For most Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners, it is more than hobby done once or twice per week. If you want to improve, BJJ requires attention, effort and passion. Many people who are serious about BJJ surround themselves with others who train, and sometimes that means to the exclusion of non-practitioners.
However, you can find a camaraderie with almost anyone who pursues a passion. They understand that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu inspires you even if they don’t understand why. For many cases, passion forces you to make a choice. Sometimes it leads to positive results, but other times, there are negative repercussions:
Time
The hidden cost of pursuing your passion (Jiu-Jitsu) is that it requires time. Beginning practitioners may start out practicing three times per week, but eventually, the 
passion bug bites them, and they want to train more times per week. Serious martial artists base their job schedule around their BJJ training.
Money
Pursing a passion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu requires money. Practitioners will pay for tournaments, training and private seminars. Additionally, you will pay for uniforms, rash guards, travel, books, DVDs and other equipment associated with the BJJ lifestyle. Please remember that you have to support yourself financially to continue training.
Relationships
When you spend time and money on your passion, you have less time to devote to people who love you. For some cases, they may not understand your passion, so it becomes essential to find people who support you. Sometimes friends will laugh at you for going home early on a Friday night, instead of blowing off steam with them. In some cases, you want to go to bed early for a fresh training on Saturday morning. These are only platonic relationships. Introducing jiu jitsu into romantic relationships becomes even more complex. However, if you find someone who is equally passionate about something, you will be on equal footing to understand each other.
Psychical
Yes your body will have multiple injuries
Small Injuries
- Pulled or strained muscles
- Scratches
- Cauliflower ear
- Jammed fingers and toes
- Bruises
Extreme Injuries
- Joint Dislocations
- Ligament Tear
- Bone Break
- Muscle Tear
Healthy Diet
It’s not your imagination. Eating healthy is more expensive!
It actually costs around $550 a year more, or $1.48 more per day, according to a new review published in the British Medical Journal. The review incorporated findings from 27 studies in 10 countries during an 11 year period.
Meaning to say it’s cheaper to buy food at Ralphs than Wholefoods
Psychological
These issues: Financial, temporal and relational add up to a psychological cost. Pursuing passion affects our beliefs about ourselves and who we are.
Why do BJJ practitioners pay this price? Many do it because it makes them better people. Someone who can better manage the storms of life. Talking about the hidden cost of pursuing your passion is not to discourage you but to help you understand the demands. Regardless of whether or not you are aware of them, they will affect you if you decide to pursue BJJ as a passion.
You forgot about the enormous physical cost paid in fingers toes and joint soreness
Expensive???? How is it other than a monthly gym membership expensive????its expensive because you don't have a job!!!!! And there is no way to make a living off of it unless you have a SUCCESSFUL school… So what's the monthly expense other than gas and the gym membership… You mean to tell me you buy 3-4 rashgards a month???? How many gi's do you buy a month????
As the Title says "Becoming A Jiu-JItsu World Champion" not Hobby
As the Title says "Becoming A Jiu-JItsu World Champion" not Hobby
If you read the article maybe you would see it's not just about the money price we are talking about. please read article first before commenting
He didn't forget the physical cost. There was an entire paragraph in the article devoted to it.
Well written article!
Your reading comprehension needs a lot of work, I would work on that in my spare time if I were you. Lay off the exclamation and question marks too while you're at it.
Let me put my comment into perspective. To become a PROFSSIONAL in any aspect in life you will sacrifice all of the things you mentioned in your article. But one thing I do not agree with and I have read it in multiple articles i how expensive jui-jitsu is. As a child, teenager, and young adult, my dreams were to become a professional motocross racer. From the age of 8-24 I raced almost every weekend. Traveled around to most states east of the Mississippi river. The cost that it took to maintain my bikes on a weekly basis was astronomical compared to jujitsu. At the age of 24 when I made the decision to let go of my dream. But jujitsu replaced it and it has been a love that I've had for about 10 years.
Very well written and correct!
Well, everything is relative, as Einstein said. What's cheap to one is expensive to somebody else. What this article pointed out is that every coin has two sides and the other side of triumph is sacrifice. To me BJJ has meant a sacrifice on the physical, financial, and relationship level. On the other hand I am a much better and stronger person than I was before. My body may be full of aches and pains but I came into this with some chronic health issues and now I have found a balance thanks to bjj. I truly believe my immune system has learned to play bjj right along with me. Btw I think the word you were looking for was "physical" and not "psychical." 🙂
One thing I would counter to this comment, which is actually a huge sticking point, is the difference between committing all of your resources to becoming a full time BJJ competitor when compared to other sports is the payout to the top tier athletes in the sport. Ask Roger Gracie or Marcello how much they made their entire career competing in BJJ then ask almost any other televised pro-athlete how much they made (even after expenses) and you will understand the difference. Look at how many BJJ athletes make the jump to MMA simply because they get paid better. A good portion of these guys don't even enjoy MMA all that much but do it as a necessity to help build resources to start a BJJ school.
The author is referring to competition expenses which equate to thousands; inclusive of registration fees per tournament, flights, hotels, travel via cab, bus, car rental. Also, eating healthier to be able to compete at the highest level possible; particularly when cutting weight. Supplementation is another one. I'm finding that, as I'm getting older I need more assistance with recovery; BCAA's; quality vitamins, protein etc… Massively expensive.