Jiu-Jitsu Is Fun, They Say!
I agree. But not always fun.
There are good days and bad days.
With the right mindset, bad days can be good days too
.
Watch this video. It only takes a few minutes: Two of our most talented athletes finishing me with a slick leg lock.
Is that a bad training day?
Well, one thing I can tell for sure.
Getting finished by two brown belts who have fewer years in their lives as you have in Jiu-Jitsu is not fun.
Despite these two fine young men being regarded amongst the most promising GB athletes of the new generation, it is not fun.
Does this make for a bad day on the mats? Most people would say yes.
But I honestly don't think so.
That was actually the best training sessions I had this year. At least in hindsight.
Let me explain...
What is good or bad depends on our goals.
If my goal is being better than others, what you see above makes for a horrible training session. If our goal is getting better, improving ourselves while helping improve others, then what happened there makes for a great training session.
There is so much more into Jiu-Jitsu than the result of a match. If we have the proper training mindset, everything that happens on the mats brings an opportunity to learn and improve.
But getting finished is on the top of my list of experiences we can grow the most from.
Something extraordinary happens when we transcend the winning vs. losing mentality. When you show up for the love of the sport and a sincere commitment to improving yourself and others, everything has a much deeper meaning.
You can train longer, go further, and way harder than you ever thought possible.
If you are not losing, you are not trying hard enough.
If your primary motivation to train (and compete) is to be better than others, what happens when you don't win?
You Quit.
Lastly, there is a point to be made here on never comparing ourselves to others. Especially lower ranks.
Over the years, I lost count on how many students complained they were getting beat up by lower belts. They were so frustrated they would question if they were worthy of their current ranks.
These two young fighters clearly beat me that day. Now does that mean I am not worthy of my black belt? From what I learned, the worthiness of a black belt, or any belt really, has more to do with your ability to stay on the path, challenging yourself daily to keep growing and getting better than being better than others.
I hope this help clear a few things up for you :-)
See you on the mats soon.
Blessings.
- Flavio Almeida | Head Instructor