Continuous effort is the key to unlocking our potential. -Winston Churchill
I am a firm believer that just showing up is one of the biggest factors in becoming successful in life. To get better at any activity requires constant effort. Jen used to get very frustrated when we first began training jiu jitsu. She did not know very many techniques and everyone in class outweighed her. She even considered quitting because she was not doing well in the rolling sessions. My only advice to her was "keep showing up". I knew if she kept showing up to class consistently and working hard, her jiu jitsu skills would continue to grow. She is a very committed person and does not like to miss work, church or working out. I knew that her committed attitude would eventually carry over into success at jiu jitsu.
We have seen many young guys come into class all fired up and they will train really hard for a awhile...then they just disappear. I feel it is better to train consistently than to train in short bursts followed by long layoffs. I used to be the same way when I was younger. I used to lift weights a lot when I was a teen and in my twenties. My friends and I would get inspired and train like beasts for weeks, doing heavy squats, bench presses etc... Then we would lose steam and stop training for long periods. I would have been better off training less frequently but consistently showing up for workouts.
We try to always attend class at least three times a week. That is the number that seems to work for us. It allows us to still maintain a family life and gives us time to focus on other aspects of our lives. As parents we always have something going on, scouts, school activities, birthday parties etc... It also allows us time to train different attributes that contribute to jiu jitsu (strength, flexibility and endurance). As an older athlete, it also allows me time to heal. I am always beat up; sore back, shoulders, toes and fingers. I often have my best rolling sessions after a few days of rest that allows the nagging minor injuries time to heal. Having some down time also keeps you from getting burned out.
I am a firm believer that just showing up is one of the biggest factors in becoming successful in life. To get better at any activity requires constant effort. Jen used to get very frustrated when we first began training jiu jitsu. She did not know very many techniques and everyone in class outweighed her. She even considered quitting because she was not doing well in the rolling sessions. My only advice to her was "keep showing up". I knew if she kept showing up to class consistently and working hard, her jiu jitsu skills would continue to grow. She is a very committed person and does not like to miss work, church or working out. I knew that her committed attitude would eventually carry over into success at jiu jitsu.
We have seen many young guys come into class all fired up and they will train really hard for a awhile...then they just disappear. I feel it is better to train consistently than to train in short bursts followed by long layoffs. I used to be the same way when I was younger. I used to lift weights a lot when I was a teen and in my twenties. My friends and I would get inspired and train like beasts for weeks, doing heavy squats, bench presses etc... Then we would lose steam and stop training for long periods. I would have been better off training less frequently but consistently showing up for workouts.
We try to always attend class at least three times a week. That is the number that seems to work for us. It allows us to still maintain a family life and gives us time to focus on other aspects of our lives. As parents we always have something going on, scouts, school activities, birthday parties etc... It also allows us time to train different attributes that contribute to jiu jitsu (strength, flexibility and endurance). As an older athlete, it also allows me time to heal. I am always beat up; sore back, shoulders, toes and fingers. I often have my best rolling sessions after a few days of rest that allows the nagging minor injuries time to heal. Having some down time also keeps you from getting burned out.
For us, jiu jitsu is a lifestyle. It is something we want to continue for the rest of our lives. Good jiu jitsu skills will come, we just have to keep showing up.
Posted by Tom
If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.
- Buddhist Saying
This is so true in many different areas of life.
ReplyDeleteYep: it's simple, but "just show up" is without a doubt the most important thing to keep in mind for improving your BJJ. Also probably why Caleb always says "keep training, family" at the end of each FightWorks Podcast.
ReplyDelete