Discipline is important, but don't forget self respect
Training hard is important, but there's more to preparation than training itself.
One of the things I love about jiu jitsu is that it’s a martial art first. It’s funny to write that, because some of you reading this will undoubtedly say “uh yeah, Mark…” But for many others, jiu jitsu is a full on sport with competition seasons, teams, travel, technique coaches, nutrition coaches… strength coaches, and a singular focus on winning.
Before all that however, came the martial art. It’s very hard to escape this in jiu jitsu no matter what level you pursue it at. You’ll find anyone on the mats is usually there out a sense of discipline, self improvement, and the connection with their contemporaries or peers. The last point is interesting, because in many ways it is how we get in touch with our sense of culture or cultural identity. Something very common across all martial arts throughout history is that the cultural fabric of the originators (or origin country) is all over the art form.
For what it’s worth, I think this is why you see the term “American Jiu Jitsu” or at least the idea of it, having some legs. Jiu Jitsu’s popularity has skyrocketed in the United States since the late 1990’s when very few schools existed outside the Gracie Academy in California and Steve Maxwell’s Maxercise in Philadelphia, PA. Jiu jitsu in the U.S. feels very different than more traditional Brazilian-origin settings.
But that’s not all I wanted to discuss. What I actually think is extremely valuable in martial arts more generally is the sense of discipline you gain from it and equally important is the byproduct of it: self respect.
Much is said about discipline. We all know what it means. We know all the many individuals who have sold millions of books and made careers off the word, as well as the images that the word brings up— but that discipline is why you even train jiu jitsu with any regularity. You have it. It’s why you’re on the mats whatever the frequency is. It’s how you’ve achieved whatever you’ve achieved.
It’s also a huge blindspot for many. I see many young men disciplined enough to devote so much time to training and be so immersed in acquiring knowledge and competing, but they lack the ability to properly care for their bodies. If the shield of youth isn’t enough, they’re often injured, eating poorly or erratically, and scrolling instead of sleeping.
Something I see in men in their later 30’s, 40’s and even 50’s who may have started jiu jitsu as young adults and faithfully continued, is that they let themselves go on the other side of the spectrum— they have the access knowledge, resources and life experience, but they simply don’t take care of themselves. They lack a prioritization of themselves in a life of responsibility. They’re overweight, tired, mentally unhealthy, and indulgent.
Both examples are a lack of self respect.
The practice of discipline is meant to teach you not only how to stick to something, but how that devotion leads to a better you. But that second part requires you to have a more global perspective on discipline and not so narrowly focused on the part you find fun, like training. To be so narrow is actually taking the easy way out. It’s too simple to focus on one thing and let everything else around you crumble. If you’re an elite athlete, sure there’s a more narrow focus, but even that requires you to be thinking about how all your choices affect your performance.
That in the end is self respect. You respect yourself, your effort and your time enough to do it right. Deep down, you know when you’re cheating yourself deep down. Some people simply know how to stop listening to that voice unfortunately. The problem is, everyone else eventually knows you’re cheating yourself too. It’s time to start acknowledging the other side of discipline and taking the step that’s actually harder that simply showing up and training hard every day— taking care of everything else.
Registration for our No Gi Worlds Strength & Conditioning Camp is now open. It’s 6 weeks of in-person training at DiSalvo Performance with my staff and I. Any competitors in New York or the surrounding areas are invited to attend. We’ll be going over all the things you can do to prepare yourself as a competitor, off the mats & in the gym.
If you’re not competing, but want to train with a group of competitors in the way you’d prepare for a tournament, you are also invited to attend.