Nothing will help you see how much you are actually improving on the mat more than a consistent training schedule. With anything you take on there will be days you feel like your beginning to understand and improve and other days where things don’t feel like they are working at all. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is no different, and there are several factors which can contribute to how you feel about how you did in class. We’re you tired? Did you eat enough? Is there something stressful you are dealing with? These all make a difference on how things go during class, and of course the person you are training with has similar things going on in their lives. So if your training partner is having a great day and you only got 2 hours of sleep you may end up tapping more than you normally would.
External factors play a large roll on how you do on the mat but the important thing to remember is that everyone you step on the mat you are improving your Jiu-Jitsu. If you are not on the mat consistently you will lose these little bumps in skill before you acquire enough of them to notice that you are actually improving. I’m Jiu-Jitsu you don’t always notice that you are getting better, in fact some days you may feel like you are moving backwards. This feeling of “getting worse” is really just your mind playing tricks on you, in fact you are actually improving every class, you just don’t notice it. If you don’t believe me, commit to training a certain number of times each week and follow through, regardless of if your tired, hungry, sore, or just not in a good mood and see how much progress you make. Always remember Jiu-Jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint.
if you are interested in learning bjj and live in the New London / Groton area come by Crossroads BJJ and try a class on us. Located in the New Waterford Fitness gym right off I-95 and just minutes away from the Groton, CT sub base and Connecticut College! Come by, check out a class and see how Jiu-Jitsu can help you live a happier and healthier life!