It can be so easy during the holiday season to slack off a bit and not hold yourself to your normal training schedule standards. Perfectly fine if you are in reset mode, and no competitions or fights on the horizon, but a bit risky to do if you are a smidge bit more than your average hobbyist, and know that competition season gets ready to be in full swing. For me, I kind of have the opposite problem, where I never allow myself time to recuperate and instead push myself too much. I am at the point where if I don’t take time for my wellness, I will be forced to take time for my illness, and that sucks. The problem is I get particularly Scrooge-y when I don’t get to train. If ever I am injured, I sit on the sidelines with a resting grinch face, and internalize all the negative feelings associated with my predicament. Sadness at the fear of missing out (FOMO), envy at everyone else being able to train, depressed about feeling like I am falling behind, and a lingering guilt that I am being weak and should just push myself harder to conquer these setbacks. I wonder if I really am in need of a break, or if I am just inventing excuses to placate my own shortcomings.
You snow the drill, you wake up day after day, going through the mundane tasks of your routine of balancing your home life with your career, and making time to get some Jiu Jitsu training in, especially in preparation of upcoming competitions. It’s hard to shift the focus solely to yourself. Sometimes we look at others winning competitions or else getting promoted and we wonder why that can’t be us. But comparison truly is the thief of all joy, and it’s important to not run yourself into the ground trying to keep up with the Joneses. Just because a flower may take longer to bloom, does not make it any less beautiful than the rest of the garden. I have to be patient with myself and my body, because the more I keep pushing when I shouldn’t, the shorter my career in combat sports will end up becoming. But I struggle with feeling like if I put too much emphasis on my training over my teammates, then I’m just being elfish and will more than likely end up on the naughty list this year. So then I end up burning the candle at both ends; it’s a catch-22.
To traverse a bit from the previous paragraph, there are countless examples of those people that do register for different tournaments or sign for various fights, and honestly shouldn’t. They are not setting themselves up for success by setting lofty aspirations without building up the preparation, meaning they are m.i.a. from much of the practices, and they aren’t giving their all into training. And then they fall woefully short when it comes time to perform. You can’t be upset at not getting the results that you want from the work that you didn’t do. You can ask for what you want all year long, but Santa can’t stuff your stocking full of skill if you aren’t showing up to the gym. You gotta work those mistletoe-holds and drill them relentlessly if you want to be successful. Kris Kringle kimuras and ho-ho-heel hooks as well, or else you are just walking away with plenty of coal.
It’s no secret that we all want to sleigh the competition and wind up on top. When it comes to my gym in particular, icy a mat full of champions because I know all of the relentless hard work everyone has put in, and many of my teammates have already achieved great success and garnered many accolades. It fills me with great joy to see so many of my friends winning at the things they are setting their minds too, even if I am currently writing this pun-filled blog hunched over in pain from some pinched nerves in my neck. Here’s to hoping Santa brings me lots of epsom salt and arthritis cream under my tree this year, because unfortunately all of this pain coupled with the stress I have been under lately has felt more like Jingle Hells more than anything else. As far as the title of this piece goes, I always wish I had more time to train, but I also need my body and well-being to keep up as well. All I want from the jolly red man himself is to be healthy and capably strong going into the new year.
I hope this holiday season brings anyone reading this lots of joy. I know this time of year can be rough for many, and I extend my empathy and my inbox to anyone who needs an extra ear. The Christmas spirit really soots me, and it’s impossibell for me to not feel festive and santamental about all the good things in my life. I will continue to dedicate myself to the mats and to the gym, and work on trying not to be so hard on myself when I need to take some time to recuperate. I will keep in mind that it’s important to not worry about the path of others, and be content with focusing on my own personal journey. Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy some figgy pudding and egg nog as I transition from decking faces to decking the halls. Beclaus of the holidays, I get to reminisce about the things I am truly grateful for, and I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday as well.
