7 Tips for a Fulfilling Jiu-Jitsu Experience
Without the right guidance, too many people quit before enjoying all the benefits jiu-jitsu offers. These seven tips will help you discover what makes training jiu-jitsu worthwhile.
Know What You’re Getting Into
Jiu-jitsu challenges your mind while pushing you to your physical limits. It can take months or years to feel confident in your skills, and even those with athletic backgrounds find jiu-jitsu to be uniquely taxing.
In other words, jiu-jitsu is hard. But don’t let difficulty dissuade you.
On the other side of seemingly insurmountable tasks is a version of you that’s more fit, resilient, and well-versed in problem-solving under pressure.
Commit to Consistency
Many jiu-jitsu beginners have inconsistent training schedules or take considerable time off and then wonder why they aren’t improving as quickly as they would like.
Avoid this pitfall by creating a regular schedule for your jiu-jitsu training. Plan which classes you’ll attend in advance, then do your best to attend them.
Life’s responsibilities can and will get in the way, but consistency is the surest path to steady progress.
Know When to Rest
Consistency is key, but recognizing when you need a rest is essential as well.
Did you just have a particularly intense training session?
Are you feeling aches and pains?
Do you have a legitimate injury?
If you answer yes to any of those questions, there’s a good chance you need some time off.
Choosing recovery, when necessary, over continued training does not mean you lack resolve. It means you know how to value longevity over short-term gains.
Set Clear Goals
Many beginners lose interest in jiu-jitsu because they lack focus. They attend class. They listen to instructions. But they don’t spend mental energy beyond that.
Every practitioner should have at least one specific training goal. Every training session should bring you one step closer to that goal in some way.
You can train jiu-jitsu for self-defense, competition, better fitness, or anything else. What matters most is that you have goals and that your approach to training matches them.
Lose, and Win, with Grace
Rolling is a one-on-one contest, and it’s often not difficult to tell who won the exchange. As a beginner, you can expect to be on the losing side more often than not.
When you lose, lose with grace, and don’t allow negative emotions to overshadow the lessons you could learn from your mistakes.
No one likes a sore loser, but there’s a right and wrong way to win as well. Openly celebrating, bragging, and taunting are all part of the wrong way to do it.
How you respond to wins and losses determines whether your training partners will want to help you succeed in the future.
Find the Right Gym for You
There are many gyms that provide jiu-jitsu classes, but no two are identical. Each gym will have a different approach to training and create a distinct environment, which may or may not be well-suited to you and your goals.
If you want an excellent training experience, you need to know how to choose the right jiu-jitsu gym for you.
Those who live in major cities may be lucky enough to have 50+ jiu-jitsu gyms to choose from. Others may find that the jiu-jitsu training locations in their area are quite limited.
No matter how many viable options you have, choosing the best one for your goals makes it more likely you’ll look forward to training sessions.
The ideal jiu-jitsu gym will also include a strong community of like-minded practitioners who want to support your development.
Apply What You Learn to Life
It’s entirely possible to train jiu-jitsu by learning the techniques and nothing else. But if you take that approach, you’re missing out.
One of the best parts about jiu-jitsu is that many of the concepts you learn on the mats apply to the rest of your life as well. Paying attention to those lessons helps you become a more well-rounded person and ensures your jiu-jitsu journey is as fulfilling as possible.