Going Against The Sprinting Self.

Sensei Keith Owen once said "Jiujitsu is a marathon and not a sprint," I agree so much with his words. At least in my case. When I was still studying Judo, my team and I gave a outdoor demonstration, after we were done we took questions from the audience. One gentlemen spoke up and asked "How long would it take to get a black-belt?" My sensei at the time told him that it would take a long time, one that required hard work and dedication.

Needless to say that man got up and walked away, why? I would say he wasn't willing to put in the effort, the pain, the mental break down that happens at times. Jiujitsu quite simply is not for everyone, though I wish it was. For me, this marathon is far more mental then it is physical. Everyday day is a war with my mind.

Do I keep going? Regardless of how many body feels? Regardless of people talking on internet forums about how they beat me? The answer is yes. You keep going no matter what, the only time frame that your on is your own.  But why keep going if all there is, is struggle and fight? Because, it little glimpse of daylight is worth pursuing on to the next. Its a journey and not a destination. 

My competition record sadly, does not reflect the lion size heart inside me. I still feel like I can be one of the greatest grapplers who has ever lived, call it cocky and or arrogant, but I see myself one day competing at much higher levels. What it's going to take to get there is a different story. There are things that I must develop further, much of which I don't believe have to do with knowledge or skill but with my physical body.

When I started under the banner of 10th Planet, it was there I discovered the beauty of the half guard, and the endless options that I have from there. The problem then lies in people smashing me with their weight, of course its the nature of the beast. But the frustrating part is that even when I know how to defend or escape a position, getting my mind and body to respond is a whole different story. As Jiujitsu evolves with more seemingly complicated techniques, I tend to continually make things sharper and sharper. Of course, I still continually learn new techniques and adaptations, but all the more I find beauty and victory in the simple.

The simple truth is this, Jiujitsu is different for everybody. Even if you train a different discipline in martial arts, its still going to be different for you and that's more then okay. Please don't feel that you have to compete in a sprint with people beside you. Its a trap that far to many find themselves in. The martial arts, regardless of what you study is meant to be a joy, and a means to a better version of yourself.

As such, take off your damn sprinting shoes, take away away the stupid ego and learn to see the beauty along the way, alright? Good, now get training!

-Brandon Ryan
Adaptive Defense