Obsession with Jiu Jitsu

If a warrior is to succeed at anything, the success must come gently, with a great deal of effort but with no stress or obsession

-Carlos Castaneda

Almost everything in bjj revolves around balance, including fitting it into your life.

 I would love to be at the gym 3 times a day, every day. I wish my body would hold up to it. I wish it wouldn't interfere with other obligations and relationships. However, at this point in my life that just isn't possible. I have a lot of people I respect and admire in the bjj world; my professor, Jacare Calvacanti, for creating one of the most dominate competition teams in history, the Gracie family for helping bring bjj to the whole world; Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” for showing that big guys can move. You all know those names, but there are others that I respect that you don't know. These are the guys (and ladies) that are balancing a couple kids, a career, bills, and other obligations and yet I still see them on the mats several times a week. Those folks have crazy balance! I'm still trying to find it and it's tougher than hitting a flying armbar. What is the definition of obsession? What signifies crossing that line?

I recently changed my work schedule specifically to allow more time on the mats. I loved my schedule. It gave me a 3 day weekend every week! I'd been doing it for 3 years and it's completely ingrained in me. Since being married, my gym's evenings classes have been difficult to attend. I needed to find a work, wife, jiu jitsu balance. So I sacrificed the work schedule I loved. Is that obsession? Is putting bjj in my top priorities a problem?

I hope not.

The best blog post ever...

Was deleted so this will have to do.

If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger.

That's what they say but as a an older jiu jitsu guy, all it does for me is make training more difficult.

I look around my gym and really wish I'd started when I was younger. Thankfully, bjj is a discipline that lends itself to almost all stages of life. I'm not that old, 33, but man do I feel like it the morning after a tough training session. In high school, I remember playing a sport and feeling brand new by the next morning. I'd love to bring that feeling to jiu jitsu.The big thing I've learned is that diet and rest are my best friends. It's a constant balancing act between being smart and being lazy.

All that being said, I feel like the luckiest man alive to be a part of the amazing bjj community. I'll continue to struggle through my issues. I'll tape myself up, I'll show up, and I'll ice everything each night just to do it again.Occasionally I'll write about it and hopefully I'll entertain some folks along the way.

Til next time