One of the most common things I hear from adults is, “Frank, I want to train, but I need to get in shape first.”
I understand where that comes from. Nobody wants to walk into a room feeling like they're the least athletic person there. Maybe you haven't exercised in years. Maybe you gained some weight. Maybe you used to play sports and you're nowhere near the shape you were in before.
But here's the thing.
You don't need to get in shape to start martial arts.
Martial arts is one of the ways you get in shape.
Waiting until you're ready can become an endless cycle. You tell yourself you'll start after you lose ten pounds. Then work gets busy. Then the holidays come. Then something else happens.
Six months later, you're still waiting.
When you start martial arts, nobody expects you to already know how to grapple, move, defend yourself or have amazing cardio. You're a beginner. You're supposed to be learning.
You're probably going to get tired.
You're probably going to feel awkward.
There are going to be movements your body hasn't done in years.
That's okay.
The beautiful thing is that while you're learning martial arts, your body is adapting at the same time. Your conditioning improves. Your coordination improves. You start getting stronger. Your mobility gets better.
And something else happens that isn't as easy to see.
Your confidence starts changing.
You realize you survived your first class.
Then your second.
Then you learn something that seemed impossible a month ago.
That's how progress starts.
Not by waiting until you're ready.
By showing up.
If you've been telling yourself you need to get in better shape before trying martial arts, I would encourage you to flip that thinking around.
Come as you are.
Let the training help you become the person you're trying to get ready to be.
If you're on Guam and you've been thinking about starting, visit CRANK Martial Arts and see what training can do for you.