretty much go for initiating contact with that other person and the inhibitions quickly disapper and its just game time. I totally have an ego, I will admit, but I try and keep it tucked in my seams.

Learn  HRV resonant breathing to stimulate the vagus nerve which affects the pns (parasympathetic nervous system) and induces the relaxation response and increased GABA(a calming neurotransmitter), levels.

Breathe diaphramatically (into the belly,not the chest) slowly,although chest may rise a little. What stimulates the vagus nerve is the variability in heartrate with frequency of inhale and exhale. Heart rate and breathing synchronize or become resonance, at about 6 breaths per minute.  More than 6 will not induce HRV resonance.

As an ex. one cycle would be something like:

1. Always start by exhaling completely first.

  1. Inhale for 4-5 beats per minute,filling the diaphram.

3.Then Exhale for 7-8 bpm. Exhalation is always longer than the inhalation.

Faster response can be had if the breath is held for 2-3 seconds at the top of inhalation,then exhaling slowly in the same manner as above. So it would be:

1.Inhale 4-5 bpm

2.Hold for 2-3 beats

3.Exhale 7-8 bpm

On the inhale,heart rate increases.On the slower exhale,heart rate decreases or slows,which is the variability part. When this cycle continues for 2-3 minutes or longer, at a controlled and steady rate, it produces resonant frequency, which in turn stimulates the vagus nerve,activating the pns/relaxation response.

Here’s a video  at 5 BPM ,to get the idea. The 2-3 sec. breath pause at the top of inhalation I mentioned above is not in the video, which would obviously slow the BPM to less than 5. Point is, just make sure breath rate/cycle is kept at less than 7 BPM.

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I have been training JJ for about 25 years. I started when I was 15 or so. I was the smallest person in the school. At that time there were no Kids and JJ was ONLY about fighting. There was not even an IBJJF or really sport JJ. I had anxiety before every up until purple belt.

Oddly enough, the reason I kept training was I knew I had to face my fears. It is totally normal to experience claustrophobia and worry and pressure.

Just know that with each you are getting better and more competent. One day people will fear YOU. That is not the goal but one day you will look at them and think, " I remember those days, hahaha."

shen - Really common and I believe a HUGE factor in why so many people quit.

There’s usually no stress in most TMA classes. You just do the stuff & go home. I got a BB in traditional JJ without a moment’s stress in 5 years of training. But in BJJ you are going to roll at the end of class and all kinds of people have all kinds of issues --big & small-- surrounding that.

The only negative feelings I get are completely the opposite. I don’t want to do warmups and then drill for 45 minutes. Show me a couple moves and let me drill them with resistance for 20 minutes tops. Then let’s just roll–that’s the fun part. 

Are you afraid of getting boners? Knock a couple rounds out of the chamber in the hours before and try and focus on the hot girls in in spats shitting and eating their shit to gross out your dick. It’s effective imo 

HillboFrateTrane -

Are you afraid of getting boners? Knock a couple rounds out of the chamber in the hours before and try and focus on the hot girls in in spats shitting and eating their shit to gross out your dick. It’s effective imo 

If they're shitting on themselves or me and eating their shit that is an instant boner. I'd blow out my spandex under shorts if I saw that in the gym so it does he no good to think about it

I had anxiety today. Had to sit on the mat and take some big deep breaths and meditate before everyone got in and on there mat. Had good rolls for two hours. Nothing to be scared of but I still feel scared at times. Normal

Jesus man. Brazilian jiu jitsu is just fun pyjama wrestling. No reason to feel anxious unless you have a fear of losing a harmless game.  

wombat - 

Jesus man. Brazilian jiu jitsu is just fun pyjama wrestling. No reason to feel anxious unless you have a fear of losing a harmless game.  

you could say that same thing about a tournament. If you don’t get some level of anxiety before that, then I think you’d be in a small minority.

Meatgrinder -
wombat - 

Jesus man. Brazilian jiu jitsu is just fun pyjama wrestling. No reason to feel anxious unless you have a fear of losing a harmless game.  

you could say that same thing about a tournament. If you don’t get some level of anxiety before that, then I think you’d be in a small minority.

People are watching at a tournament and the results are recorded.  The point of it is to win.  Training is totally different.  Nobody should be keeping score and the point is to improve.  So anyone getting anxious before this is either in the wrong club or needs to re-think training.

wombat - 
Meatgrinder -
wombat - 

Jesus man. Brazilian jiu jitsu is just fun pyjama wrestling. No reason to feel anxious unless you have a fear of losing a harmless game.  

you could say that same thing about a tournament. If you don’t get some level of anxiety before that, then I think you’d be in a small minority.

People are watching at a tournament and the results are recorded.  The point of it is to win.  Training is totally different.  Nobody should be keeping score and the point is to improve.  So anyone getting anxious before this is either in the wrong club or needs to re-think training.

sure if you frame it like that… it’s still just pyjama wrestling though… you win or you learn… blah blah

Of course I get a lot of anxiety before competing. So I agree. I just didn’t think that was how you were looking at it with you earlier post