I like to think that everyone has their good and bad training sessions. I had a bad training session the other day which pissedme off until the next day. I kept thinking- Ok, I should be better than this because the only bad training session is one you don’t learn from. I did learn a lot. But, making rookie mistakes and getting caught in stupid submissions is not acceptable for me.
If you have a bad day, week, or even a year, it is too easy for anyone to accept it and make excuses to justify their actions. This will keep you stuck in a “rut." In fighting, just like in life, when you get knocked down, or submitted a few times in my case, you have to keep moving forward. If you stop and dwell on mistakes you made in the past, you will get stuck in that mind set. If you learn from those mistakes, then you are overcoming those challenges. In striking, a fighter takes a clean hit. If he stops moving, defending himself or firing back, the opponent will see that and finish the fight. If he keeps calm, thinks about his mistake, he will NOT make that same mistake twice. The opponent may become flustered and think “I hit him clean… Why did it not phase him?” Then, the opponent will most likely make a mistake that you can take advantage of and win the fight.
On the ground, it’s the same thing. The difference is that you are dealing with positioning and submissions. For example, if a guy gets caught in a guillotine, and panics, he will tap out or lose consciousness. Not learning the proper techniques to escape properly, he will continue to make that mistake, keep getting tapped and become frustrated. However, if he remains calm, learns how to escape the guillotine, or exhaust his opponent, he will escape. He is now learning and moving forward in becoming a better grappler.
Life is not easy, I know. It can hit you harder than any punch or kick without leaving any physical scars. But, if you find a way to move forward, even just a little, you are “winning!!!” lol
It is easier to say this, but it is not all easy to do.
