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Failure, the price of ambition/in , , , /by

Failure strikes again. . .

I can’t breathe, and I begin to feel my consciousness slip. My opponents’ legs are locked tightly around my neck like a vice, and my arm is sticking through the lock dangling.  My body feels frozen in place, petrified that I am in a submission and that I am about to lose a match or pass out. I try to think of how to counter this attack as my opponent grips the back of my head to apply more pressure on the lock. My peripheral vision fades and blackness is beginning to close in to the center of my view.  My mind is clouded by a state of panic. I begin to slap the legs that are wrapped around my neck and shoulder to signal surrender, and the lock is released. I slump back to my butt then quickly fall to my back staring up at the ceiling lights. With a deep breath my vision is restored, my body calms and I begin to grasp what just happened. Out of the corner of my eye I see my opponent standing with his hands raised above his head in victory walking the mats while his team cheers. Then the feeling of losing sets in and I realize that I’ve been bested and I am the defeated grappler. I stand and walk towards the referee who then grabs both of our wrists and raises my opponents arm.  We shake hands and walk off the mat . . . head hung low knowing that I put myself into this position, and that this failure is simply the price of ambition.

Rough times as a purple belt

Failure is the price of ambition . . . what an interesting thing to think about. In order to succeed we must fail at some point? Seems kind of contradictory to what we might think, doesn’t it? However, this is the truth! In order to succeed we must fail. Whether this occurs in the gym during our training sessions or in tournaments and competition, it is a vital for progress. The story you just read was a description of a match I had years ago. I was being triangle choked in a purple belt tournament, and this would be the first of many losses I had as a purple belt. During my time as a purple belt I found my dedication to this sport tested but the failures that came worked as a catalyst for improvement and learning.

I clearly state I had no idea what to do, yet I was a purple belt? How can this be, surely a purple belt would have some idea as to what to do? My years spent as a purple belt were rough at times. I had been a constant competitor as a white and blue belt and I quickly climbed to my purple belt which was given to me by my instructor in just around 2 years. 2 years to purple belt, pretty good progress right? Well maybe not as much as you would think. With the new rank I had very mediocre results at first. I would win some tournaments after hard fought battles only to go to another tournament where I would be outclassed by a much more skilled opponent.  My game was very narrow and efficient and if you played into it I would win, but if you made me play a different game I was typically ill equipped for it. I ended up moving to another gym because my current instructor was not dedicated to helping me grow and get to the level I know I needed to get to. When I came to the gym that I would come to call home my new instructors Colin and Kyle Cannon instantly picked apart my weakness.

What was my biggest weakness you might ask?

Well, it was the reluctance to try new things, the fear to fail. I had been so competition oriented with my training even in the gym that it caused me never to open up. Even with lower belts my old instructor taught me not to give them an inch and continually grapple just to win.  This caused me to have a very narrow style that could be exploited easily if someone was to engage with me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.  I would see this happen numerous times as a purple belt. Skilled opponents would use techniques that I was unable to combat at the time. My new instructors made me try and explore positions that I was absolutely terrible from, and in the beginning I struggled a great deal! I was finding it tough being one of the “top” guys in the gym and getting my guard passed by a white belt as I clumsily fumbled with my de la riva or half guard. This continued for about 7 long and at times exhausting months and then it was as if a light bulb had been turned on. Suddenly I found myself was able to work proficiently from what were once my worst positions, and I was soon able to apply this newly developed group of techniques to high level guys in the gym and in tournaments. This came as a result of constant drilling and rolling from these positions that were lacking.

I cannot stress how amazing this felt.  I had finally emerged out of this long rebuilding phase of my Brazilian Jiu-jitsu journey, a time which was filled with a lot frustration.

Explore and open your game

The idea of this blog post is to understand that failure is a necessary part to progress. If you are not losing and aren’t being beaten then how do you know your weak points or where you need to improve? Even if you are a high ranking belt at a gym you can still play positions you are weak from to make yourself better.  My problem was that I never allowed to play with any position that wasn’t my “bread and butter” and this hindered my growth. I was stuck in the same old moves and techniques and my skills never grew to combat the new problems and evolving jiu-jitsu of the higher level of competition and skill I was now facing.

Now we must never accept failure as inevitable but simply as a possible consequence of us expanding our games and testing new techniques. You should never walk onto the mat with the mindset that you are going to lose but be prepared to make the adjustments if you do.  Think of an inventor or scientist. They rarely discover what they are looking for right off the bat, but with persistence and a bit of trial and error they will find what they are looking for.

3 important things to learn

So I know I did a lot of rambling in this blog, but here are the ideas I would like for you to take away from it.

  1. Don’t be afraid of failure and embrace new challenges and obstacles.
  2. Take every defeat in stride and dissect it to find the reason you lost so that you can correct them. Whether in the gym or competition.
  3. Be persistent, even when things get tough.

Btw here is a cool quote a friend sent me when I talked to him about this subject of failure relating to BJJ.  .  .

“I am not judged by the number of times I fail but by the number of times I succeed, the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion with the number of times I fail and keep trying.”

 

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Metamoris

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This weekend the Metamoris Pro Jiu-jitsu Invitational is going on in San Diego, California. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this event! I love the idea of jiujitsu matches done in a way that showcases them much like an mma or boxing event. The organizers have been building up to the hype with videos and showcasing their grapplers leading up to the event just like you would see in the UFC or some Boxing pay per view. The best part of course, is the match ups! You have so many big names from the BJJ community competing, and with a submission only format its going to be insane!

Below is a list of the match ups and a little prediction on them.

Roger Gracie vs Buchecha
This is a great match up. Roger was a dominant world champion with an incredibly basic and brutally efficient game. Next you have Buchecha who is a very tough and incredibly active big guy. He was able to dethrone Rodolfo this year and took the absolute black belt division in a match that is regarded as one of the best of all time at a time when Rodolfo looked nearly invincible.
Prediction:I am going to take Roger. I think if it was a standard tournament with rules that it would favor Buchecha who I consider to be the more athletic of the two. Roger loses from time to time but he doesn’t get submitted and his game is very submission oriented, as seen with his numerous wins at high level tournaments. That being said I think Roger will need to watch for his legs because Buchecha has shown some nice leg locks.
Andre Galvao vs Ryron Gracie
This is an interesting match up. You are taking Galvao who is in the upper crust of BJJ competitors and then you match him up with Ryron who doesn’t compete yet is known as a very skilled BJJ fighter.
Prediction: I am going with Galvao. This match is hard to give an accurate prediction because we know what Galvao can do but we don’t have a great idea as to what Ryron can do. I have seen a few matches of Ryron competing and he always looked very skilled but those were years ago and against people who are not the caliber of Galvao.
Kron Gracie vs Otavio Sousa
I think this has the potential to be one of the most exciting matches of the event. You are taking two guys that are both top level competitors, both incredibly active and you’re tossing aside points and letting them go for the submission.
Prediction: I am going to take Kron in this one. I think the match will be back and forth but I am going to take him simply because the guy is always hunting for the submission even in point based tournaments.
Dean Lister vs Xande Ribeiro
You’re taking two of the old school guys that are still tearing it up. Dean Lister just tore up the Abu Dahbi and Xande is Xande who is always tough.
Prediction: I am going to take Dean in this one. Xande showed some hiccups against guys like Joao Assis with their leg lock attacks and I think that plays right into Dean’s game. We will see if Xande has made the adjustments because Xande has always continued to improved his game and is one of the reasons why he has been at such a high level of competition for so long.
Jeff Glover vs Caio Terra
RE-MATCH! Their first one was an excellent match with Glover pulling ahead at the end of the match. Now what happens with no points? I think it will change the dynamic of the match completely and provide for an exciting roll with two ultra talented grapplers.
Prediction: I’m taking Glover. Caio Terra is a monster on the mat but I think the crafty Glover will pull away with the victory.
Kayron Gracie vs Rafael Lovato
This match is a little hard for me to put a spin on. I have watched Lovato for years but I haven’t always watched Kayron as closely. I went back to watch some of Kayron’s matches to get a better idea of who he is and what kind of style he plays.
Prediction: I’m going with Lovato. The most decorated American BJJ competitor is always a force on the mat and I think his game will give Kayron some issues. That being said, after watching more of Kayron’s matches and catching up with his style I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulls out the submission.
So Sunday, go out and support Metamoris! Watch some great matches and help support this idea of having more events like it.
Here are the links to their website and youtube.
Their website is www.metamoris.com  and you can check out their videos on their youtube channel. – Give your students your undivided attention during class. Period!

Having a bad day?

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BJJ has so many benefits. Everything from physical fitness to mental well being. I think it’s one of the reasons it’s so popular and why people often get “bit by the bug” after training for just a very short time. I noticed these benefits when I first started training, and have noticed them with my students as well. They vary from person to person, but typically have a very positive effect on everyone’s physical and mental health.

One of the benefits that has always had an overall positive impact on my life is the stress relief that comes from a great training session.

On many occasions, I find myself troubled by all sorts of problems as I head to the gym. At times I feel overwhelmed and as if the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” is nowhere to be found, but nevertheless, as I walk through the doors of my gym, I am greeted by the contagious smiles of my friends and students. Almost immediately my body queues itself up for training, and seems to turn the tide on the bad mood I walked in with. I then take in the distinct smell of the gym — depending on the time of day, it may smell like bleach and cleaning supplies, or a sort of misty sweat. There is also the sensation of putting the gi on, as the kimono’s thick cotton construction brushes along my, and ends with tying the belt around my waist.

Likewise, the feeling of the firm, yet slightly giving mat below my feet, coupled with the unique sound of my feet touching the mat as I walk to greet my training partners and students. Finally comes the sound of a gi scraping across the mat as we perform warm up drills.  That sound. . . gives me a strange feeling of comfort. I know it may sound silly, but even when I watch an instructional or techniques demonstration from the seat of a chair at home, and I hear the sound of kimono moving along the mat, I instantly have a slight feeling of comfort. 

My body and mind is conditioned by these smells, sounds, and feelings since they are always followed by a training session. A good workout always leaves me more mentally relaxed and happier in general, but it also allows me to clear my head of negative thoughts and feelings that once seemed unbearable and to think more rationally. This side effect of training has been invaluable to me over the years. When I was 18, one of my old lifting mentors said to me, “Nicky, I never make a tough decision until after a good lift”.  Although he was referring to lifting weights, the same endorphin boosting properties of a good lift with friends, are fully present in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training.

I like post relatable personal experiences, so I will do the same in this post. In August 2010 my mother was diagnosed with cancer. Over the next year I would experience the hardest thing I’d ever had to deal with in my life. I moved in with my mom to help provide better care and make sure she always had someone around. I would take her to treatments, cook her meals, talk to her, etc. Things that I know we would all do or have already done.  Without my students, gym and training, I am not sure what kind of mental state I would have been in. The whole ordeal was incredibly taxing and broke me down mentally more than people probably knew. Hell, more than I knew at the time. When you are in the middle of something like that you have no idea just how much of a toll it’s taking on you until it is over. Those hours that I spent on the mat teaching and training provided me with a release and a few hours for my brain to turn off. When it was over I would go back to reality to face the stressors, but I could face them with a renewed sense of strength and resolve that came from the stress relief of the training. Over the course of the year the cancer did what cancer does, and my mother passed away in July of 2012. The release provided from training allowed me to be there for my mother in any way I could be, and helped me to be happy and perky around her, even if deep down I wasn’t. Along with this, the support from my friends at the gym was amazing and it made things so much easier to bear.

So, next time you’re  feeling a little crummy, depressed, frustrated, overwhelmed, upset or just down right terrible, be sure to make it in to your BJJ Academy. Converse with your friends, perform the drills and techniques, roll and let your brain turn off for a while so that you can be clear headed for yourself and your loved ones.

Thanks for reading and as always be free to share your thoughts or experiences.

—Chewy

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