Ebb and Flow
Ebb and Flow: to decrease and then increase, as with tides; a decrease followed by an increase, as with tides.
I have found myself in a low point with training, like most jiu jitsu practitioners that train beyond a few years. I’m not always sure why this happens, but over the last 10 years of dedicated training I have found myself here before. To be real honest I don’t like it so I’ve spent the last few days focusing on why or how I got here.
The Reasons:
Injury: I’ve had my share and each time I get a bit depressed. I wander around until I realize what I can do with the physical ability I have remaining.
Over Training: Burn out is real and when I notice that I’m headed to the gym solely out of habit, then it’s time for a break.
Not training enough: Jiu jitsu is a great place to forget about the outside world (my reality) and just be in the moment of the roll. It’s exercise which releases stress and always makes me think more clearly.
Life Issues (kids, wife, family, day job, house, car, being a gym owner, etc): What can I say about this? It’s the life I have chosen and it is higher on the priority list than my personnal jiu jitsu. With that said I still get grumpy when I have not rolled for awhile.
The next two go hand in hand.
Plateau in Improvement (real or perceived): This is a tough one to identify since it could be my game leveling out or it could be that my training partners are getting better.
Increase in the skill level of people around me: As the gym gets better it’s not always easy to see the individual improvements. If I feel this may be the case, then it’s time to break from my group and grab a few rolls with other gyms around the area.
I have always noticed a common occurance with my “low points”, my will to survive never goes away and when it surfaces I start to thrive. Sometimes it takes longer than other times, but it’s always there waiting for the smallest crack to sneak through.
The will to survive reminds me of being crushed by the biggest, strongest, most technical person in jiu jitsu. No matter how much I’m being dominated…….there’s always a chance……