Back to the Basics

I know that I am a white belt. Although I wear a blue belt around my waist, I am not one. I thought I knew jujitsu, but in reality, I don't. There are basic principles in BJJ, fundamental elements really, that everyone needs to learn. As a white belt, you struggle to learn these principles, but eventually you do, typically resulting in promotion to blue. If you don't know them, or suck at them, you're stuck. Your jujitsu doesn't improve, your game doesn't evolve.

How am I a white belt? I don't know anything, to put it bluntly. I've learned techniques, and I can drill really well, but I never really learned concepts until a few months ago. I was constantly getting destroyed on the mats because I didn't really know basics. Oops?

Definitely oops. Sometimes, I wish I still had my white belt, but the thing is, I have accepted that I am a blue belt relearning the basics; rather, a blue belt finally learning the basics. It doesn't matter if a white belt sweeps me or if I get caught in an armbar because now that I know why I was never good, I'm finally learning...even if it takes getting submitted by someone new. It's not about ego anymore; it's about opportunity. Take every negative thought formulated from training and somehow turn it into positive energy to help your jujitsu.

To put it a different way, I used to feel exposed. Not naked, duh. I mean that I was embarrassed to get my ass kicked by people "lower" than me. The thing is, it's just ego. Once I embraced it, and thought of every ass-kicking as an opportunity, I started to improve. Not just small improvements, but game-changing ones. (Enough to surprise me and my teammates).

Positive thinking folks... it goes a long way.