by Brooke George
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“We push each other to get better. We could never be as good alone as we are together.” -Ryan Wittman
A lot of athletes will tell you that their friends on the team and the bond those they have with those teammates is one of the reasons they play sports. Even though Jiu-Jitsu isn’t competitively a team sport, you still have a team you train with, go to competitions with, and hang out with. In the town that I live Jiu-Jitsu isn’t a very popular sport. I happen to be the one of three females at my gym and the only teenage girl. So considering the fact that my training partners are mostly guys and mostly over the age of 25, its a little bit different. We all have a unique relationship and we all have the bond of Jiu-Jitsu. We are a family.
When you join Jiu-Jitsu you join a family. That family is there for you no matter what, on and off the mat! They encourage you, they push you, and they keep you accountable! I have been very lucky to be blessed with a team that is more like family.
Encouragement
Support and encouragement from my teammates is something that I often take for granted. They support me more than anyone. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to train at all. All of my teammates are very encouraging before tournaments. They are willing to put in extra work with me before or after class and they’ll all endure harsh warm ups in order to get into better shape, even if I’m the only one going to compete. From going to watch me compete when they aren’t, to cheering me up on a day when I feel off my teammates are very encouraging.
Accountability
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At some point or another it gets hard to get to class. Whether it’s due to injury, being tired, or just having life in the way it can get hard! Teammates are great for accountability. When we have someone missing from class unexpectedly we try to get out a text or Facebook post to them. We want them to know that we need them there. The accountability of your teammates expecting you to be there and knowing that they miss and want you there makes it much easier to get off the couch when you aren’t feeling it and show up.
Pushing You
My teammates all push me to better my Jiu-Jitsu and better myself. From the bigger guys, to the quick guys, to the ones with more experience than me, all of them bring something unique to the mat and rolling with each off them allows me to improve my game differently.
The family you get out of Jiu-Jitsu is one you won’t find anywhere else. It’s a group of very different people from different backgrounds all untied by one thing. The love of Jiu-Jitsu.
Sparring Partners
Without them we are nothing. A good Jiu-Jitsu team will always provide great training partners to roll with. This is the most obvious way that a good Jiu-Jitsu team brings us together but it must be said!
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