Training in Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ) can be a life-altering experience. It’s a great workout in which we develop some powerful skills, for both self-defense and sport. It’s mentally stimulating to learn the moves and counter-moves, while developing one’s own “game,” or style. The training develops an intense esprit de corps, as teammates push one another to be their best. It is a powerful platform, providing us the opportunity to learn/re-learn the lessons that make us better at life – as sons & daughters, mothers & fathers, students, workers, and as citizens.
Being Proactive rather than reactive is one such lesson; Proactivity is vital for success on the mat, and in life.
Stephen Covey says being proactive “means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives.” It requires taking the initiative to decide for ourselves how we will respond to the world around us and recognize that, ultimately, it is these choices which matter most. Furthermore, we must distinguish between things we have no influence over, and the things we do. Instead of reacting to events/people outside this “circle of influence,” we should focus on what we are doing about the things within. In this manner, we can actually expand our influence over time, and become more effective in the process. (Covey, 1989)
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
-Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr
Listen to children, who are experts at externalizing when something bad happens. If a child knocks a glass off the table, they say, “it broke.” After hurting another, a child claims, “they made me mad,” but when the roles are reversed then, “they hit me.” In school it’s “I got an A,” while “the teacher gave me an F.” Too often, grown adults persist in this mindset; these poor souls blame their ancestors (genetics), their parents (psychology), or their circumstances (environment) for everything. This immature way of seeing the world denies our individual agency, making us helpless victims to external things deemed beyond our control.
“When you point your finger ’cause your plans fell through, you’ve got three more fingers pointing back at you.”
-Dire Straits, 1980
BJJ hammers the importance of proactivity home in the most matter-of-fact manner. We all start our training at different times in our lives, and come to the table with varied backgrounds, fitness levels, and limitations. We “roll” with training partners who have more knowledge & skill, who are bigger, faster, stronger, and/or <insert trait of your choice>. When you’re in the heat of the battle, none of that matters. You just have to figure out what you’re going to do about it. You have to try and solve the puzzle.
It is vital that we recognize and accept our individual agency. We can’t do anything about the past, and there are many things that affect our world which we have no control over, but we always have the ability to choose how we respond. We can always decide what we are going to do about it.
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”
-George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren’s Profession
See you on the mat.
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic. Simon and Schuster, 1989.