Had A Bad Day at BJJ? Good.

Jiu Jitsu is an extremely cerebral physical activity.  From the complex type of guard you're trying to play, to the strategic use of your body to catch an unwilling opponent in a submission, your mind is going a thousand miles an hour.  The mind can be an incredible tool to help us perform.  But it can also be a detriment if we don't approach BJJ with the right mindset.  Because of the inherent difficulty of the art, it's easy to get down on yourself and adopt a negative mindset that can lead to someone walking off the mats for good.

The sooner you adopt a mindset that sees the positive in the challenges of BJJ, the better.  BJJ black belt, former Navy Seal, entrepreneur and author, Jocko Willink gives his unique mindset approach in this video excerpted from his podcast, aptly titled "The Jocko Podcast" available on Itunes.  Check it out below and let's look at some common BJJ situations and look at how Jocko might approach them.

 I got tapped.

Good.  You made a mistake.  Your opponent or training partner revealed that to you.  Reflect upon what you did that led to the situation.  Is there anything you could have done differently?  Reflect upon what the opponent did to lead to that situation.  How might you have been able to stop them?

I didn't get a stripe or belt promotion.

Good.  More time to get better.  More time to polish what you know and fill the gaps that your instructors and coaches may have seen.  Instead of rushing from belt to belt, learn to embrace the slow burn of the BJJ belt system and work to become the best version of that belt that you can be.  Find a way to challenge yourself within that belt to force growth. Perhaps you've never competed at that belt.  Step on the competition mats and get after it.

I got injured.

Good.  Well not exactly good of course. This is a sign from your body to slow down and look at your approach.  Find ways to continue to stay involved with your school and training partners.  Perhaps this would be a good time to help coach or to work on more drilling while you are healing up.  Find a way to keep active and engaged no matter what the injury.  The worst thing you can do is step away and let the injury take you out of the action.

If you're not listening to the Jocko Podcast yet, check it out.  It is chock full of BJJ related discussion.   Also, if you want to get access to one of Jocko's longtime friends, training partners, and business partners, check out Dean Lister's "Leg Attacks and Grappling Hacks" available here at BJJ Fanatics.  Learn all of this favorite leg submissions and other hacks straight from one of the premiere legends of the grappling world.

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