Mma Training Mountain View

Brazilian jiu-jitsu and goal setting

Goal setting is a trait that can help us in every part of our life.  It allows us to accomplish more by having something to work and spend our efforts toward.  It is important to have both long and short term goals.  This is especially important in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where the achievement of a black belt commonly takes ten or more years! 

                This often leaves many people with the notion they can never reach a black belt because the journey is too long.   It is imperative in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to both set and recognize short and long term goals.  If all you focus on is the black belt the journey will seem too long and you will often get lost along the way.  If all one focuses on is certain belts along the way and doesn’t also keep the black belt in sight, then they may become complacent with that particular belt and stop Jiu-Jitsu all together. 

                Compare the path to black belt with climbing a high mountain peak.  If all that is focused on is the peak itself, you will miss all the hand and footholds along the way and slip right off the mountain.  Also, if all that is focused on is the hand and foot holds, without ever glancing at the top, it would be easy to sway off course or loose ambition altogether.  Often we quit when we are closest to success.  What if the next handhold brought me to the peak, but I didn’t bother to look up and decided I was just tired of climbing?  Had I glanced up would I have kept going?  Of course.

                Now let’s take these concepts of short and long term goal setting and set a few specific to Jiu-Jitsu.  We will deal with a few short term goals first.  What’s the shortest term goal in Jiu-Jitsu?  To come in the door and train!  Entering any martial arts school can be intimidating; this is especially true with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Any school worth training at should make you feel comfortable walking in the door and training at their facility, ideally they should also have programs specifically in place for new members.  You shouldn’t feel like you are getting thrown to the wolves on your first day.  Now remember you will likely feel jitters and such, its normal.  If it’s a good school with a legitimate Jiu-Jitsu heritage you’ll be in great hands! 

                Set the first belt in your system as a short term goal, many Jiu-Jitsu schools have started incorporating belts between the white and blue belt, this will aid in the setting and achievement of goals.  If your school only goes white to blue, don’t worry.  Set your first stripe as a goal, then your second stripe and so forth.  This should be repeated with each belt, blue, purple and brown.  Remember keep that black belt in sight!

                Always set and reaffirm personal goals, don’t rely on belts only!  A goal may be to get your first submission. As you improve, that goal can become even more specific, you can challenge yourself by limiting your submission attempts to let’s say armlocks only, or perhaps chokes.  If you’d like to compete you can set a competing in your first tournament as a goal.  Competition is a great way to set goals both long and short.  Start out small get a feel for competition and then set your sights on the big ones such as the Pan Ams or Mundials. 

                The goals you may decide to set are almost limitless.  Purple belt alone might seem an extremely long term goal.  That’s okay as long as you have your hand and foot holds along the way.  Once you crest the peak of your purple belt, keep an eye on your brown belt on the horizon.  Set some goals from purple to brown and achieve them.  This formula is repeated for every belt.

                Now let me let you in on a secret about the black belt being the long term goal in Jiu-Jitsu…..it’s not!!!  Whoa…what?  Okay the black belt is a goal and it sure is going to take a considerable amount of time to reach, so yes it is a long term goal.  But if you were to reach black belt and just stop, you will have had a great journey, I promise you that, but boy would you miss out! 

                Let’s go back to that mountain peak again.  I did everything right, set short and long-term goals.   Used every hand and foot hold I could find. I crested that peak and now I’m standing on top!   Let me tell you, it’s a great view! From that height you see a world you never knew existed.  New goal?  I want to bring as many people as I can to the top of this mountain, I need to share this!  They need to know the true goal of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  What is it?  Well as I look out from my peak I see a horizon I never imagined, I see countless other peaks waiting to be climbed as far as I can see.  I see valleys hidden in shadows, paths I never dreamt of, it blows my mind!  What is the true long term goal of Jiu-Jitsu?  Simple.  Live every day, never stop learning and always find a new peak to climb.  When you achieve your black belt become a white belt again.  If you don’t get what I’m saying, climb to the peak, achieve your black belt.  Then we can talk about it.

MMA: Inside the Cage #51 “Cage Brawl 6 Recap”