Living the Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle: Adapt

     I've heard many people talk about living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, but I think there might be some misconceptions about what it means to be living this "lifestyle." Some things are skewed by pop-culture and the media, and our understanding of what it means to be "living the life" might be misconceived. Here is my interpretation and application of what it means to be living the BJJ lifestyle.  The Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle is: Taking what you are learning on the mat, and applying it to your daily activities. Everything we encounter on the mat, if we allow it to, can be applied specifically to enrich our daily lives.

     The first thing you need to know is that the lifestyle STARTS on the mat. You take what you are LEARNING on the mat and need to apply those lessons in your daily adventures. Everyone who spends time on the mat is in essence living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle. However, some might be living it more that others.... if you're not training, you're not learning and therefore you're not living that lifestyle!

   Earlier, we talked about how Jiu-Jitsu helps us with control. For example, we are unable to control how the people around us behave or how they treat us,  but we can certainly control if we choose to keep hanging around those people. 
     As we find ourselves understanding how we are able to control our own actions, we also begin to adapt. As we train, our bodies will adapt. We will lose excess and inefficient weight, muscle striations will become more defined, and our flexibility, cardiovascular stamina, and muscular strength will increase dramatically. In addition to the physical adaptations taking place, our mind will begin to adapt. 
     The mental adaptation process is often described with characteristic traits: DISCIPLINE, FOCUS, DETERMINATION, RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY. You already might know, that there have been studies of brain chemistry being altered as a result of exercise. According to Dr. Myles Spar, exercise slows the loss of gray matter. Anaerobic exercise actually stimulate the creation of NEW brain cells in the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
     Living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, you have to learn how to adapt. As a result of failing and having to adapt, quality begins to form. The quality we are able to produce and adapt into our lifestyle as a result of training on the mat is something you will never lose! 

REFERENCE:
The Huffington Post: How Physical Exercise Promotes Brain Health; Myles Spar, M.D.; September 16, 2010
 

The Third Lesson.... "Diet & Health"

Eliot Kelly 

El Dorado Hills Grappling

"Your body will adapt and your mind will follow!"

Defining the Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle

     I've heard many people talk about living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, but I think there might be some misconceptions about what it means to be living this "lifestyle." Some things are skewed by pop-culture and the media, and our understanding of what it means to be "living the life" might be misconceived. Here is my interpretation and application of what it means to be living the BJJ lifestyle.  The Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle is: Taking what you are learning on the mat, and applying it to your daily activities. Everything we encounter on the mat, if we allow it to, can be applied specifically to enrich our daily lives.

     The first thing you need to know is that the lifestyle STARTS on the mat. You take what you are LEARNING on the mat and need to apply those lessons in your daily adventures. Everyone who spends time on the mat is in essence living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle. However, some might be living it more that others, but if you're not training, you're not learning, and therefore you're not living!

     The first life lesson we learn from Jiu-Jitsu is about control. This is probably the first lesson we will learn, but the last to be mastered. As your body gets used to the drills, mat movements, and exercises, we learn that control starts from within. Rather than trying to control your partners actions, you are responsible for controlling how you move. Your partner or opponent will react as a result of your movement. Therefore how you move, act, and behave, will be an indication of how things will function around you. When we're playing video games, we can't control what will happen in the game, but we can control when and what button we decide to push. If we tap, or lose the game..... You know what to do!! Control what YOU do, and see how that empowers you in your daily life and on the mat!


The Second Lesson..... "Being able to adapt"

Eliot Kelly

El Dorado Hills BJJ

"Live the Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle with control!"

Practicing Throws, Takedowns, and Foot Sweeps

     If you've been around a wrestling room, you've probably seen the unbeatable and unstoppable wrestler "Adam." This guy lives, eats and dreams wrestling, never leaving the wrestling room, never getting out of his stance, and never talking back to his coach! Now Adam doesn't move much, but he's a great practice partner. He never asks for a break, doesn't interrupt you drilling for a conversation, or move his body in a strange way to accidentally injure you. In essence, he's the ideal training partner! Actually, Adam might not be the ideal TRAINING partner, but without a doubt is an ideal DRILLING partner. And we all know, DRILLING is what sets the body mechanics, ingrains the movement into muscle memory, and allows you to apply it in training & competition.  I would love to get one of these mounted in our grappling dojo in the future! Here is a link to the wrestling Adam website:
http://wrestlingadam.com/

      However, what if a wrestling "Adam" is not in our school budget? Well, I might have a solution. Just the other day, I used something we all have access to in our dojo, to help one of my students practice and learn a classic Judo throw, Taiotoshi. A CHAIR. A chair can function as a great introductory tool for throws and foot sweeps. Much like the Adam, a chair never asks for a break, doesn't interrupt you drilling for a conversation, or move his body in a strange way to accidentally injure you. A chair is also light and mobile, making it an appropriate tool for all ages and sizes to work with. I attached a clip from one of the private lessons we had as a simple demo.  

Just so you know, our learning didn't start with the chair. Using the chair was maybe the third or fourth step in a chain of sequences used to help with drilling and internalizing the movement. Give it a try and let me know what you think! 

Eliot Kelly

El Dorado Hills Brazilian JiuJitsu

"You don't just need good TRAINING partners, you need good DRILLING partners too!"

Jiu-Jitsu Training Camp in San Jose

Black Belts (left to right): Osvaldo Queixinho, Flavio Meier, Andre Monteiro, Caio Terra, Samir Chantre, Marcos Torregrosa

     Today, I had my first experience and privilege of participating in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training camp in preparation for the Pan American Championships next weekend. I have never stepped on a training mat with six black belts, let alone be in the same dojo with that many black belts practicing at the same time. The camp was fantastic and being able to roll with different body types and technical styles really gave me a chance to tighten up my game in preparation for one of the biggest Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in the world.
     Although it turned out to be about a 6 hour round trip drive to do the training session, it was well worth it! These are the elite guys at the top of their game, and an opportunity to train with them is hard to graph into a cost analysis equation.... Let's just say the ROI, (Return on Investment) will eventually reveal itself. BUT, how can you measure out whether or not making a drive like that is worth it to train with guys like that? At what distance do you say this is too far of a commute?
     So, driving distance might be different for everyone, but for the next question I would like a clear answer. Why do some competitors organize training camps and train with competitors from different Jiu-Jitsu schools, while others don't? In Japan, it was very normal for people to drop into schools to train with each other. I remember driving to a school in Gifu prefecture to roll during their 1:00am open mat training session (and that was a week night). I've heard some schools shun upon people training with one another. Why do some take part in these camps, and others stay away from them? It would seem to me that those who are striving to learn, improve, train and compete with the best wouldn't hesitate to participate in these types of events.... As for me, I can't wait to do more of these!! (Now, if I can somehow shorten the commute to these things .....)

The practice was held at the Institute of Martial Arts in San Jose, CA. Thank you for the invitation!

Eliot Kelly

El Dorado Hills BJJ

"If you wanna be the best, train with the best"

How to develop Mental Stamina

        When we talk about STAMINA we are referring to ENDURANCE. Endurance is the ability to endure hardship, the strength to continue, especially while being stressed or fatigued. There is no other way to build stamina but by placing yourself in those situations and effectively overcome the challenge. Physically, we are talking about the last few minutes of practice, the last few reps in the training room, the last few springs while your lungs are burning and your mind is telling you to stop. Overcoming those obstacles lead to better endurance and more physical stamina.
         However, did you notice I said it is the mind that is telling the body to stop, not the body wanting to stop. As humans our minds are wired to avoid pain, and send us signals to get away from the source of the pain. If you are touching something too hot, you flinch away. If you cut your finger, you immediately pull it away from the sharp object. When it comes to training though, we want to condition our minds to find comfort while in the heat of the battle. To tell the mind to "shut up," and keep training.
     I've found the best way for middle school and high school student athletes to Train the mind is through studying. Mental Stamina developed through school work, reading, mathematics are highly effective ways of focusing the mind on a task until mastery. When we talk about being a Student-Athlete, we aren't just talking about a person who is in school while doing a sport. We are talking about developing the mind, along with the body. The collaborative development and education of the mind along with the body. Studying is essentially a form of cross training for the mind. A way to rest the body, while you sit and train the mind!
     This form of cross training is not only limited to those enrolled in schools. Adults can do the same thing by reading a book, writing in a journal or blog, or simply engaging the mind with meditation. If you already do those things and find that you are unable to maintain your focus, and need that edge in mental stamina, try this. Start by enrolling in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu / Martial Arts ACADEMY... Notice the difference between and academy and a gym is significant. (Read the blog from a few weeks ago). Talk to the instructor about how to further develop your Mental Stamina, and actively engage in their training methods. Also, track your progress by setting a timer to see how long you are able to maintain a steady mind. The process of developing mental stamina is not some that happens over night. Nor is it something you do for a couple of months and you are set for the rest of your days. This requires a LIFESTYLE. A constant, day to day practice!

"Strengthen the mind!"

Eliot Kelly

El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Self Defense, Fitness, Competition

El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a Martial Arts Academy focusing on the art of grappling. Our Jiujitsu studio is located in between Folsom and Cameron Park, off Latrobe Rd. on highway 50. 

Why go to a GYM when there's a DOJO

I realized the other day that in many gyms, human relationships are non existent. People just want to get in, do their workout, and leave. Sounds like a very productive way to do "your fitness for the day," and move on with the rest of the day. Unfortunately, health and fitness is much more than just activating your sweat glands, stimulating your muscle fibers, and feeling sore the next day. It needs to be mind stimulating, rather than mind numbing. It needs to be interactive, rather than independent. It needs to be community building, rather than simply self fulfilling.

Don't get me wrong, there are people who have mastered the SCIENCE of gym training, and created their own forcefield Dojo around them, but those people are the exception. The problem here however, is that they have built a forcefield that keeps others out of the Dojo. Some might be allowed in, but most are not. It's highly exclusive and caters to only a few.

In my opinion, it seems like such a waste to have so many people with a common goal conglomerate in one area, yet never share a word of enthusiasm, encouragement, or excitement. There is the potential for so much energy, just no one there to channel it in a specific & productive direction. In short, it lacks leadership. We need leadership, a sensei, a coach, even a friend to guide the energy along a path... A DOJO.

So, what is a DOJO? Well, 道場 written in Japanese, literally means "The Place of the Way." You might ask, "what is the way?"  Now we're thinking and not just moving in some direction.  On the surface "the way" is whatever it is you are LEARNING; Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Judo, Karate, Tae-kwon-do. It's typically Martial Arts, but could be flower arrangement, calligraphy, or even ceramics. When you dive deeper, "the way" could be seen as the journey you are taking, footsteps for your energy to be guided, your journey to deeper awareness and mastery. A Dojo is a place where the learning takes place.

I also believe the gym atmosphere is a good reason why people fail to meet their fitness goals. A life altering journey, is not easily done on your own. The qualities of a gym are seldom enough. Proof is in the NBC show "Biggest Loser." The show has created a REALITY TV DOJO. The contestants don't just train in the gym. They become a community, are educated, led by leaders, challenged, encouraged, and more recently have started sharing their knowledge and reaching out to members in their immediate community. A Dojo doesn't need to fit into the typical image.... but there are some key ingredients that you need to have in the mix!

Eliot Kelly 

"Give back to Your DOJO"

El Dorado Hills Brazilian JiuJitsu

Self-Defense, Fitness, Competition

"Make Your Luck" Jiu-Jitsu Tournament

Walk the Walk

Challenge of the Month for March 2012:

LEAD by EXAMPLE!

   Be an example to those around you, and lead them through your actions. TRAIN with FOCUS, DISCIPLINE, and DETERMINATION, and LIVE each day with higher standards off the mat. Don't worry about telling them, be the one to SHOW them! Research has shown that 90% of communications take place NON-VERBALLY. Therefore it is essential to be the one who  "WALKS the WALK," rather than just "talks the talk." 
   The truth: ACTIONS always speak louder than words. By practicing a MARTIAL ART like Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Judo, or any form of grappling, people become more sensitive to what you DO. What you say will always matter, but what you DO will always matter more.
   As a leader we must find a way for our actions to match our words. Sometimes, you need to start talking about the CHARACTERISTICS, and remind yourself what ACTION is needed. As a result, you've paved a road with the mind for the body to follow. This would be a case where the MIND led the BODY. How we think and how we act are very POWERFUL tools! Let's use them to their full potential! 
  

Eliot Kelly

"Lead by Example" 

El Dorado Hills Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Self Defense, Fitness, Competition