Improvement has a cost in BJJ

Improvement has a cost in BJJ. Let be honest, improvement has a cost in almost everything we do, not just BJJ. First of all, it takes time and effort to make something better. It’s also hazardous because trying to make things BETTER might actually make them WORSE. With that hazard comes fear. And if you’re the one who makes a change and things get worse, guess who’s responsible? All of this is why many people won’t willingly try to improve unless there’s an urgent reason to do so. But in order to improve, you have to put in the work. One of my favorites quotes I use here at Savarese BJJ Academy (www.njbjj.com) is “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” The best training sparks this desire to change, though, because no matter how long you’ve been doing it, there are always a few things that need fixing. If you surround yourself with those who require more of you, surround yourself with people with like minded goals, or put yourself into those sorts of situations which demand more from you, you face the uncomfortable, difficult necessity to improve. But difficult doesn’t mean HOPELESS. Part of your task is to understand how difficult and even fearful it can be to try to make things better, then to do it anyway. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That is one of the key lessons to learn in BJJ. One of the best lessons a white in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can learn is to get comfortable being uncomfortable. We preach this our newer and older students. The faster everyone learns this important lesson, the faster everyone’s Jiu-Jitsu will improve ..and at a quicker rate. If you are a whitebelt in Jiu-Jitsu, heed this advice and watch your game improve.