Jiu-Jitsu Wants You to Quit.

I am thoroughly convinced that Jiu-Jitsu wants you to quit. I often tell this to students at the end of my seminars. Many of them sit and nod their heads in agreement at knowing that feeling. If this were not true, then why do so many people quit either at the beginning or somewhere in the midst of their Jiu-Jitsu journey?

If Jiu-Jitsu were really an actual person, I think that it would try to make a student prove that they deserve to be in Jiu-Jitsu on a continual basis. It would take pleasure in beating that student’s ego down until he or she fundamentally changed as a person or quit Jiu-Jitsu to do some other activity. Being squashed on the bottom of a brown belts side control as a white or blue belt is a feeling that very few people can handle let alone enjoy. They know full well that it’s practically impossible to escape and soon, very soon they are going to get submitted for the 9th time in that 8-minute training match. They are then supposed to come back the next night with an attitude of “boy, getting my ass kicked sure is a lot of fun?”

It is no wonder that after numerous nights of the same old result a little excuse like being tired and watching tv or a big excuse like hanging out with the spouse and kids comes along and takes hold and the practitioner decides not to come to class. They act like they deserve the night off from Jiu-Jitsu. Another excuse happens the next day and so on and so forth. Then after a few weeks of not showing up the excuse of, “Well I need to get into better shape before I come back to class starts to take hold.” See, it wants you to quit. Jiu-Jitsu only wants the worthy ones. The ones who want to get better no matter the hardship.

Ok Jiu-jitsu is not a person, and it really doesn’t want you to quit, in fact, it doesn’t even really care if you stick or not so that leaves only one person responsible for your quitting, You. Are you in or out? What is your commitment level? Is your goal really black belt? If it is, be prepared for a long tough haul. It is part of life and you need to accept it and be prepared for it no matter how you feel at this moment.

Times will not always be easy; you need to admit that to yourself. You will have tough times that you will find yourself ill-prepared for, that you were not expecting. You will need to harden yourself to these trying times. Can you deal with the pain? Can you deal with loss? Can you deal with the injuries? Can you handle the doubt? Can you deal with the time it takes to get a black belt? Can you deal with the personalities? Jiu-Jitsu reveals who you are as a person and sometimes you will not like what you see.

This is a direct result of your character and who you are as a person. Do not rely on your instructor to motivate you. Do not dwell on the fact that maybe right at this moment training is not as fun as it once was, because at some time or another it won’t be as fun as it was when you first started. Remember showing up is 90% of getting a black belt. It is the battle that is so easily lost. Will you be a casualty? Do not let Jiu-Jitsu tap you out.