Critical Moments

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2 minute read

A while ago, YouTube suggested a random video to me.

It wasn’t exactly about what I’m interested in, but I figure that YouTube’s algorithm figured that I would be interested in this video, based on my viewing history.

The video I’m talking about is called “US Marine reacts to the Serbian Special Anti-Terror Unit (SAJ).”

In that video…

A US Marine YouTuber guy watches a promotional video of the Serbian Anti-Terror Unit and reacts to it. (This unit is part of the police force rather than the military, by the way.)

A part of this promotional video and the Marine guy’s reaction to it caught my attention.

About 8 minutes into the promotional video, it shows Serbian special unit members in training and says the following:

“The training system of the SAJ members is strenuous, complex and lengthy…

Its aim is to professionally train the Unit members, to drill them tactically and…

… to prepare them both physically and psychologically for successful execution of the most difficult tasks.

The special unit members have been preparing for years to conduct the missions which could last several seconds.”


And the Marine guy reacts to it by saying that it’s a great summary for a lot of special operations units because they spend years and years training for certain moments where their precision, accuracy, and discipline are needed.

This part caught my attention.

Because…

While I’m not practicing BJJ to prepare myself for a special mission or a self-defense scenario (I bet most of us don’t, either), there might be such moments where our BJJ skills as well as physical & mental readiness could be used positively.

It doesn’t even have to be about situations where actual BJJ skills may be involved, but it could be about situations where your BJJ way of thinking could be applied in solving whatever problems you are having in those situations.

Or you could use this way of thinking as a way to give a meaning to your training sessions, too. Imagine that you are training for a special mission, and your armbar will be a crucial piece in succeeding in that mission… for example. Depending on your personality and likings, this way of thinking may inspire you to train in a smarter and more precise way.

Either way, I think it’s a valuable perspective to entertain, not just about BJJ, but also about anything and everything you do.

You are training for some special mission, and you don’t know what it is until it happens to you. That critical moment may or may not happen, but you don’t want to be unprepared in case it does happen.

Keep sharpening your skills, and make sure to have fun while doing so.