My Bjj Training Wins

The Lens I use to Define Wins.

Winning and losing is both subjective and not. For example, we understand that within our ruleset, being dominated or submitted equals a loss. What some students have a hard time with is understanding that there is winning outside of what the sport has labeled a win.

Training requires us to find deeper wins, these are mine.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Emotional Win

• Showing Up: These are usually the easiest yet most important to establish. Much like establishing the habit of making your bed in the morning, making yourself come to class establishes the foundation.

• Paying Attention: Actively paying attention is needed. This can be found in various ways. For example, if you know your mind tends to wander, perhaps taking notes can help or even recording the day’s technique.

• Finding Enjoyment: Loving what we do and enjoying the environment that we’re in is incredibly important. Learning is facilitated when we enjoy what we’re doing.

Mental Win

• Being Intentional: While we don’t have to do this all the time, having days and rounds when you are intentional about the techniques you want to hit during a roll is important. At one point, my goal was to hit mounted armbars.

• Asking Questions: Asking questions means that you’re engaged and intentional. If you’re too shy to ask while in class, send a private message to your instructor or coach.

Spiritual Win

• Accepting What Is: One of my strongest attributes as a student was that I accepted what was without attaching too much emotion to it. If I had a bad night of rolling, I accept it, evaluating it more like a scientist. Instead of talking down about myself, I tried to learn from the experiences.

• Mindfulness: One of the greatest things that Jiu-Jitsu has given me is mindful time. My brain is constantly shifting from one subject to another, similar to a computer with several

• Purpose: As someone who didn’t go to college seriously, doesn’t have the most glamorous job, Jiu-Jitsu gave me purpose. As a student it gave me a goal that was bigger than me to strive to. As an instructor, I’ve found my life’s work.

A win isn’t always binary. The depths of what long term winning looks like can be different form one student to another. Define what it looks like for you and push ahead.

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DFM Coaching is dedicated to helping you overcome mental hurdles and achieve your full potential in BJJ. Whether through in-person instruction, seminars, private lessons, remote coaching, or video analysis, I provide personalized support tailored to your needs. Keep pushing forward, and let’s grow together!