I always learn more by teaching Jiu Jitsu than just by rolling (sparring). This morning, as I was helping instruct a brand new student, I wound up teaching myself something about life. The new student was having trouble maintaining his balance. He would start out kneeling in a strong position on the ground (sort of like the person in blue above), but after he began to try and pass the guard (his opponents legs), he would get swept to his back time and time again.
I explained to him that in Jiu Jitsu, the most important aspect is staying balanced at all times. Staying balanced is easy when nothing much is going on, but it gets harder & harder as the intensity & pressure pick up. As soon as the New Student would try to react, he would sacrifice his balance. The key, I explained, is to calmly face one battle at a time. Staying calm helps you maintain your focus. To pass the someone’s guard, you do it methodically with effectiveness, staying close and tight, achieving one small step at a time, so that it is impossible to fail. As I explained this, it occurred to me how much Jiu Jitsu mirrors life.
Staying calm in the face of pressure is a critical key to achieving success.
In life, the key is to calmly face one battle at a time, so as not to get overwhelmed. During intense moments, such as someone trying to choke you in Jiu Jitsu, overreacting leads to a worse position. Calmly assessing the situation and moving methodically is the only way to better your position & achieve success. It’s not abut speed, it’s about effectiveness.
The New Student next asked me what he could do to better maintain his balance. I answered, “do not concern yourself with what you should do, just worry about what you should NOT do. The only way to learn that is to get on the mat, make all sorts of mistakes, and gain the invaluable prize known as experience. Only then will you learn how to stay balanced.”
The same goes for achieving success at something in everyday life….
Just jump in there, make all sorts of mistakes, and gain the invaluable prize known as experience on your way toward success.
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It must be cool teaching a subject like that and seeing people start from pretty much nowhere to really building their skillset.
do not concern yourself with what you should do, just worry about what you should NOT do
I love this, how did he / she act afterwards?