Many of us deal with fear in BJJ: fears that we might perform badly in front of our coaches, fears that we might get tapped by a lower belt (or, in the case of men, by a woman), or fears that we might get injured.
However, as Coach Tom Davey from The Grappling Academy points out in one of this latest videos, “fear” often simply means “false evidence appearing as real.”
After all, your coach has probably been around long enough to know that some people just have bad days when rolling. He will probably also tell you that higher belts sometimes do get tapped by lower belts and big muscular guys get tapped by women all the time. Heck, he was probably (wo)manhandled by many women while he was coming up through the ranks.
But let’s say none of that is true. Let’s say you are the only person in the history of martial arts who has ever had a bad day rolling or has ever been tapped by a lower belt or woman. So what? You’re not going to be mocked and laughed at on late night television, people are still going to want to be your friends, members of your sexual preference are still going to want to have a relationship with you, and you’re still going to be valued as a human being.
The point is, in jiu-jitsu, there’s really nothing to be afraid of. Injuries are rare, serious injuries are virtually unheard of, and getting tapped by smaller, weaker people or people with different genders — even in front of your coach — just doesn’t matter.
So go compete, go train, and be happy!
And while you’re at it, check out Tom Davey’s latest video on dealing with fear.
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