Five Secrets to Maintaining Your Training

You took the first step. Now what? Be prepared to train daily or almost every day. That’s the least of what to expect from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You still want to achieve maximum results, right? Then, you must learn that how you train is just as important as how much you train.

Consider the following if you plan on getting the most out of the experience:

The Butterfly Effect

The more you show up, the more tools you add to your arsenal. You might not see the changes immediately. Remember, the butterfly flaps its wings and somewhere, somehow, a hurricane wreaks havoc. You may feel like a butterfly flapping its wings at first but rest assured, the day will come on that mat when you will be the hurricane.

The Lifestyle

Your choices outside the gym affect your performance inside the gym. Think long-term. Eat well, avoid unhealthy choices and monitor your sleep. Martial arts require students to have integrity. No one will know how you treat your body or what goes in it. That’s on you. Your instructor and fellow student may notice your poor performance, but they will also know that only you hold the key to improvement. Start living the Jiu jitsu life!

The Attitude

Let’s revisit the all-important concept of ‘integrity’. Students who watch for their instructor’s eye in their moments of triumph don’t quite get it. There is nothing wrong with craving the approval of your instructor but there’s a catch. If you really want him or her to notice your triumphs, you need to achieve a mindset where the eyes you feel on you are your own. You can’t literally see yourself, unless you’re training in front of a mirror. Just start racking up those successes and even your failures. Own your performance and the right people will notice.

The Belief

The pattern continues. Whose belief are we referring to? All belief follows your own. Start with self-belief and you will succeed. It doesn’t matter how big or small your goal is. Do you want to drop a few pounds? Believe in yourself. Do you want to become champion of the world? Believe in yourself.

The Goals

All this high-energy hoorah mentality can get out of hand. You’ll find that out as soon as you start setting goals that are simply out of your reach. It is tempting once you visualize and achieve those early goals to start skipping some steps. Make your goals attainable. Do the opposite and you are setting yourself up to fail. Motivate yourself. Don’t defeat yourself.