Jiu jitsu creates a vehicle for success through personal ownership and a growth mindset. To achieve skill in jiu jitsu, one must stop making the same mistakes and instead grow to create new answers for problems that had once been impossible. This concept of self-reflection, followed by redirection and the will to do better, will carry over easily from inside to outside the dojo.

1. Get your damn phone out of your face.

2. Don't sit with your back to the room.

3. If a situation feels potentially dangerous, leave.

Let’s be honest, jiu jitsu is challenging, sometimes frustrating, but that’s probably why you’re attracted to it. The guard pass is the most dynamic movement we practice, with the greatest number of variables of reactions and outcomes. It sucks when you've been working for a guard pass over and over until you finally clear the legs, then try to secure side control only to have your opponent shrimp out and pop a knee in between the two of you. Damn, back to square one.

How can you stop it? Here’s a few things I do that I’ve learned over the years:

1. Lack of flexibility

I know I’m not the most flexible guy in the gym, but I used to be much worse. I usually shied from rubber guard, and when I didn’t I’d have to compensate space for lack of flexibility. I would always cringe at the idea of being stacked, and when it happened, I was at a loss for whatever submission I had been attempting. Not only was it limiting my jiu jitsu performance but it was also injuring me. Then I met a yoga instructor (who is now my wife). I had no idea how important the mobility aspect was or how much more enjoyable doing yoga would make BJJ for me.

The best thing I took away from it was when I hurt my lower back. My hips, like those of many other jiu jitsu practitioners, are overworked. Because of this my back went out and I bulged a disc. To fix it, I followed a series of stretches for the hips and my back healed right up. I still use those stretches to maintain hip flexibility and increase mobility. If it wasn’t for those stretches, I doubt I would have been able to continue with BJJ. I highly recommend a good yoga program. The type I take is called Hatha yoga and its focus is restorative. Because I already do jiu jitsu, which is very fast and athletic, I don’t want a yoga style that mirrors this. Yoga being so different from a combat art it gives me a very satisfying sense of balance.

There are several reasons to learn jiu jitsu. While almost any reason is a good one, here are Thomas’ top 3 reasons:

• 1. Mental toughness:
  • Jiu Jitsu helps to develop a number of skills and attributes that increase a person’s character. Mental toughness is one of my favorites that transfers to everyday life. I see it all the time in Jiu Jitsu, people’s perseverance shines through whether it be at work or at home. In my classes I put my students in what we call “worst case scenario.” This usually involves a student starting in a dominant position and the other student has to remain calm, trust what they’ve learned and see the technique through until they escape. This style of teaching makes for a great self-defense drill but is also a good reference for when things seem impossible outside of the academy.

Check out this short video and see how our new conditioning class can help you restore mobility in your shoulders after tough practices.

Training a martial art has numerous advantages for the person involved, ranging from mental toughness to improved physical fitness, self-discipline, confidence, respect…the list goes on and on.

Take those benefits and instill them into a family that is experiencing them together and you get a very different and unique dynamic. Families bond through shared experiences, so what happens when those experiences test each other’s limits mentally and physically?

The bond is like iron. The family can share in the hardship and revel in the breakthroughs. They know each other’s weaknesses and strengths; because they have been through the same experiences, they are more apt to support each other instead of breaking each other down. This is something I have experienced on both sides of the coin.