1 – You’re going to be sore the next day. That first month or so you will get your butt kicked by something called DOMS. That is “Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness”. Basically this is your body telling you it doesn’t want to do something it isn’t used to and might have to improve itself. Think of it as going through withdrawal from inactivity. Sure, it will get a lot better over time, but that first couple weeks will leave you wanting to lie in bed in the fetal position at times.
2 – People will want to tell you about their 8 year old that “finished” martial arts last year cause he got his black belt and when will you get yours?
3 – Peer Pressure sucks. Being surrounded by a group of people that are or are working towards being athletic and perfecting a skill… They’ll try and drag you into it too. You might feel pressured to quit smoking, eat healthier, and other things you might not have wanted to do if left alone.
4 – You might start thinking about martial arts in other places. New strategies, visualizing techniques, and other intrusive thoughts.
5 – You might get hooked, anything they let you try for free is usually dangerously addictive. Next thing you know you’ll be reaching for mastery of the art and putting together your own strategies and building your internal technique library.
6 – It takes way too long to learn… Seriously, you’re looking at a lifetime, even then there will be stuff left. After a couple years you’ll have barely scratched the surface. Best take up something you can master quickly and be done with.
7 – You might start watching MMA competition for the techniques, not just hoping for a slug fest, blood and quick KO’s, things that might rob you of getting to see a solid technical and strategic bout. Worse… you might find yourself watching grappling matches as well where there are no strikes and it’s almost all on the ground.
8 – It is unpleasant. People will sweat on you, twist your arms, maybe even hit you eventually. You’ll get thrown on the floor and have to learn how to fall without hurting yourself. You are also going to sweat lots, and get other peoples sweat on you.
9 – You will get bruises for a while. Sure your body will get used to it and they’ll decrease in frequency greatly. But you’re gonna get some bruises every now and then. Minor injuries are a by-product of physical training. Pushing your body to make it stronger will occasionally cause a sprain or strain as well. And the worst part… you’ll stop being bothered by them and half the time not even know how they happened. Best avoid physical activity and avoid the short term problems, long term health is long term and not a immediate concern.
10 – It doesn’t matter what style you do, everyone that you know that doesn’t train will think you do karate and make Bruce Lee noises while doing backflips and spinning nunchuks. Or that you are doing “UFC” and training is just like a professional fight every class. Either way, someone will think you are crazy for doing something you don’t actually do.

