No One Else

I was never good at sports as a child.
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I was into video games and cartoons — a typical nerdy kid.
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I wasn’t the smallest kid and was more like somewhere around the average as far as my height was concerned, but I wasn’t strong or quick either.
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I would be one of the slowest kids when we had to run a marathon in a PE class — or sprinting, for that matter.
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I never liked ball sports. I never liked team sports.
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Mostly because I never had a good experience playing a team sport in a school setting, I guess.
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Some of you probably have similar experiences and know that, but when you suck at sports and still have to play in a team, other kids are likely to blame you for being useless.
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For whatever reason, I somehow got into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, AND have been practicing it since 2002. Some of my training partners weren’t even born yet back then.
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Probably because I don’t have to throw, hit, or kick a ball and pass it to others in BJJ. And it’s not a team sport either.
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I like this individual aspect of BJJ, though.
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You do have to rely on others as your training partners, and I’m grateful for their help.
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Ultimately, whether you will improve your skills or not depends on you. Sure, you could say the same about any other disciplines and areas of life.
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But at least when it comes to competing against your opponent, it becomes more distinctive… whether you win or lose is up to you.
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There are a referee and scores and rules and every other factor, and these things can and do interfere with the result of your match from time to time.
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But if you submit your opponent or your opponent submits you in a controlled manner, it’s crystal clear whose skills were better in that given match.
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I like that.
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Some people complain about how they got robbed by referees. I don’t get that. Mistakes can happen. And some mistakes can be pretty terrible. But you could have finished your opponent in a decisive way.
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I prefer to assume my own responsibility with regard to whether I win or lose.
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If I lose in BJJ, no one else is to blame but myself.