Tag Archives: martial arts philosophy

The Importance of Relaxing in Jiu Jitsu

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My training partner Juan was a white belt like me, except he had 3 stripes on his belt, where I had none.  He was presently on top of me in side control.  As I struggled against his superior position and extra 30 pounds, one of his many sweat droplets fell into my left eye.  In between Juan’s grunts I think the word “prison rape” flashed through my mind. As I panicked, the Professor shouted out, “RELAX!!!”

In the early days of my Jiu Jitsu training, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around this “relax” concept…I was anything but.  How could I be?  It felt like some of my training partners were trying to kill me – plus, just being in close physical contact with another male was enough to raise my blood pressure.  Not to mention, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing…

Yet I trusted my Professor, and the relaxed poise many of the advanced students demonstrated during training was not completely lost on me.

I found that learning to relax in Jiu Jitsu is simple in theory, but challenging in practice.  Overriding the natural tendency to become stiff and defensive when engaged in close combat with another person is not easy.

Yet, somewhere along the path to black belt, it happened.  I did learn to relax – not only my body but also my mind and, I believe, my soul as well. The more I relaxed, the faster I progressed.  This is one of the paradoxes of Jiu Jitsu.

Here are just a few of the benefits of avoiding the tendency to become nervous, uptight and tense:

  • We are less likely to panic and do something stupid.
  • We are less likely to be injured.
  • We will be able to train longer.
  • We can be more creative.
  • We will progress faster.
  • We will develop the ability to quickly and coolly assess a situation – even under stress.
  • We will be a better training partner.

It is the ability to be relaxed, clearheaded, present and cool under fire that separates the best from the mediocre.  On the Jiu Jitsu mat, a strong individual is not a rigid individual. In fact, exactly the opposite is true.  Strength comes from adaptability.  It’s important to bend, to move on, to change, to compromise, or you risk snapping like a dead branch in a stiff breeze.  Let us not forget, Jiu Jitsu is the Yielding Art.

Of course, like Jiu Jitsu itself, developing the physical and mental control to relax in a stressful situation is an ongoing process.  I still fall back on bad habits when I get out of my comfort zone – becoming tense is a deeply engrained response to stress.   Having better players deftly use relaxed mobility to slice through my stiff resistance always serves as a healthy and humbling reminder.

Some things we can do to relax:

  • Do not become emotional.
  • Avoid rough, loud mouth-breathing.
  • As much as possible, breathe through the nose.
  • Avoid angry faces.
  • Let your face, mind and breath all reflect an inner calmness.
  • Devise a strategy, and employ actual techniques.
  • Be patient.

Conclusion.  Jiu Jitsu training requires us to relax – but not like the person on the couch eating milk and cookies.   Instead we should be like the river that flows around obstacles; or like the modern buildings of Tokyo, which are built to withstand earthquakes.  Their foundations are strongly enforced, but there is also room for sway and give.

To be relaxed in Jiu Jitsu does not mean to be weak, or to flounder around in an aimless and confused manner. No, it requires self-discipline.  The ability to relax in Jiu Jitsu requires skill, knowledge, a cool head, an appraising eye, poise, balance and correct judgment.  And it is the key to graceful and effective movement.

So, “RELAX!!!!”

The Jiu Jitsu Practitioner Should Be Humble.

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“Always enter like a kitten and leave like a lion. But never enter like a lion and leave like a kitten. Always be humble.”  – Carlson Gracie

What is Humility?  Humility is a character trait associated with modesty and respect.  It is defined as the quality or condition of being humble.  The English word “humble” originates from the Latin word humus meaning “grounded” or “from the earth.”

Since ancient times, humility has been widely extolled as an important human virtue.  Conversely, a lack of humility is considered detrimental – and is associated with arrogance or an out-of-control ego.

Is Humility Important for Jiu-Jitsu?  Over the years, many have stressed that the Jiu Jitsu practitioner should be humble.  As a white belt, my Professor memorably stated, “the better you get at Jiu-Jitsu, the nicer and more humble you have to become.” As a Black Belt, a different Professor noted, “it is folly for a Jiu Jitsu practitioner not to be humble.”

Lets take a look at some of the ways in which humility can impact our training.

1. Humility keeps us learning and improving.  A major benefit of humility is that it increases our ability or willingness to learn.  By acknowledging that we do not know everything, we open our selves up to new ideas and increase our opportunities to learn and improve.  If we have the attitude that we already know it all, or that only “smarter” people have something to teach, we dramatically decrease our learning experiences.  By being humble, we put ourselves in a position to learn from everybody.  A complete beginner may have an interesting idea, or inspire us to have one.

Successful Jiu Jitsu practitioners have an unwavering drive to improve.  This mindset requires a level of humility: it is better to recognize deficiencies and improve them, rather than being swallowed up by ego and complacency.  Making improvement a habit, and constantly endeavoring to get better requires a level of humility.

The unassuming youth seeking instruction with humility gains good fortune. –Joseph Addison

2.  Better deal with frustrations and losses.  In addition to the other benefits, humility is also a virtue for inner peace.  To put it mildly, Jiu Jitsu can be a frustrating endeavor.  Frustrations and losses don’t have the same impact if you don’t let your ego get too involved.  If you combine humility with motivation, you have the ability to drive towards success without letting so-called “failures” knock you off track.

“Walk a single path, become neither cocky with victory nor broken with defeat.” ~ Jigoro Kano

3.  Nothing to Prove.  A humble Jiu Jitsu practitioner will feel like they have nothing to prove.  They are more likely to let their actions speak rather than words.  Although fighting and self-defense are sometimes necessary, they can also result in unintended dire consequences.  Practitioners who are humble do not feel a continual need to prove themselves.

“A coward is much more exposed to quarrels than a man of spirit.” -Thomas Jefferson

4. Confidence and Humility.  Cultivating a mindset of humility is not to say that we shouldn’t be confident in ourselves – self-confidence is another important virtue.  Real confidence is the result of skill.  Humility has nothing to do with our skill level. Confidence and humility may appear to be contradictory qualities, but they actually compliment each other very well.  Through live training Jiu Jitsu gives us both confidence and humility – once again demonstrating the elegant system that is Jiu Jitsu.

“Humility is a virtue; timidity is an illness.” – Jim Rohn

5. Gratitude and humility.  Humility is interrelated with other important virtues – one example is confidence, another is gratitude.  When we receive the gift of Jiu-Jitsu and experience the positive impact it can have on our life, we commonly feel a sense of gratitude. This attitude of gratitude can manifest itself towards the person who introduced us to the art, the Gracie Family, our teachers and training partners, etc.

One of the fundamental qualities invariably found in a grateful person is humility.  People who are humble express gratitude to those that help them.  On the other hand, an ungrateful person will tend to lack humility and be a complainer.

6. Teamwork.  Another important benefit of humility is that it can make us better teammates.  Arrogant people think much of themselves and little of others – this does not make for good teamwork.  Humble people are the opposite.  Humble people recognize that they do not achieve accomplishments on their own.

It is easier to get along with others if you are not cocky, are open to new ideas, and if you recognize and acknowledge others that help you.  Humility is important trait both on and off the mat – and can help foster teamwork.

7. Win a Victory Over Your Self.  Our most formidable opponent will always be the noisy, demanding tyrant of our ego.  Humility represents a victory over our own ego or arrogance.

“For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.” –Plato

If we accept that humility offers benefits, naturally we will want to increase it.  How do we increase humility?  Jiu Jitsu will naturally promote a sense of humility, especially if we train consistently over an extended period of time.  Is there any way to help us accelerate the process? One small step we can take is the act of bowing – which is an outward manifestation of humility, gratitude and respect.

  • Bowing is a non-verbal way of communicating gratitude and respect to our training partners, our teachers, our academy, and to the art itself.
  • The physical act of bowing is akin to “emptying a cup.”
  • By emptying our mind, we create space for new information.  The enemy of mastery is the mistaken notion that you already know it all.  Bowing can remind us to remove any thoughts that might hinder our progress.
  • Bowing is also a reminder to empty the cup of arrogance.
  • When we “pour” our arrogance out, we make room for humility to fill the space.

Conclusion.  Jiu Jitsu strengthens and empowers us by increasing our ability to control and submit another human being; and this could make us cocky or arrogant.  However, Jiu Jitsu is also humbling. Our physical and mental limitations are often brought to the foreground.  The time we spend on the mat can serve as a template for real life; nobody “wins” all the time.  An increasing awareness of humility has many benefits – and is sustainable because it is consistent with reality.  We should try to remain humble no matter what our skill level is – but, the better we become, the more humble we should be.  This is one of the great truths / paradoxes of Jiu Jitsu.

“Power is dangerous unless you have humility.” – Richard J. Daley

Are you humble enough to improve, or are you “fine with things the way they are”?  What do you think… Is humility is an important component of the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle?

 

 

The Greatest Technique.

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“With a lot of technique and a lot of faith, you can beat anyone.” – Caio Terra

We Jiu Jitsu practitioners are always looking to increase and improve our techniques, and that is a wonderful thing.

But what is the most important technique that will help us reach our goal?

That’s debatable.

Could trust be the greatest technique?

What is trust?  Trust can be defined as a feeling of confidence in the predictability of a result.  Trust is confirmed by a track record of success.

How can trust be the greatest technique?  The answer has to do with how our levels of trust in certain key areas can impact everything else in our training.

By consciously adopting a trusting mindset, especially in the 3 critical impact areas that we will look at below, we can accelerate our progress and increase our chances for success.

On the flip side, so many of the shortcomings and frustrations in our Jiu Jitsu practice stem from a lack of trust.  Lacking trust in these 3 areas will negatively impact our performance.

Here is a list of the critical impact areas that we will focus on:

  1. Trusting the Techniques
  2. Trusting your Professor
  3. Trusting Yourself.

The list could go on.  Trusting the tapout and trusting our training partners are some other important areas.  But let us use these three as a starting point.

The first critical impact area is trusting the techniques.  Trust in the techniques is a large part of what distinguishes the advanced student from the beginner.

“Before you can achieve, you must believe.” Although we use our bodies to execute our techniques, it is the mind that moves the body.  So it is an important psychological point, that in order for a technique to be successful, we must trust that it will succeed.  Expectations influence results.  The mental side of high-level athletic performance cannot be overestimated..

The best Jiu-Jitsu players trust that they can create predictable results.  They trust their techniques to such a high degree, that even when they know that you know what they want to do, they still feel that they can do it – nd they are usually correct.

Commitment.  Additionally, for a technique to work against a formidable opponent, one must commit to it.  Trust is the forerunner to commitment.  Without trust, we will not be able to commit to a technique.  Therefore, as our trust and commitment in relation to a given technique increases – so will our success rate.

Not trusting our Jiu-Jitsu techniques can leave us very frustrated – and stressed.

So, how do we build trust in our techniques?  The same way we develop any skill, by practicing.  But recognize that this process can take a while.You rarely trust someone just because they say, “trust me.”  Trust is built up over time by consistent action.  We build trust in our techniques by practicing – which means drilling them for many repetitions.  The trust we develop in drilling should be confirmed by the success we have in live training.

Key elements for building trust by drilling:

  • Gain familiarity with the technique by drilling it.
  • Be detail oriented.  Do not omit important details.
  • Keep going until you develop a level competency.

Key elements for building trust in randori:

  • Trust is the result of action taken over time, so be patient.  (Learn to trust your techniques, even if they betray you.)
  • Keep it simple, focus on only a few techniques.
  • The more success you have in Randori, the greater your trust will be in a given technique.

The 2nd critical impact area is trusting your teacher.  The student-teacher relationship is sacred and ancient.  It is one of the things that separate us from the animals.  The ability to pass down information and refine it is an integral part of what makes us human. By trusting your Professor, you are positioning yourself to have greater trust in the techniques.

The main criterion for choosing a teacher is their ability to give you a greater understanding of Jiu-Jitsu than you already have.  Once you choose someone, it is important to trust him or her.  Consider them to be the messenger of your Jiu-Jitsu potential.

The benefits of trusting your Professor:

  1. You will progress faster.
  2. You will be more coachable
  3. You will create the opportunity to become a Master yourself

Progress faster.  The best in the world have a history of whole-heartedly trusting their Masters. Students who develop this trust will progress faster than students who do not.  Relative to their individual abilities, the student that trusts their professor 100% will progress at a pace almost twice as fast as the student who has a 50% level of trust.

Be coachable.  Trusting your professor allows you to be coachable.  Someone whio is coachable generally progresses faster then others.  How can you increase your coachability?  By trusting the teacher, and trusting the techniques.

Become a Master.  99.9% of the time, before a person can become a master, they must first fully trust a Master.  You have to have the experience of fully trusting a Master before you can become one.

Being half-hearted in this 2nd critical impact area can be a serious drawback and the cause of much frustration.  Not trusting your teacher will be a distraction – which creates a hindrance in your ability to learn.  Students who do not trust their professors think they are making their professor wrong and themselves right – but it is the student who ends up losing out.

The 3rd critical impact area is trusting yourself.  Successful people set a goal and usually wont give up until they achieve it.  They trust that they can do it.

Regardless of your current level, develop the ability to trust in yourself.  Some key areas:

  • Trust that you are physically capable.  If not, improve your conditioning.
  • Trust that you can handle challenges.
  • Trust that you will improve with practice.
  • Trust your ability to solve problems.
  • Trust your creativity.
  • Trust that you will get to black belt and beyond.

Conclusion.

As martial artists who practice self-defense, we can be of the mindset to trust no one.  True, there is an inherent vulnerability in allowing yourself to trust – and commitment can leave you over-exposed.  But life itself is a risk – and the value of allowing yourself to trust far outweighs the risks.

By consciously applying the technique of trust to these 3 critical impact areas, you can take your Jiu-Jitsu to an entirely new level.   Remember, trust is a “feeling” or a mindset, but it is the result of actions taken.

What do you think?  Is trust an important component of your training?

Do you trust your Professor?  Do you trust yourself?  Have you built up a few moves that you really trust?

I think that we may safely trust a good deal more than we do. – Henry David Thoreau

Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work. – Rita Mae Brown