I'm nervous about my first session. Is that normal?
Completely normal, and it is one of the reasons private coaching exists. Nobody is watching. You can say you are nervous out loud.
Yes. Almost everybody is, and the ones who say they are not are usually lying a little.
Most of the nerves are not about getting hurt. They are about looking stupid in front of strangers. A private session deletes that problem, because there are no strangers. No back row. Nobody sees you get something wrong the first eleven times, and nobody is quietly fitter than you in the corner of your eye.
Tell me you are nervous when you message me, and tell me again at the door. It is useful information, not a confession. I have walked hundreds of people through a first hour, including a few who sat in the car for ten minutes first.
The first session is slower than you are picturing. We talk, you warm up, you learn two or three things and drill them. Nobody spars on day one. You can stop any drill at any point and the answer is always fine. Read what happens in a first session so nothing on the day is a surprise, then message me.
If the nerves come from something heavier than embarrassment, say so and leave it there. Nothing else needs explaining. The coaching changes to match: no surprise contact, nothing from behind, a stop word from the first minute. See training after a frightening experience.
Women who would rather not do their first hour around men can ask about women-only sessions. Common request, not a special favour.
The nerves almost always go the same way. High in the car, still there at the warm up, gone by the time you are hitting pads.
Last updated