Sticking with Martial Arts

Everyone initially joins martial arts for different reasons. I'll go out on a limb here and say that most people join for one of two reasons: 1. they watched a Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, or Steven Segal movie and if in current time they watched UFC, Belletor, or The Ultimate Fighter - thought it was bad @$$ and they want to be a bad @$$, 2. are concerned about their safety or their ability to protect themselves and/or their family in an altercation and want to learn self defense. Whatever the reason for starting most people don't stick with it once the novelty wears off because it is hard work and not as fun as they thought is was going to be - unless of course you are in Jiu Jitsu, Jits is always fun (nope - no bias here).

When I first started I didn't even know what Jiu-Jitsu was. I was looking for Krav Maga to learn self defense. Low and behold I found a school 5 min from where I lived that had the key word "Krav Maga" on their website so I showed up one day. To my disappointment at the time they didn't have Krav but they had Jiu-Jitsu. I decide to give it a try but didn't care for it at first. Rolling around on the ground with a bunch of sweaty dudes - not for me, I don't fly that way! But I stuck with it and began to learn how to manipulate someone on the ground to make them cry for their mama - it was like someone flipped a switch and I was hooked.

If you stick with it, it will take you in a different direction than what you had initially expected. Push through the boring/hard parts and watch how it things keep changing, particularly how you keep changing and growing. My first year of Jiu Jitsu was pretty standard and just so-so while my second year was totally different (in a positive way).
I know a guy who went to the doctor for sever scoliosis in his late 50s. The Doc told him he needs to do something to strengthen is back muscles to help straight his spine. He took up Tang Soo Do (a form of Karate from South Korea involving katas, kicks, punches, energy breathing techniques, etc.) and at age 60 you couldn't tell their was ever anything wrong with him.

So, if you decide to take up any martial art and the novelty wears off, try to stick with it long enough to see the benefits - you'll thank yourself later!

Refer to previous post "Quitting vs. Benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu" to see the many benefits that I've received from Jiu Jitsu.