From complete beginner to first grading in MMA

I had zero athletic background when I started MMA. First class I was completely lost — everyone seemed to know the language of cage control and I didn't. My guillotine choke was nonexistent. I nearly didn't go back.

I did go back. And the first grading 7 months later was one of the proudest moments I've had in sport. how everything connects into one system had become natural by that point, which I wouldn't have believed at week one. finding a gym with quality striking and grappling coaches is still something I work on. But it no longer feels like an obstacle — it feels like the game.