While on vacation recently, I had the opportunity to take a road trip. It was one that had been on my bucket list for a while, driving the "Overseas Highway" from Miami Florida all the way to Key West. Of course, I had a destination in mind, there was a purpose for the trip. So I typed "Key West" into my GPS and hit the road. It isn't an overwhelmingly long trip; a couple of hours. But I noticed that a lot of people were in a hurry. There seemed to be a sense of urgency. I had the luxury of not having a set schedule that day, so I was able to take my time and enjoy the scenery.
As I was driving, noticing people weaving in and out of traffic to get ahead of the person in front of them and in a hurry to get to their next destination, it made me start thinking about the process of learning Jiu-jitsu. It seems to me that a lot of people are in a hurry to learn Jiu-jitsu. I don't really understand this mentality. You've probably heard the saying that Jiu-jitsu is a marathon. This is very true. And it is a much longer journey than my little road trip. But, the reality is, even a marathon has a finish line. In Jiu-jitsu, there really is no finish line. A lot of people look at the "ultimate" goal as getting to black belt. And while this is, no doubt a very admirable and difficult feat, that most who start down the path will never achieve, it is not an ending point. It is simply another mile marker along the way. How many people do you know that make it to black belt and then quit training? While there may be rare instances, it doesn't really happen. Because, by that point, Jiu-jitsu has become something that you've dedicated yourself to as a lifetime study.
We can think of the various colored belts as markers along the path. Sure, they hold some significance as reference points in our journey, but they themselves are not the goal. They only help us to keep track of how far we've come since we started. As new students, there is often a lot of enthusiasm towards learning Jiu-jitsu because everything is new and amazing. However, the newness will wear off. Eventually, you will have seen most of it before. But that doesn't stop it from being amazing! As long as I have done this, I am still intrigued by the beautiful simplicity and efficiency of the gentle art!
It is not uncommon for new students to be very motivated to learn and progress as fast as they can. Everyone wants to be good at Jiu-jitsu right away. The problem is, you just can't. The art is so complex and intricate, and yet at the same time so simple, that it takes a lifetime of study to truly master. So, I would encourage everyone who is on the path to slow down, and enjoy the process! There truly is no ultimate destination, so what are you in a hurry for? Most black belts that I know wish that they had more time at the lower belt ranks. Don't be in a hurry to get to the next mile marker, because what is really important is where you are at right now! You will never be as good as you would like to be and there will always be someone better. This is what keeps us coming back and wanting to learn more. So, take your time, get the most out of every moment on the mat, and enjoy the ride!
