Where Does Competition Fit in Learning?
There are three stages in learning Jiu Jitsu:
Informative | Experiential | Recalibration
Informative is anything that indirectly informs you about how the art works prior to direct experience.
The Experiental Stage is direct experience.
Recalibration is where you both directly, and indirectly, compare assumptions and finding of the first two stages and update your prior understanding.
These are three distinctly separate stages that exist in a cycle. Each stage defined by unique understandings and perspectives.
Your mind can only conceptualize what your body hasn't directly experienced. Your mind makes a model of reality - we imagine what is or might be. Direct experience better informs you of reality. Your mind then re-conceptualizes to do more of what worked and less of what didn't.
If you competed yesterday this probably makes sense to you;
Before the match you had one perspective.
You had another perspective during the match. However you were too busy experiencing then it to reflect on it much.
You've had many periods of discovery after the competition, where you’re been able to make connections and increase your understanding of the art and yourself. That understanding could not have been obtained any other way than through the experience of competing.
Those who competed yesterday have a new understanding of Jiu Jitsu that is unique and precise to them, their game, what they would do the same, and what they would do differently. Though Luke, Yao, and I were feet away coaching, we only have a glimpse of their experience. The same for the spectators. - Thank you friends and family that came to cheer everyone on!
Competing takes a whole lot of grit, and a whole lot of courage. Being in hard training is one thing, but it's really not "that" big a deal if you train.
If you've never trained though, just walking in the front door the first time probably induces the nerves and anxiety that come to most experienced students before a competition. That is something to keep in mind - the scale of experience and what that really means.
Moving yourself beyond that, from experienced student to a competitor requires an even higher step up in courage. When you decide to compete you are agreeing to really hard training, in a few months, against someone else who will be training just to beat you up. It is hard to not have that in the back of your mind when you are getting ready to compete.
Those who competed probably got really really good sleep last night - as they should! You all worked super hard for both the experience and the rest. One of the benefits of the stress or preparring is that its absence will provide a reserve capacity to fuel further growth, (and sleep)!
Anticipation of performance, particullarly if that performance is to be judged, by self, others, or both, adds not just to the pressure, but also the natural tendency to play it safe, or perhaps to go a little sooner, or differently than you intended. Sometimes that pressure wakes up a lion and you discover a new level of GO that you didn't know you had.
The activity of training give you feedback that informs you of what works and how you could perform better. Now that the stress of the tournament is behind you, you will be more relaxed, intentional, and precise in all of your movements. Your practice this week will be significantly better than last week.
We scheduled the takedown camp to continue for three weeks beyond the tournament. This is important because your mind is fertile soil right now. It is very important that you don't rest on the dopamine of the experience. That would diminish your growth and rob you of the chance to use it to develop a much better game for yourself.
To help me better understand the experience and lessons of competitors I have a post game survey for them. If you competed please fill it out. Beyond helping me understand, filling it out will give you another chance to review. Please fill it out and start putting your upcoming training on the calendar now.
We have more workshops and camps coming up. We are also ironing out the dates of a few seminars we will be having over the summer. Dentinho is visiting in the second half of May, and we have a couple of surprise guests visiting during the summer. The fall will bring a couple of real big competition opportunities. A little prep goes a long way. Plan your training now so you don't miss it.
Jiu Jitsu is increadibly rewarding - it just takes experience to develop skill. Don't let that intimidate you. Whether you are competing or just working to establish a base practice, develop a consistent training routine now so you can develop your skills. The sooner you get experience, the sooner you can start crafting it into a better one!
See you on the mat!