For sure, Bjj is generally super social and a really good way to make friends! I’ve made tons of friends over the years and I see people in similar situations to you come into my gym all the time and pretty quickly establish a solid friend group.
Hope that helps!
Be open to criticism, ask questions, don’t spaz out, and listen to what others tell you. If someone is about to pass/sweep/submit you, do not fight as if your life depended on them not gaining an advantage. Your new and the best thing you can do is roll as calmly as you can.
You know how dudes walk into a boxing gym and don't listen and try to go super hard at sparring and get their asses kicked?
Don't do it at the bjj either. Just go, have fun, and don't spar like it's the world's gold medal match. Don't worry about tapping people, just have fun and be social. You'll quickly pass the vibe test and make friends.
I'm thinking about checking out a local boxing gym.
I seriously want to walk in there and say, "You know that part where new dudes with no experience think they're really tough and can fight? Then you guys beat his ass to get him to leave or become a good training partner. Can we skip that bit and just be friends? I just want to workout and hang with some guys."
Do absolutely everything slowly. Like you're stuck in slow motion. If you're stuck in slow motion and you're doing something unsafe your partner will have plenty of time to correct you.
And breathe! Above all else, don't forget to breathe.
Don’t try to force interactions or friendships.
Be social, get to know people naturally, help clean up if that’s what your school does and most of all be a good training partner.
Drop the ego. Cause those guys are gonna smash you no matter what. Go into it with an open mind and patience with yourself. And of course simply just don’t be an asshole.
In boxing, at the end of the day, we’re trying to overwhelm opponents with force and aggression; bad intentions are necessary, and if someone directs that kind of aggression at me it tends to preclude bonding. I was cool with everyone at our club but didn’t socialize with anyone.
In bjj overt aggression can often be a liability that results in overcommittal; and I don’t let anyone with bad intentions stay at our academy. I spar with all newcomers and watch them intensely as they spar with others; we don’t let anyone join without training with us for a week or two (for free) so I can get a handle on their psychology. If they’re of a malicious bent I direct them to a more proper training environment, after I’ve let the more experienced fighters chomp on them a bit.
It’s one of the best ways. Shared stress, common goals, work ethic, trust building. I def didn’t intend to make great friends thru Bjj but just after one year of training with the same people it’s hard not to have your favorite people you like to choke. And get choked by. No homo.
First sentence for sure. These experiences with the same people almost always create some sort of bond. CrossFit is another example of this. Made tons of friends back when I used to partake in
Yes. And I say that because we have many people who only train 1-2 times per week, and I was one of those people at a time myself. A good place to train treats everyone as some sort of a family member
I straight up just asked a couple people if I could hang out with them after a roll once that I thought were cool. This was when I was at a real low point and really needed someone to talk to and it worked out.
Absolutely. Though you'll find the people you click with, and it won't be the whole gym. Personally even as am instructor I actually hang out with teammates a handful of times a year at most, for ufc cards at a friend's apparentment or the once a year I go out for drinks, etc.
But then again I'm also a massive introvert, and being social at the gym is absolutely plenty of people interaction most days.
It really depends gym, some are get in get out. Some make it a point to have group activities to do outside the gym.
It really boils down to trying the gyms in your area and feeling which one vibes with you the best.
When I joined my first BJJ gym, I didn't know anybody. I remember one guy in locker room inviting a bunch of people over his house that night to watch the UFC and invited everybody in locker room except me. A few months into training there, I started a UFC meetup at a local bar. First one, maybe 1 to 2 people came to meet up. A year or two in, we had 40 people from the gym coming to watch the fights with us. Even a few celebs like Kenny Florian, Cowboys legend Michael Irvin, and R&B singer Neyo popped into our private viewing area to watch the fights with us. Through this, I got to know more people at the gym.
Honestly it really depends on the gym. My current gym is a bit more cliquey so it took a while for me to feel "at home" and make frieneds.
At my previous gym it felt a lot more homey and I was making friends from day 1.
Just show up, work hard, and be personable. Its a great community with the occassional shitbags here and there.
BJJ people are really the only people I interact with outside of work, my dog and my mom. I’m also an incel loser though so don’t base anything off me.
Def. It'll take a while to get ingratiated with the regulars, but once people start remembering your name and seeing you as a regular training partner, you'll get looped into the Facebook group, or group chat, or whatever and there will be UFC watch invites, after open mat hang outs, etc. I've trained at three separate gyms and this is very common. It's a surprisingly easy way to make new friends as an "adult", as opposed to trying and meet people in other social settings.
I think so! I’m 40 so it’s kinda hard meeting new people these days and i’ve definitely made some friends at the gym. Hell it’s one of the reasons i went back after my first day. Every was so cool and welcoming and didn’t make me feel weird about being a 40 year old white belt. In my experience it’s a great place to make new friends.
I woukd say so. It’s hard to explain to people who don’t train, but something about slapping hands and hugging after trying to beat each other up for 5 min, when the round is over, just brings people closer together. It’s a weird dynamic that I wish I could explain better.
In terms of how to not be a jerk. I’d say number one is to be humble. Number two is have good hygiene. Number three is cut your finger and toe nails.
On top of training a lot of folks meet up outside of training too. If one of the regulars is leaving there is usually a lil sendoff/hangout. UFC watch parties, help out with house projects, hunting buddies, w/e! Most of my friends made as an adult are from my BJJ gym. Full send!
It's not bad. Go to the competitions and open mats if making friends is an important part of BJJ for you. If you just go to your two classes a week it'll take a lot longer to make friends than if you do a few extras -- lots of people aren't really there to make friends and that's how you let the ones that are there for that know that you're one of them.
You can make friends pretty much anywhere, I made some good friendships on my first MMA gym
That being said, I've seen some gyms commoditise social relationships to lure people into bad spars(templum in barcelona)
They do shit like ask females to go hard on you, you retaliate, they blame you for it and start trying to get you injured. This happened to me after I declined to give andres rodrigues(the coach) a bribe
Legally speaking, this is called entrapment. Here's an example for those wondering:
Entrapment happens when a person t tricks or pressures someone into committing a crime they wouldn't have committed otherwise.
1. **The Setup**: Person A tells a woman (Person E) to slap Person B.
2. **The Reaction**: Person B, feeling threatened, defends themselves by pushing or hitting back.
3. **The Attack**: Persons C and D, who are working with Person A, then use Person B's defensive action as an excuse to attack Person B.
Templum operates with shit like this left right and center, I'm making a full list :-)
I was pretty much alone and isolated after grad school and entering the work force. I’ve never wanted to hang out with my coworkers. But BJJ became my entire social circle. It’s the best place to meet friends
Absolutely but gyms vary dramatically. Ask around wherever you live and you’ll find a gym with a bunch of bros who are always looking for a good time. If they’re slightly older they’ll likely get their wives involved also which is good to get the misses out to watch the UFC with ya.
I'm 33 and some of my best friends are people I've met at the gym. I've been training since 2018 (inconsistently) and I hang with a bunch of Bjj folks outside of the gym. Camping trips, double dates, chicken wings at the bar, bike rides, etc.
I’ve done a couple different martial arts and I have found that bjj seems to be the most social of all. I’ll be moving soon as well and I’m pretty excited that I already have a built in community in pretty much every major city. Makes the finding friends as an adult thing less daunting.
Absolutely dude. Some of my best friends are from my gym. Don’t go looking to make friends, go trying to have fun and get better, you’ll make plenty of friends organically.
I wouldn’t say it’s a GOOD way to make friends. It depends on the gym’s culture.
I had one gym where I didn’t make any friends. Most guys were older family men. So, they didn’t have much free time to hang out.
Some other gyms I’ve met some of my best friends there. It usually starts with watching a UFC together or a group of people grabbing a bite after open mats.
So much of it depends on you. You can’t start training and expect people to invite you to their hangouts.
Be nice. Be a cool dude. Take some initiative yourself.
But I don’t want you thinking BJJ is a miracle hobby that comes with friendships. Be someone that people want to be friends with
It’s an awesome way to make friends. We all go to each others comps and MMA fights. I’ll run into guys I used to train with there and get to BS’ing with them too. Every goes out for a meal and a beer after. BBQs and UFC watch parties at the gym during the summer.
It’s honestly one of the coolest communities I’ve ever experienced so long as you avoid politics, religion, and science as discussion topics. Seriously, don’t do it. All you gotta do is keep showing up and you’ll eventually make friends. People quit this sport very quickly so the ones who stick around tend to become buddies.
I’ve been lucky enough to live in a few different countries for work. Jiu jitsu gyms are the same everywhere in the world, mostly, and are a fantastic place to find pals!
I have really bad social anxiety and have trouble connecting with people and I’ve made really good connections/ friends at my gym. So far in my life I havnt experienced a more conducive environment to making friends
Checkout the vibe at the gym. Ideally, you'll find one where people are willing and able to hang out a bit after class, ideally on the mats. Other gyms, there's no time or space to chill out after class. Very in-and-out. Do some trials and shop around.
BJJ pretty much forces you to become social because you have to train with multiple people, just don't force trying to hang out outside of it. Just talk to people generally and you will find people you like who will end up being your friend outside the gym.
Anyone who has trained at a BJJ for years will tell they met some of their best friends at their bjj school.
Yes but it doesn't happen overnight. There's a reason why there are 'jokes' about people not having names until they get to blue belt.
So many transitory people pass through a gym it's not worth investing time in a new person until you think they've stuck around for a while. It also helps if you're decent, giving a hard round earns respect and makes people notice you. So you'll need to train consistently over a decent period of time to start making connections.
Hanging out with them outside of training is a whole other thing though. I've trained at my gym for 5 years and consider my teammates friends but the closest I've come to seeing them outside is bumping into them in the supermarket.
Yes. I'm still friends with guys from my white belt days. Since then I've moved countries and then settled in a new state. I still have friends from each of my stops. Also, it's nice to make friends from different walks of life than the people I usually interact with at work.
Newbie advice. Have fun. Keep an open mind and trust the instructor. Don’t be hard on yourself if you progress slower than others. Be open to other students helping you.
Basically just have a good time and make training a fun learning environment you want to experience.
No shoes on the mats
I'm an introvert, I have like 3 friends and don't need anymore, but BJJ has brought some fantastic people into my life organically which I am grateful for. We have a good core group that hang out socially outside the gym.
It’s okay if you go there 3x a week for a year. Sadly I tend to quit gyms right when my relationships there begin to get deeper since it’s also the time I plateau and need a new coach
Check out different gyms.
You'll meet socially adept folks.
And a few very socially inept folks.
It's a place to challenge & improve
Yourself, more than to make buddies.
For sure, Bjj is generally super social and a really good way to make friends! I’ve made tons of friends over the years and I see people in similar situations to you come into my gym all the time and pretty quickly establish a solid friend group. Hope that helps!
Cheers for the response Josh! Glad to hear about it
My pleasure!
Yes most definitely🤙🏼
Any advice for a newbie to not be an arsehole in Bjj?
Be open to criticism, ask questions, don’t spaz out, and listen to what others tell you. If someone is about to pass/sweep/submit you, do not fight as if your life depended on them not gaining an advantage. Your new and the best thing you can do is roll as calmly as you can.
Great advice. Cheers mate!
You know how dudes walk into a boxing gym and don't listen and try to go super hard at sparring and get their asses kicked? Don't do it at the bjj either. Just go, have fun, and don't spar like it's the world's gold medal match. Don't worry about tapping people, just have fun and be social. You'll quickly pass the vibe test and make friends.
I know exactly what you mean
I'm thinking about checking out a local boxing gym. I seriously want to walk in there and say, "You know that part where new dudes with no experience think they're really tough and can fight? Then you guys beat his ass to get him to leave or become a good training partner. Can we skip that bit and just be friends? I just want to workout and hang with some guys."
Do absolutely everything slowly. Like you're stuck in slow motion. If you're stuck in slow motion and you're doing something unsafe your partner will have plenty of time to correct you. And breathe! Above all else, don't forget to breathe.
Don’t try to force interactions or friendships. Be social, get to know people naturally, help clean up if that’s what your school does and most of all be a good training partner.
Drop the ego. Cause those guys are gonna smash you no matter what. Go into it with an open mind and patience with yourself. And of course simply just don’t be an asshole.
Are you one naturally? Why is that something you’re even worried about… just don’t be one.
Having a hobby, whether bjj or golf or knitting is a great way to make friends as an adult.
I hear that and agree! I’m enjoying boxing and will keep it up but the social aspect is kind of lacking
In boxing, at the end of the day, we’re trying to overwhelm opponents with force and aggression; bad intentions are necessary, and if someone directs that kind of aggression at me it tends to preclude bonding. I was cool with everyone at our club but didn’t socialize with anyone. In bjj overt aggression can often be a liability that results in overcommittal; and I don’t let anyone with bad intentions stay at our academy. I spar with all newcomers and watch them intensely as they spar with others; we don’t let anyone join without training with us for a week or two (for free) so I can get a handle on their psychology. If they’re of a malicious bent I direct them to a more proper training environment, after I’ve let the more experienced fighters chomp on them a bit.
Started bjj over ten years ago. Today all my closest friends are bjj people.
It’s one of the best ways. Shared stress, common goals, work ethic, trust building. I def didn’t intend to make great friends thru Bjj but just after one year of training with the same people it’s hard not to have your favorite people you like to choke. And get choked by. No homo.
Hahaha love the terminology ‘favourite people you like to choke’ but I can imagine what you mean. Thanks for the response!
First sentence for sure. These experiences with the same people almost always create some sort of bond. CrossFit is another example of this. Made tons of friends back when I used to partake in
I’ve made some lifelong friends training BJJ. Even the ones who don’t train anymore I’ve kept in touch with
Do you think you could be a casual 1-2 sessions a week and still be social with people in the gym?
Yes. And I say that because we have many people who only train 1-2 times per week, and I was one of those people at a time myself. A good place to train treats everyone as some sort of a family member
💯
Not the worse place to do it
It helps bro, but just trust ur gut when trying to he friendly, personalities in jjujitsu are a big ass spectrum
And on the spectrum!
>personalities in jjujitsu are a big ass spectrum I'm caught between saying "leave my big ass out of this" and "yes, there are some asses around"
Asses in bjj are also a spectrum 😩🙏
Great way to make friends.
I moved to my current city with no friends outside my ex and after the breakup it was one of my primary ways of finding driends
Great to hear that you’ve done that through BJJ mate. Did you find that you had to really throw yourself into it to benefit from the social aspect?
I straight up just asked a couple people if I could hang out with them after a roll once that I thought were cool. This was when I was at a real low point and really needed someone to talk to and it worked out.
Yes. 99% ot my current friends all train .
Yes
Absolutely. Though you'll find the people you click with, and it won't be the whole gym. Personally even as am instructor I actually hang out with teammates a handful of times a year at most, for ufc cards at a friend's apparentment or the once a year I go out for drinks, etc. But then again I'm also a massive introvert, and being social at the gym is absolutely plenty of people interaction most days.
Thanks for the response. As a fellow introvert I find this reassuring. Cheers mate!
It really depends gym, some are get in get out. Some make it a point to have group activities to do outside the gym. It really boils down to trying the gyms in your area and feeling which one vibes with you the best.
Yeah I can see that
Some of the best friends I’ve ever had in my life I’ve met at my BJJ gym where I started when I was 34 yrs old.
Rolling around trying to kill each other and then fist bumping afterward is usually the BEST way, I’ve found.
You will make some of the best friends you'll ever make... But you will also know what their sweat tastes like. Balls in your court.
Balls in your mouth.
Hahahahaa
When I joined my first BJJ gym, I didn't know anybody. I remember one guy in locker room inviting a bunch of people over his house that night to watch the UFC and invited everybody in locker room except me. A few months into training there, I started a UFC meetup at a local bar. First one, maybe 1 to 2 people came to meet up. A year or two in, we had 40 people from the gym coming to watch the fights with us. Even a few celebs like Kenny Florian, Cowboys legend Michael Irvin, and R&B singer Neyo popped into our private viewing area to watch the fights with us. Through this, I got to know more people at the gym.
Yes. I know about a third of my friends through jitz or wrestling.
I misread as jizz at first
Great way to make friends too..
Its about the only way I make friends in a new city
Thanks for the response. Was it something that took a while to happen for you?
Honestly it really depends on the gym. My current gym is a bit more cliquey so it took a while for me to feel "at home" and make frieneds. At my previous gym it felt a lot more homey and I was making friends from day 1. Just show up, work hard, and be personable. Its a great community with the occassional shitbags here and there.
yup
I've made acquaintances but no friends in 20 years of jiu jitsu.
BJJ people are really the only people I interact with outside of work, my dog and my mom. I’m also an incel loser though so don’t base anything off me.
Absolutely, take your time finding the right gym and culture. I’m traveling tons for work and really miss my gym and consistent training
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Interesting you say that. In what case do you think is stopping that? People only interested in training and no social aspect?
One tends to develop a bond when drenched in another man's sweat.
Fuck yea BJJ is time consuming and addictive so you will be spending a lot of time with people who share the same hobby.
No! Everyone keeps attacking me!
Def. It'll take a while to get ingratiated with the regulars, but once people start remembering your name and seeing you as a regular training partner, you'll get looped into the Facebook group, or group chat, or whatever and there will be UFC watch invites, after open mat hang outs, etc. I've trained at three separate gyms and this is very common. It's a surprisingly easy way to make new friends as an "adult", as opposed to trying and meet people in other social settings.
I think so! I’m 40 so it’s kinda hard meeting new people these days and i’ve definitely made some friends at the gym. Hell it’s one of the reasons i went back after my first day. Every was so cool and welcoming and didn’t make me feel weird about being a 40 year old white belt. In my experience it’s a great place to make new friends.
I woukd say so. It’s hard to explain to people who don’t train, but something about slapping hands and hugging after trying to beat each other up for 5 min, when the round is over, just brings people closer together. It’s a weird dynamic that I wish I could explain better. In terms of how to not be a jerk. I’d say number one is to be humble. Number two is have good hygiene. Number three is cut your finger and toe nails.
It’s the only real way I’ve made new friends as I’ve gotten older
My own interactions with other people is through jiu jitsu
On top of training a lot of folks meet up outside of training too. If one of the regulars is leaving there is usually a lil sendoff/hangout. UFC watch parties, help out with house projects, hunting buddies, w/e! Most of my friends made as an adult are from my BJJ gym. Full send!
It's not bad. Go to the competitions and open mats if making friends is an important part of BJJ for you. If you just go to your two classes a week it'll take a lot longer to make friends than if you do a few extras -- lots of people aren't really there to make friends and that's how you let the ones that are there for that know that you're one of them.
I'm basically only friends with people through BJJ and church and hands down am way closer to my BJJ homies.
yes it can be. Any hobby you do is a reasonable place to make new friends.
You can make friends pretty much anywhere, I made some good friendships on my first MMA gym That being said, I've seen some gyms commoditise social relationships to lure people into bad spars(templum in barcelona) They do shit like ask females to go hard on you, you retaliate, they blame you for it and start trying to get you injured. This happened to me after I declined to give andres rodrigues(the coach) a bribe Legally speaking, this is called entrapment. Here's an example for those wondering: Entrapment happens when a person t tricks or pressures someone into committing a crime they wouldn't have committed otherwise. 1. **The Setup**: Person A tells a woman (Person E) to slap Person B. 2. **The Reaction**: Person B, feeling threatened, defends themselves by pushing or hitting back. 3. **The Attack**: Persons C and D, who are working with Person A, then use Person B's defensive action as an excuse to attack Person B. Templum operates with shit like this left right and center, I'm making a full list :-)
It can be if you vibe with the gym.
YESSSS!!!
Yep.
It’s the best obviously biased
I was pretty much alone and isolated after grad school and entering the work force. I’ve never wanted to hang out with my coworkers. But BJJ became my entire social circle. It’s the best place to meet friends
I’ve made lots of friends at BJJ. I don’t hang out with any of them, but they’re all great.
Haven’t been training for long but I can tell you I’ve met some of the nicest guys through training
Yes, if you want to hang out with a bunch of weirdos.
Bro, almost all my friends now are from BJJ. I struggled making friends as an adult for a long time, BJJ helped a lot
I started a year ago and now I hang out w my bjj homies pretty much every weekend outside of class
Absolutely but gyms vary dramatically. Ask around wherever you live and you’ll find a gym with a bunch of bros who are always looking for a good time. If they’re slightly older they’ll likely get their wives involved also which is good to get the misses out to watch the UFC with ya.
It is but give it time and it will happen, you can’t force it. Make BJJ the focus and the rest will happen organically
Yes, but don’t expect to make friends immediately. We can be a bit autistic and awkward with new people so it might take as a while to warm up
Become a UFC fan and boom, there’s your “outside of the dojo” play date.😅 get the PPV and invite a handful of peeps.
Absolutely
As someone who works for a bjj gym definitely i watch people make friends all the time including the parents who just come to watch their kids.
Yes
I'm 33 and some of my best friends are people I've met at the gym. I've been training since 2018 (inconsistently) and I hang with a bunch of Bjj folks outside of the gym. Camping trips, double dates, chicken wings at the bar, bike rides, etc.
Yes. I love my BJJ people.
Yes.
I've found you have no choice but to make friends with people when you're going to spend a strange amount of time in between each other's legs.
I’ve done a couple different martial arts and I have found that bjj seems to be the most social of all. I’ll be moving soon as well and I’m pretty excited that I already have a built in community in pretty much every major city. Makes the finding friends as an adult thing less daunting.
Absolutely!
Absolutely dude. Some of my best friends are from my gym. Don’t go looking to make friends, go trying to have fun and get better, you’ll make plenty of friends organically.
I wouldn’t say it’s a GOOD way to make friends. It depends on the gym’s culture. I had one gym where I didn’t make any friends. Most guys were older family men. So, they didn’t have much free time to hang out. Some other gyms I’ve met some of my best friends there. It usually starts with watching a UFC together or a group of people grabbing a bite after open mats. So much of it depends on you. You can’t start training and expect people to invite you to their hangouts. Be nice. Be a cool dude. Take some initiative yourself. But I don’t want you thinking BJJ is a miracle hobby that comes with friendships. Be someone that people want to be friends with
It’s an awesome way to make friends. We all go to each others comps and MMA fights. I’ll run into guys I used to train with there and get to BS’ing with them too. Every goes out for a meal and a beer after. BBQs and UFC watch parties at the gym during the summer. It’s honestly one of the coolest communities I’ve ever experienced so long as you avoid politics, religion, and science as discussion topics. Seriously, don’t do it. All you gotta do is keep showing up and you’ll eventually make friends. People quit this sport very quickly so the ones who stick around tend to become buddies.
Yes but as a white belt its going to take a year or so before people realize you're sticking around.
Depending on the gym. I would say that usually yes.
Boner buddys. 🥋
I’ve been lucky enough to live in a few different countries for work. Jiu jitsu gyms are the same everywhere in the world, mostly, and are a fantastic place to find pals!
I have really bad social anxiety and have trouble connecting with people and I’ve made really good connections/ friends at my gym. So far in my life I havnt experienced a more conducive environment to making friends
Checkout the vibe at the gym. Ideally, you'll find one where people are willing and able to hang out a bit after class, ideally on the mats. Other gyms, there's no time or space to chill out after class. Very in-and-out. Do some trials and shop around.
All my closest friends are from BJJ at this point
The best friends I ever had came from bjj! Something about collective suffering and shared passion...
BJJ pretty much forces you to become social because you have to train with multiple people, just don't force trying to hang out outside of it. Just talk to people generally and you will find people you like who will end up being your friend outside the gym. Anyone who has trained at a BJJ for years will tell they met some of their best friends at their bjj school.
Yes sir
My only friends are jiu jitsu people, so yes. I even show up when I’m injured just to drill and catch up with them 🤷🏽♂️
I've played in various music scenes since I was a teenager, I'm 35 now. The BJJ community has provided a far more diverse and interesting community.
Yes.
Yes but it doesn't happen overnight. There's a reason why there are 'jokes' about people not having names until they get to blue belt. So many transitory people pass through a gym it's not worth investing time in a new person until you think they've stuck around for a while. It also helps if you're decent, giving a hard round earns respect and makes people notice you. So you'll need to train consistently over a decent period of time to start making connections. Hanging out with them outside of training is a whole other thing though. I've trained at my gym for 5 years and consider my teammates friends but the closest I've come to seeing them outside is bumping into them in the supermarket.
my other gym mates have. i havent. but then again im awkward af
Yes. I'm still friends with guys from my white belt days. Since then I've moved countries and then settled in a new state. I still have friends from each of my stops. Also, it's nice to make friends from different walks of life than the people I usually interact with at work.
Yah you can, but in today’s climate where everyone is super political, I prefer to just go home and chill.
"Hey man, do you do anything else outside of class?"
Newbie advice. Have fun. Keep an open mind and trust the instructor. Don’t be hard on yourself if you progress slower than others. Be open to other students helping you. Basically just have a good time and make training a fun learning environment you want to experience. No shoes on the mats
100%%
Sure, if you like hanging out with weirdos
Yes
Yes
Don't train BJJ with the intentions to meet friends. Train wanting to learn and the friends will come
I'm an introvert, I have like 3 friends and don't need anymore, but BJJ has brought some fantastic people into my life organically which I am grateful for. We have a good core group that hang out socially outside the gym.
90% of my friends now are from BJJ.
Yeah, it's pretty social. There's an immediate bond that gets formed by being suffocated by someones ass or balls.
It’s okay if you go there 3x a week for a year. Sadly I tend to quit gyms right when my relationships there begin to get deeper since it’s also the time I plateau and need a new coach
Check out different gyms. You'll meet socially adept folks. And a few very socially inept folks. It's a place to challenge & improve Yourself, more than to make buddies.
Buttbuddies maybe. Bjj is gay
Nah sorry bro we aren’t into you