Training Jiu Jitsu in Ann Arbor and Learning The Grind

Virtually everybody who works their way to success in Jiu Jitsu learns how to grind. That’s the daily work you have to do to learn new techniques, solve problems, keep your dojo going, push your own envelope of understanding, keep the creditors at bay, get stronger, and manage all the aspects of whatever you do while you try to get better and better at Jiu Jitsu - or Judo, or Karate, or whatever your chosen martial art may be.

Faith

Part of being in the grind is having faith that what you do will eventually pay off. That you’ll get that big submission, hit the hole in one, figure out to to deliver 5X more power in your round kick. But what’s really important is having faith that if you grind, you’ll keep getting better at what you do – that’s what really makes the grind worthwhile. The Jiu Jitsu journey IS the reward.

Serendipity

We all want success. Hey, today I pinned my toughest competitor. I finally threw that black belt who was giving me so much trouble. I bought such and such a stock at $173 per share and sold it a week later at $205. I presented our services at this business meeting and signed up 3 new accounts. It’s great when it happens.

 Sometimes we know exactly what we did to make it happen. It’s an accumulation of small things that make us better grapplers, more persuasive presenters, more effective fighters, so that we get the results we want.

But sometimes we don’t know why we achieve when we do. Sometimes it seems like serendipity. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I just got lucky. One way to guarantee you won’t get that lucky break, that momentary brush with god, is to quit. If you’re not doing it, you can be sure you won’t get lucky, whether we're talking about Jiu Jitsu Training in Ann Arbor, or about anything else.

Engagement

Part of being in the grind is that you have to do a lot more than just show up. You have to be engaged. You have to try to do the thing really, really well ... better than yesterday, better than the other guy, better than what’s in your comfort zone. If you just punch the time clock or the makiwara, you’ll get mediocre results. The more engaged you are, the more likely you’ll do the things, learn the things, and feel the things you need to a breakout.

What are you doing to get to the next level with your Jiu Jitsu?