Why We Keep Showing Up: The People, the Nerves, and the Peace You Find in Jiu-Jitsu

Featuring Coach Sam & Coach Caden Reed

Welcome to the first episode of our new gym podcast! I’m Coach Sam, and every couple of weeks, I’ll be sitting down with different faces you see around the gym—coaches, students, and maybe even some other interesting people in the Jiu-Jitsu world. The goal is to talk about common questions, share personal stories, and hopefully give you something valuable (or at least relatable) to take away.

For this first one, I’m joined by Coach Caden Reed—our Head Kids Coach and a newly minted purple belt. We decided to keep it casual and shoot from the hip, starting with a big question:

What’s the best part about training Jiu-Jitsu?

The People Make the Place

For both of us, it came down to the same thing: the people.

When we started, we were nervous—like, really nervous. Walking into a gym for the first time can be intimidating. You think it’s going to be full of fighters and bouncers, and everyone will be sizing you up. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

As Caden shared, it didn’t take long to make his first connection. Within the first few weeks, he met Manny—a school bus driver with dreams of becoming a two-division UFC champ. Manny showed up in full UFC gear, full of energy and dreams. And even if some of those dreams were a little out there, his vibe was infectious.

That early experience helped Caden stick around long enough to start meeting upper belts, making more friends, and realizing the thing many of us come to understand: the longer someone has trained, the nicer they tend to be.

The culture in most good gyms is rooted in humility and support. You roll hard for five minutes, trying to submit each other, and then immediately afterward, you’re checking in: “You good? How’s your day?” That shared experience builds bonds quickly. The mats become a space where you can leave your ego—and your bad day—at the door.

From Fear to Flow

Still, those early days are tough. You’re nervous. You’re awkward. You’re using way too much strength. You worry if you’re “good enough.” And then, with time, those feelings shift. First, it’s nervousness about trying something new. Then it becomes performance anxiety—Is Coach watching? I’ve got to tap Frank today!

Eventually, that fades too. Jiu-Jitsu becomes part of your life. For some, it becomes home.

Caden mentioned that being involved in the kids program made it easier to be around everyone, to be consistent, and to feel like part of something. When you have a bad day, your training partners remind you that just showing up matters. And they mean it.

More Than a Martial Art

Jiu-Jitsu gives you more than technique and fitness. For a lot of us, it brings peace.

It sounds ironic at first—how does a combat sport lead to peace? But when you dedicate time to studying conflict, violence, and control, you gain a level of calm that you carry off the mats too. Whether it’s traffic, a tough conversation at work, or stress at home—you learn to breathe through it.

That “flow state” you get while rolling—that deep focus and mental clarity—sticks with you. It’s not escapism like video games or partying. It changes how you face challenges. It makes you more grounded, more patient, and more in control.

Jiu-Jitsu for Kids (And Their Parents)

We touched on the kids' program and how valuable Jiu-Jitsu can be for young people. They’re not just learning takedowns and guard passes—they’re learning how to handle frustration, how to follow rules, how to work with others, and how to problem-solve under pressure.

As a parent, it can be tempting to get caught up in your child’s performance. But the real wins? They’re learning how to be calm in chaos. How to listen. How to engage with others respectfully and confidently. That’s the stuff that lasts a lifetime.

We’re definitely planning to dive deeper into the kids' side of things in future episodes—especially interviews with parents who train. That’s gonna be fun.

Final Thoughts

We kept it simple today. No deep technique talk or big breakdowns. Just two coaches reflecting on the journey—and how powerful this community really is.

Whether you’re brand new to the gym or you’ve been rolling for years, remember: it’s okay to be nervous. Just keep showing up. The peace, the friendships, and the personal growth—they’re all waiting on the other side of consistency.

If you liked this episode or have questions you'd love us to tackle in the future, let us know! We’d love to hear from you.

See you on the mat,
Coach Sam & Coach Caden