I know my ultimate goal is to figure out a way to make money through jiu jitsu, but that requires time. How do you balance between training/competing and actually working?
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I know my ultimate goal is to figure out a way to make money through jiu jitsu, but that requires time. How do you balance between training/competing and actually working?
Coffee
Lots of coffee!
I work 6am to 3pm, hang out with family, train 7 to 9, shower, sleep, repeat.
Dedication and patience...the only way to make money doing this is through sponsorships/competitions or teaching really. Both of those while working full time make it difficult, but a lot of us do it and some do both.
Yep...I work 7am-4pm Mon-Fri; open the school at 5:30pm Mon/Wed/Thu and Sat at 9am; and get home around 10:30pm Mon/Wed/Thu and 1pm on Sat. Makes for long days, but a means to an end my friend and a passion I can't live without. The only difference between working full time and teaching part time vs teaching full time is just the location of your office; office hours won't change.
Yeah right now it's rough, work 8-5 then either school from 6-9 or training 6-9 Monday- Friday. Saturdays are 10-12. Sundays=Recovery
I work during the daytime and I train at night. Easy.
I'm working 2 jobs and a couple side hustles, and training 4-5 days a week, plus competitons, life etc. It makes for a busy schedule for sure. I'm at work right now while I type this and am plotting my route to jiu jitsu at 5pm and then how much work I can get done mixing when I get home, before I have to go to sleep and be back at work at 7am tomorrow. Lol
I work 7-5, Monday through Thursday. If I don't drive directly from work to the gym, then I'm home briefly to eat, stretch etc... I work 40+ hours a week and train 7-10 hours (not counting strength training). It's a difficult balance and requires a lot of planning and coffee (as mentioned above). My biggest thing is doing every little thing I can to prepare myself for the work week, because it's a tight schedule. I also don't let the way I feel when I wake up dictate what my day will consist of. I wake up feeling like death and training is the first thing in my mind (like, how will at make it to class late this evening?), but feel better as the day goes on (coffee, lots of it). If it's your passion, you will make it work. I'm also extremely fortunate to have a girl who sees my dedication and does everything she can to help me during the busy work week.
Currently it's very difficult for me as I'm working the 1-10pm shift all this month and my gym hours are 4-9pm. My last job was 8-4 so that was perfect for my BJJ career. I currently get together with some guys on Sundays though and roll for 4+ hours since I can't make it to my gym at the moment.
It's cool to hear all of the dedication. Do any of you have AM training?
when you figure it out, let me know bro
I've been fortunate enough in the tech support field (and in terms of networking) to have several gyms where I have a good relationship with to be able to come in to train. Most of the time I train anywhere from 7pm to as late as 10pm (although recently on avg my last roll where will be by 9:30pm ET).
On weekends generally Sat is my rest day unless there's a seminar or camp I'm attending, and then Sun I try to put in a couple hours. There will be some weeks where I may only get out twice or three times, and then other weeks depending on my training partners and schedule I may be able to get in 6 days of mat time (mind you I'm not going 100% every night otherwise I'd completely break down).
I find honestly the quote is true is that it comes down to prioritization of things, and time budgeting (I know some folks call it time management, but in reality time isn't something you manage cause you can't control it, the only thing you can control is what you do with your time). Obv there'll always be spikes in terms of job, family, dating/marriage partners, and life. But I find I run a good balance of them, and I think each person needs to really figure out what works for them.
Hope that helps...
Work and training is tough. I work 830-5 Sunday thru Thursday and then drive an hour to my gym afterwards, get done training at 9, drive an hour home, then sleep everyday. I leave Friday and Saturday completely open, but usually end up training still. I have no social life outside BJJ/MMA
The goal is to not have a 9-5 job and make a living through jiu jitsu. I think that's a goal for a lot of people starting off, but it takes time to get there. My question was just asking what people do to keep the balance (not let work take time away from training and competing)? Honestly if I could have all of my bills and monthly obligations paid and train jiu jitsu all of the time, I would. Right now I'm in school, work a full time (45 hours a week) and train 8 hours a week.
This is just my opinion and it's biased because I live in a part of the country with a very high cost of living: keep your mind on work and school first and foremost.
Instead of having a mentality of not letting work take away from training, I say, don't let training take away from work.
If anything, you should be going to school for business and focusing on that if you want to open a school one day. Simply being a black belt doesn't mean you'll be able to make a living from being a black belt. And without money you won't be able to afford classes or the proper food to keep you healthy and in the game. So then what? Don't bank on BJJ.
I get your passion. If I'm lucky, at my pace, I'll either peak at purple or at best be a black belt by my late 40's. And I'd love to be able to open a school and retire. Even if I'm not the head instructor. But I also have to keep things in perspective. For example, I'm still a white belt. And any chance of me opening a profitable school is years and years away. So it would be silly to make that my priority.
So in my opinion, the correct balance is to focus on work and school, then fit BJJ into the equation when you can. And since you're training about 8 hours per week, I'd say you're doing just fine. Keep up the good fight. Good luck.
I quit my job so I can train Mon through Friday, but I'm not a tough guy yet so I just do my best to train once a day. In order to do that I deliver Pizza on the weekends, therefor I eat for free on the weekends, and I have a $20 limit on food for the rest of the week from my tips, which usually goes to Ramen Noodles, Instant mashed potatoes, and frozen country fried steak. If I have money left over, I buy bread, and stuff for sandwiches. I have a freezer packed with frozen vegitables and rice just incase I dont make any money or I lose my job.
So for me, the secret to working and training is to work less, train more, therefor less money for food, more money for gas to get me to training, and more money for the utility bill since im doing laundry after every workout. I'm much happier doing it this way than when I was making a lot of money, but hating my life.
The balance isnt in finding when to work and when to train. The balance is in yourself, and asking what are you willing to sacrifice in order to train more. for me,,, I sacrifice food.
I'm not sure if that's the wisest thing to do. Ask any top guy how important food is for training. Food is fuel. It not only fuels your body but it fuels your brain. So by not having quality nutrition, you're doing yourself more harm than good. Especially if you're training frequently.
BJJ is grueling and you definitely need to be fueled up. Even if your body is a Ferrari, if you're running on 87 octane, quarter tank full, and some old walmart oil, you're just not operating at your best and other guys are gonna breeze right by you in the long run. And the BJJ path is a long run.
I'm not saying you need to start shopping at whole foods, but I am saying that if you want the most out of your training sessions, you should be putting better fuel into your body. Good luck man. Whatever your choice, just keep training.
I appreciate that. And I know I might look like the bad guy because to some it may sound like I'm discouraging people from pursuing their dreams. I sound like a "hater." In reality, I'm just saying to pursue your dreams wisely.
You know, there are thousands of books, videos, articles telling everyone to pursue their dreams! Go after it! Do it! But they don't mention that you should jump out of a plane with a parachute. You should double check how deep a pool is before you dive in head first. Trapeze artists use safety nets. And novices never perform tight rope walks without a harness or net. Pursuing your dreams is noble. Diving into your dreams without a realistic plan is reckless and a recipe for failure. Like the old saying goes, "If you fail to prepare, then you're preparing to fail." Something like that.
I have many dreams. One of them is to run a school.
But first I need to be good enough. In order to be good enough, I need money to pay for classes. I need money to pay for transportation. I need money to pay for the food that will keep me healthy so I can attend more classes. I need money to pay for icy hot, supplements, vitamins, athletic tape, and braces. I need money to pay for health insurance in case I get a very likely injury. And since BJJ is long term, I foresee multiple injuries. And this is just to get good enough! This isn't even taking into consideration the business knowledge it takes to open a school, market the school, keep track of memberships, dues, overhead, etc. I am no where even close to making a living from BJJ. But I am making a living elsewhere. So why jeopardize the one thing that even makes training possible?
The path to making a living off of BJJ is a marathon, not a sprint. I know I'm only a white belt myself, but I've been around a few years. Long enough to have money affect my training, endure injuries, watch other schools open and shut down. Long enough to know that fast black belts like Keenan and BJ had rich parents that they could live off of while they trained full time. And long enough to know that guys like Geo and Boogey are freaks of nature with years of pre programmed strength, balance, and muscle memory. So for the rest of us mere mortals and middle class, we have to do things the hard way. The looooong way. So if you're really about this, just remember. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Don't burn yourself out too early because you haven't even passed the first 5 miles.
I appreciate your point of view.
I personally find my day devastating if I'm not training. I find ways to train. Yes, I'm paying for jiu jitsu classes, but it's with loan money from school. I sacrifice a lot of social outings to train. Time and again, I've seen pictures on Facebook of friends out and about at a social event that I was invited to and elected to train instead. I have absolutely positively no regrets of that decision. I look to sneak off and grab an early lunch to catch the afternoon class. I embrace laundry and it's inevitability. I look for physical training as well as mental training. We train our minds by watching MTS, hitting the forums, other videos, books, etc. But it's nothing without the mat time. And it's been 3.5 years of consistent training at this point, no injuries beyond nicks and scratches. I take self-preservation extremely seriously, making it my number one priority when I train. I tap early, tap to guys who maybe I "shouldn't be tapping to", just to experience no pain the next day.
My point is, if you want to find a way to train, you'll find a way to train. Because any high level guys will tell you it's not about having rich parents or privates or natural talent. It's about mat time. I've seen guys wash mats, do laundry, clean the academy in order to train because they didn't have the money. Money is needed for certain things in life, but I prefer the quote "Work to live, don't live to work." I'm at a point now in my journey where I absolutely can not WAIT to get on the mats each day, but it took a couple years of training to get to a point where I didn't dread going anymore. It's a long term investment, and you will reap what you sow. Excuses will always be there, but resourceful people make things happen, sometimes with the fewest resources, whether that be time, money, whathaveyou.
I appreciate your point of view as well. I don't see it having any conflict with my point of view. It's just an added perspective. I'm saying, "when you're a white belt, don't sprint to the finish line. It's a long road. You have time. Make wise sacrifices." Your point is "sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get more mat time." And again, I say, "make wise sacrifices."
I'm glad you've never had an injury. I'm sure you're a young healthy man. Freak accidents happen, though. The top guys get injured too. Mat time is essential. Obviously the top guys have the most mat time. It just so happens that some of them can afford full time mat time because they have rich parents who take care of them so they don't have to make as big a sacrifice as others. Most guys don't have the luxury of training full time. So they have to go the long way. So you have to be wise about what you sacrifice along the way. For example, if you're neglecting your schoolwork because you want to train, then you're being irresponsible. "But he found a way to train!" If you're neglecting your spouse or children because you want to train, you suck. "But at least I'm training." It's ridiculous. But some people take that phrase "if you want to train, you'll find a way" and turn it into a sort of mantra to justify neglecting their responsibilities. Others take it to heart because they do want to train, but truly don't have the means.
I don't think people understand the difference between making excuses and having valid reasons. Responsibilities aren't excuses. Limitations aren't excuses. Don't have money? Ask to wash mats! Then have the owner laugh you off explaining that they don't run a charity. Not all school owners have big hearts. Don't have time? Quit your job! Now you have plenty of time....but no money.
That's one phrase that truly grinds my gears. "If you want to train, you'll find a way." Technically it's true, but it doesn't take into account that sometimes it takes time to find a way. It doesn't take into account that finding a way to train means buying DVD's and making DIY grappling dummies. Or going to a seminar once a year. Or trying to convince your friends to roll around with you in your living room while you're both clueless. It doesn't take into account that some people are overburdened with responsibilities and have to work 2 jobs to provide for a family or have to take care of a sick relative around the clock.
So you have poor, sick, stranded, or overburdened guys feeling like crap because they don't have the means to train consistently. Their passion is called into question. Even worse, I feel like the ones who love to use that sentiment are usually guys who have the time, freedom, and money to train conveniently. It's unfair to expect others to make much larger sacrifices than yourself to do the same thing. I find that phrase short sighted and irresponsible if it's not followed up with some sort of addendum. "If you want to train, you'll find a way.....if you actually have an open slot of time in your life....or if you have the money...if you aren't overburdened with responsibilities...etc."
I definitely agree with the sentiment that we should work to live, not live to work. But sacrificing too much for something that gives so little in return is no way to live. Life is about balance. Give and take. Don't give BJJ more than it gives back. If you can find a way to train all the time, do it. If you can't, don't force it. Make sure the sacrifices are actually worth it.
By the way, where do you work that you can sneak in training sessions during lunch? How close is your gym to your job?
Thank you for the great advice, I'm not starving by any means, Im currently 280lb at 6'2. I can stand to lose some weight. Last night after practice I ate 2 packets of ramen noodles, with 2 cans of sardines. this morning the wife made me some eggs and pancakes. I usually eat around 1,500-1,800 calories throughout the week days, and then I consume about 2,500 on the weekends, its just under 3,000 calorie deficit per week, which at my body weight and BMI, is just under 1 lb a week for me. I have lost 20lbs since august doing this. I started at 294lbs.
I completely agree and appreciate the advice for eating healthier, but I witnessed my father eat nothing but hamburgers, meat and bun, and potato chips my entire life, Im 31 years old, and I have never seen my father eat any fruits or vegetables in my life. He worked 16 hours a day as a mechanic for 40 years before he retired, hes 69 years old, and still a hard ass. I dont like going against the tide, but nutrition is bunk. Nutrition as we know it has only been around for the last 60 years. For 80,000 years humans have been 'mono' eaters and lived off what they could find. Thats just my 2 cents.
Thank you again though for your great advice and support. But I lost 100lbs in 1 year back in 2004, just so I could join the Marines, and I plan on losing it again. With a 3,000 calorie deficit per week in food, and training 8 hours a week, medium to high intensity, which is 400-600 calories per hour, which is just under 4,000 calories burned per week, I should be reaching the 2lb bench mark of fat loss per week, which is considered a healthy standard.
But your absolutely right, I have much more to learn about nutrition and I can certainly benefit from healthier choices, thank you again.
To this point though, if you ever expect to open a school, you can't expect Jiu Jitsu to invest in you if you haven't invested in Jiu Jitsu. If caring for a sick relative has taught anyone anything, at least in my instance, it teaches us that our days are numbered. We ought to have the free will to do what makes us happy. Obviously balance is key. But if you get over the first couple year hump and train in a way that is safe from injury, and this is achieved thru knowledge, mat time, and no ego, you will connect with Jiu Jitsu more. It will become a part of you, a connection that follows you throughout the day, through your actions.
Mat time is time well spent on this Earth. And all our days are numbered, so we ought to have the free will to train if it makes us happy. Virtually no circumstance has kept every single person that it afflicts off the mats if it's that important to them. Obviously, with balance. But what the hell is balance without Jiu Jitsu? That's my perspective.
Let us know when your coming down!! I'm 280lbs, but we have guys from 135 and up. Extremely athletic guys too. Tim Kennedy and his boys drop in once a week or so as well. Contact Coach Curtis Hembroff and he can advise you when the best time to drop by so you can make the most of your time in Austin. (sorry to hijack the thread)
I'm not about that life. My body runs terrible on junk food. I can get away with drinking on weekends, but I can't get away with eating a pizza before class. But that's how my body works. I don't know how yours works. Good luck though. Stay healthy.
What is jiu jitsu without balance? LOL.
Nice quote on investing. The same way it's unwise to put all your eggs in one basket, it's unwise, in my opinion, to invest more into BJJ than it's going to return. BJJ isn't a guaranteed return on investment. It's a good idea to have a fall back plan.
Plenty of circumstances keep people off the mats even if it's a temporary set back. I couldn't train consistently for 3 years. Trust me, I lived it. "If you want it bad enough" doesn't work for everyone.
By God's grace I have a job that allows me to work from home and on my own schedule (computer programmer/project manager), so I'm able to train 6 days a week, 1-3 times a day. My school has evening classes Monday through Friday, and also a morning class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get my other sessions in at home on my own mats with a friend of mine. The two biggest struggles for me are:
1.) finding others who are able to and consistently willing to train with me outside of the gym.
2.) balancing training, work, etc. with not neglecting my wife and 9 month old daughter (something I'm daily trying to master).
But what helps me is having such a laid-back job that pays well. It will be good to fall back on, and even supplement my income when I do get my black belt and start training and teaching full-time. It's an awesome job, but Jiu Jitsu is definitely where my passion is.
I'm also learning a lot about business, marketing, and entrepreneurship by working in this field. And those are skills that I know will prove to be invaluable when I do shift to full time Jiu Jitsu.
True. Though there are some investments that are not all about the financial return. The return on investment in jiu jitsu for me is already paying off in the form of relationships, health and fitness, piece of mind regarding self-defense, and self-confidence. I haven't made a dime off of jiu jitsu to date, yet I keep training. No one said that one ought to quit their job or quit school in the pursuit of being a world champion. But it seems to me that a lot of having jiu jitsu in your life is a matter of driving to the academy and jumping in a class once in a while. Making time. As insensitive as that might be to some. A lot of your posts, with all due respect, seem like glass half-empty thinking and without getting into the details of your personal life, it would appear that you're making the choice that mat time is not high on your priority list, thus, opening a school wouldn't be either. A dream can become a goal simply by listing the steps you want to take to get there. "If you want it bad enough" will work for whoever wants to make it work and whoever develops a step-by-step plan to make it happen. This plan could be as simple as "Man, I haven't trained in months, let me hit up an intro class at a local academy. No obligation. Just try it out. Maybe I'll fall in love with it. If not, I'll leave and never come back. But I'll simply show up. And at the end of the day, at least I'll have made another connection and got in another hour or so of mat time." It's the whole concept of free will and living in the country that we do which gives us a chance at the life we want.
I want to recommend a book that I read that changed my life. "Success Principles" by Jack Canfield. A lot of your rhetoric comes off in a way that, frankly, doesn't do well in the 'inspiration' department. While I appreciate your opinion, there is a lot of "can't" in your thinking, and this book molded my thinking in a way that has brought me more success in all areas of my life as of late, while still finding time to balance my priorities. I've actually been able to train MORE and be MORE productive in other areas of my life in the same 24 hour period just from the advice in this book.
Other than that, good discussion.
Yeah for me the return of investment isn't just monetary. Just like you, I make no money off of it, but it helps me be a better person. I'm healthier both physically and mentally. I've earned no medals. I haven't ranked up. For years all I could do is drop in at open mats or get a free class here and there.
I appreciate the respect, and I understand how you could perceive me as a pessimist. Your assumption that I don't prioritize mat time is wrong because you are missing the details. "If you want it bad enough" sounds good, but like I said before, it doesn't take into consideration that sometimes goals take a long time. Some people can start making plans right from where they stand. Other people have to plan just to get themselves in position to train. So for you, planning to get to your dream is like, abcd. Someone else might have to plan a-s just to get to where you are in your point A. It took me 3 years just to get to your point A.
"But it seems to me that a lot of having jiu jitsu in your life is a matter of driving to the academy and jumping in a class once in a while."
What if someone doesn't have a car? What if a person is married but works an opposite shift to their wife, but someone has to stay home to take care of their autistic child who needs constant monitoring? What if, what if, what if? It's not as simple as "get in your car and go." Bruh, if it were that simple, I would've never stopped training.
You see, it's not that mat time isn't a priority or that my dream of having a school or getting a black belt isn't a priority. It's that for years it couldn't be a priority. And even now, while I've found a way to get back in the game, it's still not a higher priority than other things. My family comes first no matter what. If jiu jitsu gets to a point where I'm missing time with my family or I'm putting us in a financial bind, I'm taking another hiatus. I love BJJ but not more than my family. And because my family is my main priority, and my job is the way that I provide for my family, then my job becomes my second priority above BJJ.
My perspective isn't meant to be inspirational. It's meant to be cautionary. I've chased my dreams. Like I said, a lot of motivational speakers tell you to jump head first into your dream as if failure is impossible. I recently suffered a terrible hardship because I took that advice and my business failed. Hard. I'm not done though. I'm dusting myself off. I'm trying again. But this time, I know that it's smart to jump with a parachute. It's smarter to check the depth of the water before I dive in. If anything, I'm more inspirational than a lot of these inspirational book boys. I wanna know what slum they grew up in. I wanna know how they dealt with not having parents. I wanna know how they overcame mental illness and addiction and how they're still fighting to succeed. Most of these book writers are silver spoon boys who get to give inspirational advice from a golden throne. I'm not a pessimist. I'm an optimist. My optimism is simply cautious optimism because I've experienced some horrible things in life and I know that life can shit on your dreams at any time.
And CAN'T isn't a bad word. I can't time travel. I can't fly at will. I can't make a million dollars appear out of thin air just because I wish it would. Can't is important in dreaming. Because when you know that you can't do something, then you can focus on what you CAN do.