Come One, Come All

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

Today we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and his message, encapsulated so eloquently in his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, on August 28, 1963. As a teacher, parent, and citizen, who isn’t moved by such ideals?

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr. 1963

In Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ) we have mutual respect for anybody willing to pursue the path we have chosen.

Training in BJJ is difficult. It is physically and emotionally demanding, requiring not only extraordinary physical output, but taxing one’s psyche as well. Learning to cope with winning & losing, fighting from uncomfortable positions, and retaining one’s composure under duress, all add up to a psychological workout like no other. It is also no easy task to make the time to train. Most of us have lives off the mat and must work our training schedule around school, our jobs, and our families.

The camaraderie we have on the mat is part of a symbiotic relationship. It is the result of intense, competitive training, and simultaneously the force that inspires us to help each other achieve our individual best. Anybody is welcome to join our ranks. Regardless one’s color, creed, or station in life, if you have the courage to try, the willingness to commit, and the strength to continue, you are always welcome.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

-Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

Winners and Losers

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

Through the month of January we focused on Stephen Covey’s first three Habits:

  1. Be Proactive.®
  2. Begin With the End in Mind.®
  3. First Things First.®

Developing this personal skill set, helps us recognize our purpose and makes us more effective at achieving our goals. If we want to increase our capacity exponentially, however, we must recognize the power of teamwork. The Fourth Habit from Stephen Covey’s treatise The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is “Think Win-Win.” Simply put, it’s recognizing that the most effective relationships are those in which all parties come out ahead. Here, Jiujitsu is the perfect allegory.

In Jiujitsu we simply cannot develop effective technique without a partner, and it requires a bit of skill to be a good one. Borrowing terminology from Japanese budo, the Uke (receiver) is the person tasked with getting thrown around. The act of being thrown, Ukemi (receiving), is an art in and of itself; it takes skill and understanding to be repeatedly thrown without injury, and to do so in a manner that helps the nage (thrower) learn the technique. While drilling a technique, a good uke doesn’t just flop on the floor like a limp noodle, nor do they resist the technique by countering. They have to provide the appropriate response in order for the nage to practice their technique. This is dictated by many factors including how experienced their partner is, and whether the technique is new. This cooperation is vital; if we don’t work with our partners to help them develop strong technique, they won’t be able to help us improve ours. We must strive for a win/win, in which all parties are benefiting.

Sometimes losing is winning.

People who are afraid of “losing” when drilling, who’s egos prohibit them from finding this cooperative balance, will struggle to learn the nuance of technique. They are also frustrating to the partner who’s trying to learn, only to be thwarted every time they try. This isn’t a win/win; it isn’t even a win/lose – it’s a lose/lose. Nobody is able to improve much under these conditions. Allowing ones partner to practice a move, thereby developing better technique, makes them a better partner for us.

Stay focused on the Big Picture

Additionally, if one’s ego is too big to “lose” and tap out when necessary, they will eventually be injured. The severity of the injury will dictate the amount of healing time, but this win/lose mindset will once again become a lose/lose, as their injuries affect their ability to train. This is a good example of when losing is winning. Tapping out (short-term loss) means more training longevity (long-term win).

Steel sharpens Steel.

There is time and place in Jiujitsu where each student should be striving to win. Whenever two individuals are engaged in competition, whether during the rolling portion of a class, or at a tournament, somebody is eventually going to win and their “opponent” will lose. While nobody likes to lose in these moments, there is still a win/win silver lining. Oftentimes, we learn much more from our losses than we do our wins. It’s important to remember the adage, “you’re either winning or you’re learning.”

“I never lose. I either win or I learn.”

Nelson Mandela

See you on the mat.

Crabs in a Bucket

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

While on family vacation in Santa Cruz with our Montana peeps, we’ve been enjoying the idyllic lifestyle that the area has to offer. In between hitting the rides at The Santa Cruz Boardwalk, watching the sailboats put in and out of Santa Cruz Harbor, and strolling along The Wharf, the days have been spent building sand-castles, body surfing, boogie boarding, and checking out tide pools at Natural Bridges State Beach.

The crabs, wharfs, and beaches, along with the broad swath of humanity here remind me of the “crabs in a bucket” metaphor. As the story goes, crabs collected in a bucket can’t escape because just as one reaches the top, the others drag it back down. It’s a vivid metaphor for human behavior driven by envy, spite, or competitiveness.

Our Brazilian Jiujitsu community is the exact opposite of this. Even though we’re engaged in a combative sport, in which we “fight” one another on a daily basis, it is a surprisingly communal effort. Our competitive training makes each of us better, and we push to improve ourselves as well as our teammates. We don’t envy other’s successes; we celebrate them.

Congratulations to all of the Werneck Family who’ve recently promoted. Your hard-earned successes are yours to enjoy. You know how hard you had to work, how much you had to sacrifice, to get where you are. We do too – so we’re celebrating your success with you.

belt promotions

See you on the mat!

Potluck

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Everybody loves a good potluck; the chance to get together with friends and family, and chow down on a smorgasbord of food. Inevitably, there’s the full spectrum of socializing and gastronomy. You’ve got the comfort of your immediate family, and friends that might as well be, to the joy in catching up with those you haven’t seen in ages, and the intrigue in getting to know new acquaintances. The food ends up being just as diverse, with all sorts of appetizers, meats, casseroles, salads, desserts, etc., from wanna-be chefs bringing in their house specialties, to the store-bought vegetable tray, to the bag of potato chips.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is kind of like a potluck.

When we go to class, there are going to be those who we see every time we go. There’s a comfortable camaraderie within this group, as we become like brothers and sisters over time. We know what everybody’s signature dish is. We know one another’s strengths and weaknesses and are prepared to avoid or to counter each other’s favorite submissions and strongest positions. Each consecutive roll builds off of the last, almost as though we’d never parted.

Of course, there are those who we don’t see as often, like distant cousins with whom we’ve got some “catching up” to do. The conversation might start off a bit tentative, but it doesn’t take long to get into the thick of it. These rolls can provide some fresh surprises, as surely we’ve both grown since our last “get-together.”

Finally, there are the new-comers. The folks we’ve not met before, or know very little about. It is up to us to welcome these people into our tribe, and nurture these relationships. We all remember what it was like when we first started; how steep that initial learning curve was. Get to know them. Show them the ropes. We want them to become like part of the family.

The thing that makes a potluck truly successful is the combined effort of everybody involved. We need the amazing specialty dishes, the vegetable trays, and the bags of chips; otherwise, it’s going to be a pretty boring meal. If too many folks show up empty-handed, or don’t show up at all, somebody is going to go hungry. When each individual brings his or her contribution to the event, however, everybody wins. There’s plenty of good stuff to go around, and each of us gets what we need.

What are you bringing to the potluck?

See you on the mats.

 

Steel Sharpens Steel

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The age-old maxim “steel sharpens steel,” or “iron sharpens iron” embodies the simple premise that we grow stronger when we surround ourselves with others who are strong. More modern sages tell us to associate with like-minded people, at least in regards to goals, and people who have already succeeded in achieving those goals.

“…avoid the negative influences of other people and surround yourself with successful people who will encourage you to pursue your dreams.” -Zig Ziglar, Born to Win: Find Your Success Code

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins puts it succinctly, “Who you spend time with is who you become.”

In the martial arts this is paramount. As a BJJ practitioner one pursues not only strength, conditioning, mental acuity, and emotional toughness, but more effective methods of combat. While one could conceivably build the first four traits on their own, having a partner and/or coach will greatly facilitate their growth. Developing effective combat techniques, however, simply cannot be accomplished without great training partners.

It is important for each of us to remember that while we’re putting in our time on the mat, working our butts off to achieve our own personal victories, that we’re also there for our training partners. We need one another in order to get where we’re headed. The more like-minded, goal-oriented people we can surround ourselves with, the better.

“Proximity is power… Who you spend time with is who you become.” – Tony Robbins

See you on the mats.