We all know in 2020, many gyms and personal training schedules were impacted because of COVID. If you took time off from training, perhaps you’ve experienced (or are experiencing) the “COVID blues.” You enjoy jiu jitsu and miss your time on the mats, yet circumstances have kept you from training and you’re wondering if going back is even going to be worth it.
What if I show up and I’ve forgotten all my jiu jitsu?
What if everyone gives me a hard time because it’s been so long since I’ve trained?
What if I can’t even make it through a round like I used to?
What if all the lower belts are better than me and I lose?
What if…?
For anyone who’s gone through the infamous “blue belt blues,” some of these thoughts may sound familiar. The truth is, if we focus on these thoughts and give in to the “What if’s…?” getting back in the gym will keep getting pushed off. Taking a break from training in the normal gym environment may have been the best option for you this past year, yet returning to the mats now seems equally as daunting. Because who truly enjoys a training session that goes something like this??
Swept…again.
Guard passed….again.
Stuck on bottom…again.
Can’t breathe…again.
Submitted…again.
I was talking with a friend and training partner about this discouragement because I felt like no matter what, I was constantly losing. I had made the decision to show up, but roll after roll felt like mistake after mistake. Even when I would start to see progress, as a whole it still felt like every training session went the same way – me on bottom, losing. Then my friend simply said,”Katie, you don’t train Jiu Jitsu to get good. You train Jiu Jitsu because it’s good for you...”