Ok, ok, ok...I bet you're wondering, aren't you a white belt?Lol, yes I am.
So how do you know you won't quit?
That's an excellent question...and the only way I can answer is as long as I have my health I will always be doing jiu-jitsu, because I am obsessed.
Which brings me to my first point...Obsession. The reason why I am so obsessed with jiu-jitsu is because it is the only thing I do that allows my mind to be completely free of life's issues. If I am feeling down about family, money, and school I go to the gym and train to clear my head. There is nothing better than martial arts to let out all your frustrations. I believe in order to get rid of that feeling of quitting you have to put 100% into training. It has to become apart of your life and must be incorporated into your everyday thoughts. I know sometimes it is hard to get up and and keep going back, but you have to look at it as an investment into your future...just like a 401k plan.
Which brings me to my next point, Jiu-Jitsu is an investment, you get what you put into it. Some of you may feel as if you're not getting anything out of training. Maybe you think you're not advancing fast enough, or maybe you see others progressing past you, or maybe you hit a plateau! But that is no reason to give up. It actually should give you the motivation to put more work in to get better. Often times we hit a block in our life, only to quit right before we get over it. Looking at the situation in that light will help you to overcome your frustrations before it becomes defeat.
And what about other people's investment in you?
I don't know how many higher belts I have heard say "nobody really invests time in white belts, until they prove they are in it for the long haul". Now this doesn't make me say, you guys suck...because I completely understand why they would feel that way. You get enough white belts quitting eventually you assume all are the same. I mean where do you think we get stereotypes from? So when you decide to quit think about those people that you befriended and basically wasted their time teaching you and helping you progress in your jiu jitsu. Now what do you have left? A boring life...lame job, Taco Tuesday with the fam, minivan duty? Jiu-Jitsu is the antidote to your normal life...face it we live in a modern society where you rarely do anything to ensure your survival. BJJ lets you be the warrior you always wanted to be. It pushes you to your extremes, it awakens the inner animal. Nobody likes to be tapped out or choked so that forces you to become the shark and stop being the seal (because seals are lame). I have to admit, this is one of the main reasons I started martial arts in general. So before you quit think about your inner animal just waiting to be unleashed...the time you and others have already invested, and make BJJ your obsession. I guarantee this recipe is the start of getting you back in the gym and unleashing a whole mess of pain on your opponents. Ciao!
