One element stands out in research more than all others — psychological safety.
It may seem unusual to talk about safety in Jiu Jitsu — a martial art that in its nature is potentially dangerous—but it is critical to training success. You do best when you feel free to explore, make mistakes, fail and not worry about the risk of looking bad or getting smashed by some hulk. If you are not stretching your boundaries and challenging yourself in training because you don’t feel comfortable opening up, then you are unlikely to spark meaningful development.
“What’s going to happen is that the athlete is going to avoid taking any risks,” says Dr. Mustafa Sarkar, Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. “When we take risks, we’re more creative, more innovative.”
The Zenyo Game helps you to be brave and take risks because your partner will help you recover and not punish you for making mistakes.This works both ways. You help your partner get into a move, an armbar maybe, and you help yourself work to get out.
By helping others to win, you win.
“It’s not about how much you do, but about how much love you put into what you do that counts.”
Jiu Jitsu is a long-term pursuit. Skill takes time. Trying to rush and force your way to faster progress usually backfires. The old adage — most people overestimate what they do in one year and underestimate what they can do in five years — is especially true in Jiu Jitsu.
Have fun. Enjoy where you are. This way you will stick with Jiu Jitsu for the long term.
“Work that is devoid of play is either boring or a grind…Having a fierce dedication to grinding out the work is often not enough. Without some sense of fun or play, people usually can’t make themselves stick to any discipline long enough to master it,” writes Stuart Brown in Play: How It Shapes The Brain, Opens The Imagination and Invigorates The Soul.
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