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TFS#71: If Your Game Is Stuck
There’s no point in rushing if there is no finish line.
Wayne Terran
September 17, 2023
It’s because you’re not keeping it playful.
You’re fixated on the idea of beating up other people in your gym.
If you’re a blue belt, you might feel like you have to tap out a purple belt or even rough up all other blue belts in the gym in order to be worthy of a promotion.
But if you know better, you remember to be “1% better everyday.”
But if you take another step back and look at the bigger picture…it’s ultimately about having fun.
Overcome frustration
Starting Jiu-Jitsu is exciting and at the white belt level, you’re making the largest gains class to class.
Everything is new and there aren’t any expectations.
But as we know, the blue belt blues are just around the corner.
One of the many reasons why people drop out after reaching blue belt is simply because everything changes, everything you’ve learned at white belt is actually sloppy.
You’re expected to sharpen and refine what you’ve learned…which is much more difficult than just learning the basics.
How you handle your frustration is the key to training consistently and growing consistently.
Learning is your responsibility
As you progress through the ranks, you must continue to learn in-depth.
Once you reach blue belt, you’ll quickly realize that the responsibility of learning falls completely on you.
(If you haven’t already realized it, that’s what this newsletter is here to help you with.)
I know some people stay brown belts for a really long time because they deal with injuries and get bored of the material.
They’re not actively seeking their own learning material and not making sparring playful.
If you don’t actively pursue your own knowledge…you’ll find yourself behind others that were once at your level.
Don’t be afraid to lose
You may have signed up for BJJ for self-defense purposes, personal growth, or for social reasons.
BJJ taps into our childhood side of exploration and fun.
If you’re not having fun, no matter how good you are, you’ll burnout.
And to put yourself in a position where you don’t want to lose, you’ll be gravely disappointed…regularly.
Being playful means to exploring new situations and being okay with failing.
Even if that means tapping to a lower belt.
Because your long term goal is to learn, not necessarily to win.
Winning is a by-product of how well you learn.
Training partners matter
Look for those that are willing to play with you.
The idea is to constantly be moving.
You don’t want to force moves or use your size advantage to win.
Nor are you pulling back your intensity and speed.
It’s a fine balance of staying moving. If something doesn’t seem to be working, move onto another technique.
And this may be difficult if you might not have a toolshed big enough to be able to connect to new positions.
But being playful will force you to expand your toolshed. It gives you the space to see what you could have possibly done.
And most importantly, you’re not trying to win.
Closing Remarks
Having fun is what allows you to get 1% better everyday.
Improving your technique, staying injury free, becoming more consistent, those are all benefits from having fun.
Allow yourself to have fun.
And don’t get me wrong. When it’s time to compete, there’s a switch for that.
But that's a discussion for another time.
There’s no point in rushing if there is no finish line.
For The Dedicated
→ For white belts: You don’t want to just escape, you want to get to a guard that will turn the tides. Try these escapes here.
→ For blue belts: This isn’t an innovative move at this point, but if you can get to the back you’ll surprise some of your teammates.
→ For your mobility: 3 simple mobility stretches to save your journey so you can train consistently.
→ For learning faster: A very insightful way to catch up to your upper belt peers…