One of the most common reasons newer students give for avoiding group classes isn’t intimidation - it’s that they don’t want to “take reps” away from someone better than them.

Like any community, martial arts has its own set of unspoken rules. It’s useful to understand these common sparring mistakes ahead of time.

The idea that you must prove yourself by taking or inflicting long-term damage - damage that can reduce cognitive function later in life - is both outdated and unnecessary.