I Am Not Your Enemy

There are no gold medals to be won in our gym, our teammates are not our adversaries, there is no financial gain or televised viewing of any championship while we are in the gym training. These are practices meant to push us to prepare us for the arduous battles to come when we do decide to test our skillset in high level competition or inside the octagon. I want to be pushed to my breaking point mentally, so that when the time comes when it really counts, I am at ease. I do not want my joints and limbs to be pushed to their actual breaking points in my training, so please, don’t be a dick and force a tap or crank the shit out of my limbs. I understand we all want to do well when we train, but our teammates are there to help us, not hinder us, and at the end of the day, what you do in the gym or who you tap to or who you submit really ain’t that serious. If I 100% based my mood or happiness on my performance in practice that day, I’d be thoroughly disappointed being that I’m an atom weight who inevitably gets smushed by the bigger guys more than I would like to admit, but it happens.

As an instructor at the gym with a higher rank and as a professional MMA fighter, I understand I am expected to execute things with clean technique, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ever get over-powered by those of lower rank. Is it really worth a possible injury to put myself in a precarious situation in order to satiate my ego? I’ve had to learn to release submissions or relinquish a pass in live rolls during training in order to preserve my safety. There is no podium or hand to be raised inside the dojo, so why care so much about besting someone that particular round in order to prove we are better? I have a career I need to selfishly think about at times, and I’d rather someone in the gym think I am not as good as the color on my belt would indicate than not be able to step foot in the cage because of a nagging injury from a flailing white belt smashing my tiny frame. Learning to overcome the “win at all costs” mindset may be my greatest victory to date.

I am sure I am not alone in having learned that harsh lesson in the past, and reaping the consequences of letting pride in training get in the way of my safety. My professor has no problem relinquishing the tap in order to stay safe, so why should I? My instructors and coaches have led by example in ways I can only dream of. Their leadership is demonstrative of the qualities I’d like to emulate as an instructor and as a competitor. At the end of the day, people know if they’re bested on skill and had to power out of something or through something and I had to learn to be okay with brute strength allowing someone an advantageous position rather than put my health and safety at risk. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely days where I would like nothing more than to use my prowess to completely dominate anyone with inferior rank, but trust me, it just doesn’t work like that. A new belt or a new stripe does not suddenly bestow you with magical powers, but it at least provides you with the knowledge to understand things a little better.

This is why I highly advocate competition. It helps students adapt and understand a competitive mindset versus a training one. There are people who take up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in order to gain confidence and learn self-defense, which is perfectly okay. But there are definitely people more aggressive in nature who could definitely benefit from having an outlet to execute their full strength and relentless pressure. It’s also a great test of human willpower to be able to compete and learn how to hone in on your training when adrenaline and nerves are running high. So even if you are in it strictly for self-defense purposes, it’s good to compete and test yourself in a safer situation than if you ever had to unfortunately use your training in an actual dangerous/safety scenario. It’s the best way to apply what you know under pressure without actually being attacked by someone meant to cause you harm in the outside world. Sure, there is always a risk of injury in competition, but there are measures in place and officials and coaches to help to prevent unnecessary harm and danger and medics on hand in case things do go awry.

At the end of the day, your teammates are there to help you excel and grow in the sport. Even at smaller, local competitions, I befriend almost everyone I compete with. Really only when it comes to MMA or paid high-level competitions to I go all out with gusto and the full capabilities in my aggressive repertoire to do whatever is necessary to end the fight. My gym is my sanctuary, and I don’t want it to be a place that exacerbates stress and anxiety for those stepping foot inside to train and learn. It should be a welcoming environment meant to enhance the educational understanding of what is being taught and how it is applied versus going balls to the wall because you are so intent on winning every single round. It is practice, not a real life situation or a tournament with money and records on the line. Treat your training partners with respect and know that conceding a position in a roll or “losing” does not make you inferior or less of a person. Sometimes, preserving your well-being in training is the correct choice. No one at the gym is going to give you a standing ovation for passing the guard of your teammate, so it isn’t vital to risk your longevity in the sport by making unnecessary decisions. Push yourself in training without being a disaster waiting to happen; your teammates will appreciate it in the long run. No one wants to be the person people don’t want to roll with in training. Remember, I am not your competition.

Being a good training partner is key

Ultimate Social Media – Define which pictures & texts will get shared