Congratulations, you’ve done it. You’ve begun!
By far, this is the most important thing you could have done. .
You’ve taken that leap of faith that most never do and the rest wish they had. Now just keep going.
“It’s not who’s good, it’s who’s left. It’s hours on the mat. If you put in that time, natural athlete or not, you’ll be a black belt. You’re going to be somewhere in ten years, why not be a black belt? You just can’t quit.” – Chris Haueter
Be prepared.
By now you should fully understand Jiu Jitsu is arduous, hard work, this is usually fully appreciated in your first five minutes of rolling – learn to relish that feeling. Lean in, everything you want is on the other side of that discomfort.
Acknowledge that hardship, get used to it, to every degree it is necessary. Be mindful however, this period should not have bravado attached to it; if your new gym is proud they are able to weed out those that cannot handle the demanding aspects, go find a new gym – a new community – audacity and intimidation have no place in learning Jiu Jitsu
With that in mind it is important to have some strategies to help you survive. Systems in place, coping mechanisms that propel you forward, longevity is key to being the perfect white belt.
As a novice, you will practically know very little. Everything should surprise you and inspire you in equal measure. Let’s relate this to another skill many of you will be familiar with, it may make more sense of the stage you are at.
Music.
If you have ever tried to play a musical instrument for any length of time, you will understand how frustratingly hard it is. Early on, you cannot fully recognise or interpret the musical notation or tablature, have little to no comprehension of notes and where they lie, scales are hard to follow and it’s common to hold the instrument incorrectly.
Learning Jiu Jitsu is very much the same.
We have etiquette, jargon and terminology, a uniform, you can’t tie the belt. Positions are uncomfortable, movement is cumbersome and uncoordinated and all of this attaches a level of anxiety and envy at those that make it look easy.
How can we overcome many if not all of these issues to ensure you cope and stay the course?
Rationalise.
Understand that you have embarked on a very long journey, skill in Jiu Jitsu, just as ‘grade 8’ in music, does not appear overnight. There are countless hours of repetitive practice attached to success, ego must be surrendered for humility and degrees of tenacity and intrigue be channeled.
Logic.
Secondly, understand that Jiu Jitsu is series of problems that need solving. The unfortunate issue is, you have a human being that is fully resisting and ultimately, the basis of those problems; often times, it is they that have the capacity to make those problems worse.
The answer? Rationalise.
Systems.
In my opinion, accelerated learning in Jiu Jitsu is achieved not by collecting techniques and spending hours on the mat (at least in the early stages) rather, by understanding principles and concepts that govern the do’s and don’ts of the sport.
In his book, Jiu Jitsu University, Saulo Ribeiro, characterises the white belt stage as a period of ‘Survival’, indeed he dedicates a whole chapter to doing just that, offering movements and drills to expand upon throughout this foundation stage.
This is brilliant insight but easier said than done. Consider how to survive:
- Control your breathing.
Nasal breathing during rolling is a great start. - Grip position.
Gripping near a joint can hinder and illicit movement in equal measure. - Keep your elbows in.
Protecting your armpit and hip joint are crucially important. - Retain the ability to move your hips.
Never let your opponent control your hips. - Retain the ability to move your head.
Never let your opponent control you head.
The above examples should form a constant referral, if they do, survival will undoubtedly improve.
Mantra’s.
Here’s four mantra my Jiu Jitsu is built upon and I constantly refer to as a coach:
- Grips, base, posture.
- Position before submission.
- Safety first, escape second.
- Manage the threat, remove the control.
- Posture = Pressure = Connection = Possibilities.
(borrowed from the fantastic Matt Thornton).
Define for yourself what ‘survival’ actually means.
Not getting tapped in a round? That may be too ambitious early on but a great start nonetheless.
Set goals.
How about focusing on base from standing? Ending a round with control of your breath. Not allowing your guard to be passed. Can you hold a dominant position on a fully resisting training partner?
These small wins add up, they incrementally add to victories – let’s call them podiums, aim to set yourself on your podium at the end of each class.
Measure them.
Since I began training martial arts in 1991, I have been making notes, annotating classes and punctuating my learning experiences for future reference with flow diagrams and mind maps. I remember people ridiculing me at seminars and on courses for it. Guess what? They are no longer training.
Does your coach allow you to record sessions? Superb, do it. If not a group session or seminar, what about a private session that you’ve specifically scheduled to breach a sticking point and ask questions to further your abilities?
Journal your goals.
How did you feel today? Who gave you the hardest roll in class? Did you seek out the highest grade? Did the highest grade seek you? What advice did they give you? What technique has been bugging you for some time? What does your ‘A’ game look like? What part of your game requires attention?
Chalk your wins and document lessons learned.
This is a long journey but don’t forget to record thoughts and observations. Oftentimes these provide superior insights to technical musings, patterns emerge and areas of recurrence demonstrate themselves equalling greater long-term payoffs.
Use these notations to set SMART goals, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Dependent. Remember: what gets measured, gets improved upon.
Looking to compete? Great, but compete to improve not to prove.
Habituate.
Your improvement will come from setting realistic but challenging goals as described above however, setting goals is only one part of the equation, you still must attend sessions and put in the time on the mats. Schedule that time, make it routine and be accountable.
How frequently are you training? I’d recommend 2-3 times per week to begin with. They’ll be others that manage to cram in 6-7 days per week, every week. Don’t try and match them, are they likely to keep that up for ten years?
How intense are your sessions? Very intense, but your ‘intense’ not my intense or the next persons intense. Remember you can measure intensity equally through mental focus as well as physical exertion.
Are you drilling or thinking conceptually about your Jiu Jitsu? So many people actually debate the process by which we best learn without actually considering a routine for that practice in the first place.
The same can be said for your journaling, at first, this will seem hard and you will forget. How do you get past this? Set aside a time to journal – before bed or straight after class is a great time, but craft it, buy a decent notebook even a new pen, it’s your journey and something you should take pride in. Jiu Jitsu has craftsmanship as well, be that ‘craftsman’.
Comparison.
Never compare yourself with your peers, nothing healthy ever comes from comparison in this sense. You’ll either feel inadequate and convince yourself your Jiu Jitsu is lacking elements or your ego will become inflated, then your Jiu Jitsu will indeed lack the very values it should be built upon. Do not look left or right in the line, this is your journey, stripes and belts need not matter.
Jiu Jitsu is a long journey – keep your eyes on the road!
Recall where you were yesterday, last week, when you started.
As your coach I remember your first session.
Don’t overthink.
Finally, we all have a cognitive budget that gets us through the day. Balance yourself, put energy into the most important part of your Jiu Jitsu. You will know what that is if you have ‘chalked your wins and documented lessons learned’.
Consider that the above is by no means definitive, I have attempted to condense and suggest as much advice as possible to qualify you as the Perfect White Belt, you will find your own methods to achieve this plaudit.
In the process, recognise above all else, there is more to life than Jiu Jitsu. Overthinking ultimately causes decision fatigue, analysis paralysis and then you will just be that person that “used to do Jiu Jitsu”…