I don’t really know why this came to mind, but it did: there’s a pattern that some people follow in jiu jitsu, judo, and other sports most likely. We’ll start this with something my mother once pointed out: if some things were easy, would you appreciate them as much?
Someone starts a sport, and find they have some natural talent for it. While others a struggling through the beginning steps and stages, things just somehow just come naturally for the person, and they pick up on those first steps relatively quickly and easily.
“Ha!” they must think, “I am going be be amazing at this! This is great!”
But then comes the day when talent only takes them so far, and then the hard work begins.
“Wait, I don’t understand,” they must say, “I….I….wha?”
I’m sure no one wants to admit that’s the problem, maybe it was taught incorrectly, maybe this wasn’t what they thought it was, I mean, how can it be so hard all of a sudden?
But it is my friend. Champions are rarely waltzed their way down easy street to the podium: they are more often then not confidently striding down a path of blood, sweat, tears, mistakes, frustrations and triumphs as well, of course, but as we all know you learn more from your failures then your wins.
So here is the moment of truth, naturally gifted friend: do you trudge through, like everyone else, or do you give up and move on? There are people who have taken one road, and some who (whom?) have taken the other. There is no “wrong” answer, just different opportunities are then presented depending on your choice.
I think it’s why we see some great and white and blue belts suddenly disappear off the mat. Although if you walked up to them and said, “what, it got too hard for you?” they not would admit it. They would probably offer some excuse, life, work, etc., which are always ready and waiting in the wings to swoop down and keep you from practice. If it isn’t fun anymore, it just isn’t fun anymore and that should be respected.
Again, not that this had any real direction or relevance, just something I wanted to talk about. I also say it’s a curse in my opinion, because progress I feel is a bittersweet concoction of hard knocks and sweet success that everyone needs to experience.
Has anyone else witnessed this phenomena?
