We all have a story to tell about our Jiu-Jitsu journey. The focus of this segment is about the draw to Jiu-Jitsu. What brought you to the hallowed mats within the dojo? What keeps you coming back for more?
All too often we associate Jiu-Jitsu players with young, athletic males, those standout practitioners who seemingly excel with ease. The reality is that we are a quite diverse group of women and men, of all ages and walks of life, with varying motivations and ideas about Jiu-Jitsu.
I would also like to thank all of my students who allow me to capture their journey's to share with others.
3/6/10
The Brotherhood of Jiu-Jitsu
3/3/10
No guts, no glory
With the Battle on the Plains, and the advent of Jiu-Jitsu in the State Games approaching, I thought I'd say a few words about competing. Why do I compete? Not for the medals, I keep mine in a closet. Not for the accolades, because honestly, unless they are involved in the sport, no one cares. Not to win, because I have lost many times. Not because I like to fight...well, actually I DO like to fight, but that's not why I compete. I do it because it's a valuable learning tool, and because I hate it. That's right, I would rather stand naked in the street and have someone shoot paint balls at me than compete.
The first time I competed I almost passed out from fear. The adrenaline rush of "fight or flight" was in full effect. To be able to overcome that, I have had to teach myself to remain calm in this "crisis" situation. This kind of learning is invaluable. For me, competition is really the only time that I am able to test my ability to use my training in times of stress. Nothing inside the dojo can approximate it. Every time that I compete, it gets a little easier. I remain more calm, and learn to overcome the involuntary physiological response of my body. Learning to do this now could make all the difference if I am ever confronted with a real self-defense situation.
I envy the people who can compete without fear, but they are few. Most people experience what I have described, at least to some degree. So, if you don't want to compete because you are afraid...that's okay, I understand. But the only way to overcome that, or any other fear, is to face it.
Gina Ethridge
2/28/10
You Will Get Better
I had a recent conversation with one of my students and thought I’d share some of my thoughts. I’m going to take some creative liberties here, but the gist of the conversation was about that all too common feeling that no matter how hard you try, you don’t seem to be getting any better.
I understand that just because I tell/show students how to do things, that doesn't mean they'll be able to do it, or even remember that I told them. That's why we go over things repeatedly and I say the same things over and over. Eventually it will soak in and begin to make sense.
Regarding the triangle choke for the longest time I couldn't figure out which foot to hook over. Something so simple, yet the mechanics of it escaped me. I didn't understand how to shift to one side and always got stacked up and passed. Eventually I did learn how to effectively apply the technique. It wasn’t that my instructor didn’t teach me properly. It was just a matter of how my brain processed the information.
One of the interesting things about Jiu-Jitsu is that we all started at the same place. Sure, the senior students walk around now with their fancy belts and awesome moves, but I remember when they all first started.
Just keep doing what you're doing. Take a look at any senior student and see how good they are. They all started exactly as you did. Secondly, you need to realize that if you put in the hours, you will get as good as they are. When I look back at my first year, I couldn't see past the tip of my nose. My epiphany came when I realized that if I just kept practicing, I would be as good as my teachers someday. And when they continued to get better and surpass their previous level, which motivated me even more. Rather than looking at it like I would never be as good as them, I looked at it as a comfort in knowing that one day I would be even better. It’s inevitable. In fact I think it’s the law of Jiu-Jitsu. I realized that in order for me to improve I needed more mat time. It makes no difference how many months or years you've trained in Jiu-Jitsu. It's all about the hours. Jiu-Jitsu time is like flight time, or flight hours. The more you have, the better you are.
Did I tell you I'm learning how to play the guitar? Talk about frustrating! There is no way I'm going to be able to make my fingers bend and twist the way they need to in order to play all the chords. It's physically impossible for me to do it. Those who can have got to be blessed with an innate ability to play. It's downright insane. I've been practicing for almost five weeks and have missed two lessons. I'm not improving much and have thought about quitting. I’ve skipped practicing on some days, with the thought I'll just practice longer the next day.
The bottom line is this. I will not stop practicing. I want to learn so bad that I will continue to suffer through this tough time. People tell me that I will get better, but I just can't see it right now. I love music and listen to my favorite songs all the time. I dream of being able to play many of the songs that I so love to listen to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
.JPG)