We all have a fear of the unknown, but the unknown is exactly why we fear it. If we have never experienced the situation, we don’t know what to expect from it. This is why it is important to get comfortable in uncomfortable positions. If we didn’t do this, many of us would have never started jiu-jitsu in the first place.
The more you get out of your comfort zone, whether that be on the mats or in life, the easier things come by not thinking about the “what if’s” we all get going into a particular situation. To apply this to jiu-jitsu, you must get in uncomfortable positions you are not used to on a regular basis. This can be certain guard positions, starting from stand up, or starting in a bad position on purpose so your mind and body can get used it.
Exposing yourself to this will expand your game while making you that much tougher than the rest of the people focusing on their strengths and neglecting to work on their weaknesses. Not only will you find yourself trying new moves and learning how to defend bad positions, your body will have more energy and you will think more clearly in these situations as you drill them. This is true because the more you expose yourself to a stimulus, your body will start reacting in more of an analytic manner on how to solve the problem rather than being overcome with fear and anxiety.
It is more important to work on your weaknesses than to just rely on your strengths. This is especially true as you progress into an upper belt rank. If you have a couple moves that not many people in your gym can defend well, especially at white or blue belt, what happens when you run into someone that does? Lower ranks should always want to roll with upper belts! Remember, we all leave our ego at the door. The more times you get tapped in practice, the more people you will tap in the future and in tournaments!
As I said before, this goes for our journey in life as much as it does for our journey in jiu-jitsu. Don’t be afraid to try new things – no matter how young or old you are. The more uncomfortable a situation is, the more you will learn from it. Go get uncomfortable!
The post Jiu-Jitsu: Finding Comfort in Uncomfortable Positions appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.