Slow Down

When I started training Jiu Jitsu, a little over a month ago, everything felt awkward.

Each movement felt counter-intuitive.

When my body wanted to go left, I was supposed to go right. I was supposed to push when I wanted to pull. It was a strange sensation, but I embraced it out of total ignorance.

With a few weeks of experience, the feeling of total ignorance has been replaced by a feeling of mostly ignorant.

The problem is I’ve created a small space in my ignorance vacuum that has been filled with something dangerous: the tiniest bit of confidence.

The problem with a tiny bit of confidence is you overestimate your abilities.

Total confidence comes when you know exactly what you’re capable of and what you’re not.

But a tiny bit of confidence makes you think "I've got this."

In Jiu Jitsu, that tiny bit of confidence makes me think, "I need to go faster."

Instead of training with the intent of perfecting the move or really understanding the leverage, I try to move faster.

I try to train harder.

When I train harder, I am less precise.

I get tired.

When I get tired, I get sloppy.

At the end of class, I feel like I’ve worked hard, but I’m not sure I’ve gotten any better.

Especially at my age, I need to focus on preserving my energy and using the moves in the most efficient way possible.

I need to go back to my total ignorance, get rid of that tiny bit of confidence, and SLOW DOWN.