Jiu Jitsu taught me that sometimes the ONLY option is to tap and start everything over again. The problem isn’t tapping out, the problem is NOT starting everything over again… That’s the time you are really giving up, NOT when you tap.
— Bernardo Faria
Bernardo Faria’s words resonate with me.
Tapping is a necessary part of our BJJ learning process.
When you tap, you are indicating to your partner that you can’t take it anymore… so you can reset everything and start again.
It means what you tried didn’t work this time. Now you have acquired some personal experience about what doesn’t work.
You can use this experience to fuel your BJJ learning, and in the long run, the accumulation of your taps will help you reach a new height.
In short… there’s nothing wrong with tapping.
As Bernardo observed, there are situations in our lives when we have to “tap out,” metaphorically speaking. And just like in BJJ, you could start again and learn from your “tap out” experiences.
Sure, some situations might feel like the end of the world, and what you experience might be actually terrible by anyone’s standards.
But even with those cases, there are usually people who have gone through similar or worse situations and managed to come out stronger. Looking out for such people might be one way to realize you could also bear with your situation.
In any case, just realizing that it’s OK to tap literally and figuratively can help you lessen your mental load.
Tap out and start again.