BJJ and (Life) Priorities

I would write something about how I’m shocked and appalled that I haven’t posted anything here since March, but admittedly my posting has been pretty sporadic for a while now. I think I mentioned this before, but I switched jobs a while back and the transition, its new responsibilities and workload have just taken a lot of my time, in addition to some larger projects that need my attention (and thankfully have a definitive end). And to be honest, it’s taken a lot of my training time as well, which I’m sure some jiu jitsu person read and then gasped in horror. Sorry, but it’s true.

Which leads me back to the topic of priorities: a few weeks back I had brunch with a teammate, one who also has a job that keeps her pretty busy and mentioned how it’s been a struggle to make it into class on a consistent basis. We then talked about jiu jitsu, and about how attending class has to be one of those things you have to make a priority.

First and foremost, if there’s an important, particularly unique thing that needs to be taken care of in lieu of going to class, take care of that thing: if it’s a big project at work where a lot of people are counting on you, your grandmother’s 100th birthday, whatever it is, do that thing first.

It’s when we let the less important things seem important, that’s when it starts to get tricky. In this case, I would argue it’s less about prioritization and more about a lack of boundary setting – it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race, or a million other things that can keep you off the mat. It’s making sure we understand the difference between those little things that may happen in perpetuity, for those big things that I mentioned previously, and being clear as to the difference between the two.

That’s all for now: have a great day everyone!

The Word “Retirement” and its Diminishing Impact in the Fighting and Grappling World

I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this, but there are a bunch of fighters who claim they are retiring, and then…. well, don’t. I could have sworn Gordon Ryan mentioned retirement at one point, but he’s recently competed (and then of course we all heard about the argument and slap afterwards) and I just had to look up how many times Conor McGregor retired, because it was certainly more than once.

So what gives? You could argue that they have a change of heart, I guess. I’m not totally sold on that explanation though: I have to wonder if more grapplers and fighters are “retiring” simply because they want to be more picky about the kinds of matches they engage in. Rather than a true admission to hanging it up and calling it a day, it has become a point of leverage for these competitors- they are technically “retired”, so you need to pay them or offer some sort of extra incentive to get them back on the mat. Obviously that may not be the case for everyone, but it is an interesting thought.

And really, I can’t blame them: whether it’s grappling or MMA, it’s not just the match itself that is taxing, it’s everything else that goes with it: the diet, the extra training and sparring, the supplementary strength and conditioning that goes with it. And if the reward of winning a match is not matching the effort and risk that go into it, then I can totally see why these athletes look for some kind of opportunity to take more control of their careers.

Unfortunately, the other side to this though is that when they claim retirement and then get back to competing, it then weakens the impact of someone else claiming retirement and really meaning it. As I mentioned, Conor McGregor -according to the internet- has “retired” at least twice now. When it comes time for him to truly retire and not come back, which is inevitable, are we going to believe him? I guess time will only tell.

Just some thoughts I wanted to share- have a great weekend!

Should Jiu Jitsu’s Past Define its Future?

I’ve heard this a couple of times by now, and I imagine you have as well: someone will bring up jiu jitsu’s violent, sometimes thuggish past, along with some variation of ” I’m tired of people pretending that we are following an honorable samurai code or something…”. It’s interesting, because I find usually when people bring up jiu jitsu’s violent past, it’s typically to justify bad behavior in the here and now. It’s sort of like personality tests where someone will justify their (whatever undesirable trait) as a part of that personality classification- whether it’s Myers Briggs Test, Enneagrams, the DISC, Astrology… you name it.

“Oh, I ignored you because I’m an introvert”, “Oh, I don’t follow through with plans because I’m a type 6”, “Oh I robbed that bank because I’m a Capricorn”. You get the idea. Rather than understanding that undesirable trait as a shortcoming they should strive to amend, or at least be conscious of, there is this strange pride in these undesirable behaviors as if it’s an affirmation of their own classification.

I kind of feel the same way about bringing up jiu jitsu’s violent past. Many have pointed out that jiu jitsu practitioners were seen as thugs and bullies, that dojo storming was a thing- there’s even a story where some of the Gracies jumped a catch wrestler after a popular match (if you click on the link the story is in the middle of the page, second to last paragraph in the biography section). There’s no denying that there are some less than noble moments in the history of jiu jitsu.

However, just because something has a particular past doesn’t mean it has to, or even should, pre-define its future. I mean, there’s some evidence that suggest surgical chainsaws were invented for difficult childbirths. And while that procedure has thankfully gone the way of the dinosaur, we still use surgical chainsaws for different, slightly less cringe inducing operations. Yes, jiu jitsu has a rough past in some respects and while we can acknowledge that it does not mean it should dictate our future conduct in, and outside of the art.

Just as the game of jiu jitsu evolves, so can our conduct- we can strive to do better, setting an example that hopefully the next generation will take to heart and continue the upward trend. Will we still be imperfect creatures, making mistakes and poor decisions as we run around this spinning rock in space? Of course, but I believe we also have the capacity to move the needle forward towards those principles of honor, sportsmanship, and other laudable qualities that we strive for.

Just some thoughts for the day- have a great weekend everyone!

Training BJJ when You’re Tired

A few weeks ago John Danaher posted a long, but interesting take on instagram regarding rolling or sparring when you’re tired: “Tell yourself – I’m exhausted – but I will keep going with a lowered set of expectations.”

Whether it’s drilling or rolling, I think it’s an important mindset to adopt. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, etc. In addition to training yourself to push through when it’s time for competition, it proves to yourself that you are capable of more than you think, and really if you think about it a form of conditioning, if you do this often enough. The human body is an amazing, adaptable organism that loves homeostasis and efficiency. The more stress you add to it (within reason, of course) the more your body will react to that stress and find a way to adapt to regain that homeostasis and level of efficiency, allowing you to operate better when that kind of stress comes around again. What you may consider an awful performance on your end previous times may become slightly better with time: certain drills and training sessions that leave you feeling like you were flattened by a Mack truck after some time may just make you feel like you were hit with a Smart car, or heck, maybe a Vespa.

At some point or another you’re going to be tired: think less of it as an “if” and more of a “when” – and when that time comes, I agree that you should press on, just with lowered expectations.

That’s all for now – have a great day everyone!

When Should You Start Rolling in BJJ

Again, I was looking around at questions people were asking on the internet, and this is one that happened to pop up. It’s a totally valid question: just starting out you may not feel totally at ease rolling when you barely know anything, so some may want to hold off on rolling straight away.

My personal philosophy is you should start early- maybe your second or third class in. By then you should have one or two things in your toolbelt, and at the very least start to get used to the idea of rolling around on the floor with another human. I’m sure there are many conflicting thoughts on this and that’s absolutely fine: the way I see it is that rolling that early in your jiu jitsu journey sort of takes the scariness out of it. My concern about waiting too long to roll is the anxiety that may build due to some expectation that rolling is really going to be a bigger thing than it really is. Just rip the bandaid off, jump headfirst into the cold water and then figure it out from there.

Some academies from what I understand have their white belts wait to roll until they are a few months in, ensuring they have some more tools in their toolbelt before letting them go live. And that’s also totally fine: I will admit one of the drawbacks of having someone train that early is sometimes they freeze because they are in an unfamiliar situation and haven’t been taught how to get out of it, or learned how to take advantage of certain opportunities when they are presented, so I totally get why some instructors may want their white belts to wait on training for a little while.

At the end of the day, I would trust what your instructor advises. If they want you to jump in, just jump in and have fun! There’s no expectation to wow anyone or make the highlight reel: you literally just started. And if they want you to wait a little while you build your fundamental skills, great! More time to practice those basics before putting them to use. More than anything don’t build rolling up into something more than it really is: it’s an opportunity to try some things out, and particularly for a white belt, a chance to practice defending and escaping. No one is expecting any flying inverted submission out of you, just that you will follow the fundamentals and work to defend and escape. Just have fun and do your best.

That’s all for now- have a great day everyone!

Getting Back to Jiu Jitsu: It Takes Courage and Grit

I logically understood the courage it took to get back to jiu jitsu after taking some time off, but when we were able to train, I fully appreciated the guts it takes for someone to get back to jiu jitsu.

Almost every time someone comes back from jiu jitsu it’s because they took some time off to focus on their family or career, or (unfortunately) to deal with some sort of injury or other personal issue. After some time the siren song of jiu jitsu gets them back into the gym, which is great. It is a little however like trying to go through a choreographed dance after years of not practicing it: you’ll remember bits and pieces, but you’ll feel clumsy and your timing is off. Still, people still take all of this and make an effort to persevere.

Over the summer gyms were open to some extend and we were able to attend classes, and man it was rough: feeling out of shape for jiu jitsu, clumsy, the frustration of knowing that you understand how to do something, that you used to do it all the time but your body will not cooperate. And that’s hard for a lot of people- we like to be good at things, and we especially hate when we used to be good at something and now we’re not.

We’re back to a full lockdown now for the time being, but when gyms open back up, I have to say it will take a lot of courage and grit for people to come back. We will, it will suck, and then it will get better. Keep this experience in mind the next time someone comes back to jiu jitsu after all of this covid craziness is over: it’s going to suck for them, but it took a lot of courage for them to get back to the gym and it will continue to take some grit for them to keep continuing, and that should be respected.

That’s all I have for now- have a great day everyone!

Who is Less Likely to Succeed at Jiu Jitsu

I think I have talked about this a couple of times now, but I would argue that if you put two people in front of me: one that was naturally athletic and one that was not, I would say the non athletic person would succeed in jiu jitsu.

Granted, the definition of “succeed” is highly subjective, but I’m using it to mean continuing in their jiu jitsu journey- because you only stop succeeding at the sport when you give up…. Win, lose, doesn’t matter as long as you’re showing up.

Sure, the athletic person would acquire some quick and (presumably) easy wins in the beginning- they would be able to use their athleticism and agility to finesse their way through a few things, or would have the mechanical movements down to achieve some of the basics. At some point (as we all know) this runs out.

For the non-athletic person, it starts being hard from the beginning, and so the expectation is set from the start: this is not a walk in the park. And when it gets harder, there’s no shock- it was hard, and now it’s getting harder. The person has the advantage of not going through the surprise moment of “oh man, this is hard.” For them it’s always been hard, and they just stick their nose back to the grindstone and keep pushing on.

Ultimately it does actually come down to the person’s mentality: remember jiu jitsu is for every BODY, but not for everybody. There’s a certain amount of grit and (and stubborn mindset, if we’re being honest) that you either need to have, or be willing to acquire with a physically and mentally challenging sport/art like jiu jitsu.

Just some thoughts I had- agree? Disagree? Let me know: otherwise, have a great day everyone!

Hello Lockdown, My Old Friend…

Well, here in Philadelphia we had a good run of relaxed restrictions when it came to gatherings, going to the gym, etc. Unfortunately due to a stark climb in cases over the past few weeks, starting this Friday we will be back to more severe restrictions- which includes a ban on indoor gyms.

Whomp, whomp.

As I mentioned before, this is a complicated issue when it comes to whether or not it’s the right call: on the one hand, it’s an effective way to slow the spread of the virus, ensuring those who are more vulnerable to contracting and dying from it are kept safe. On the other hand, I know that jiu jitsu and physical activity can be a comfort for many in uncertain times, and is seen as a form of therapy for some, such as military vets who suffer from PTSD. Also, there were some studies that suggested those in poor health were more likely to die from the virus, and so it would make sense to continue with physical activity to avoid that. And, not to mention that a lot of small gym owners will have to shut their doors with no guarantee that they will open again. In a perfect world there would be enough funding and maybe even some rent freezes to support these gyms as they weather this lockdown, along with supplementary services for those who have been dealing with anxiety and other issues with jiu jitsu- not exactly how this has all played out but as I said, perfect world scenario.

The ban is supposed to start this Friday and go through January 1st, 2021: hopefully the city will see a drop in cases over the next 6 weeks and we can try to reopen again. In the meantime I might try to put a gi on my dog and work on how to deal with a super squirmy opponent….

Have a great day everyone!

Marching to the Beat of Your Own Drum in Jiu Jitsu

I was talking about this with a teammate last night: we talk all the time about following your own path, not comparing yourself to others, and marching to the beat of your own drum, so to speak.

It’s harder than it sounds, really. Even here in the US- a nation that prides itself for nurturing an “individualistic” culture, so much of our lives are spent comparing ourselves to others. The minute we are born, we’re measured to make sure we’re right in line with everyone else, our intelligence is tested to make sure we are at the very least developing at the same pace as others. As we grow older we are measured and tested in every single way, compared to others to ensure we are all on the same page, that we are at the very least average. There is a fear instilled in us of being left behind, of being at the tail end of the pack.

And then jiu jitsu comes along.

Jiu jitsu tells you to stop comparing yourself to others, to stop nitpicking about just how well you are doing vs how well your teammate is doing. It’s no longer a race to stay with the pack, but rather a journey that you are sharing with friends: some may be ahead of you, some may be behind, and occasionally you are forced to stray off the well beaten path and struggle through the weeds a bit before you are able to get back to solid footing.

And you are told this is normal- this thing that is totally opposite from everything that you are used to: all the testing, comparing and sizing up.

It can be a hard pill to swallow, and there are times that we will compare ourselves to others even when we know better, that such a comparison will only frustrate us further. It’s ok, we’re only human.

Just remember it happens, accept it and move on: don’t be afraid to find your own path- it may feel rocky, or swampy, or a flat plateau that stretches on for miles, but it is your journey and no one else’s.

Just some thoughts for today: have a great day everyone!

Back Into the Swing of Things..For Now

Good morning everyone! Thanksgiving was fun and all, but now it’s time to get back into training…Until Christmas, that is.

Understandably, I feel like this is when the gym becomes a ghost town. Parties, holiday shopping, and indulging in one too many holiday cookies which leads to laying on the couch with a full tummy and not training.

While it’s certainly tempting to just not go to class, I would still strongly encourage you to make it to class when you can. Reinforce the habit of attending class, of training, of staying in that mindset, even if you did have that pumpkin donut that was just sitting at work, calling your name…

Anyway, think of it this way: the more you train now, the less guilty you’ll feel down the line. Everyone wins!

That’s all for today, folks. Have a great day everyone!