Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Advice from a newbie

DON'T TAKE OVER A WEEK OFF -- thats my great advice to newbies who want to improve quickly. I took a week off not too long ago and it really affected my performance. Now when I say a week off, I mean not thinking about Jiu Jitsu in any form. If while your off or away from the gym you watch some DVD instructionals and do some drills at home this will help you dramatically. When I got hurt earlier this year I watched quite a few DVD's and read a few books that helped me to actually improve while I was away from the gym. Lately I have only been thinking about Jiu Jitsu when I am at the gym which is a big reason I think my progress has slowed of late. Going to the gym, watching DVD instructionals, and reading BJJ books out side of class can really help speed up your progress. Thats my quick sorta informed opinion for the few who are newer than I am.

Why Do You Train In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

I am curious to hear why others decided to train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so if you feel like sharing go ahead and post a comment below. I personally started training because I had become a couch potato after college. For a year and half after college my life consisted of going to work, (sitting at a computer all day) coming home eating fast food, watching a little tv, doing more work on the computer, and then going to bed. Not a very healthy lifestyle compared to when I was in college cycling competitively and playing hockey 5 or 6 times week. So after getting very out of shape do nothing for a year and half I tried to join a gym which didn't last long as I was bored out of my mind 5 minutes after I got there. That's when I started looking for some way to get exercise that would continually challenge my mind and body. From that concept I decided to take a look at various martial arts. I looked into aikido, boxing, and several other martial arts. None of them appealed to me as much as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu did. The main reason I liked Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was and is because of the sparring aspect of the sport. You could train hard and apply what you learned in a live environment at full intensity. It was a sport I actually imagined could hold my interest for more than a few months. So after a long deliberation due to having to sign a two year contract required to join, I took the plunge and have never looked back. I am very happy with my decision to this day even after getting a broken rib.