I was talking with Ben Salomon (a longtime Easton student who has been training with Shawn Williams in LA) today about how important hard training is. Its a very important part of BJJ practice. Not every practice is balls to the walls, but testing your will and spirit is an important part of any martial art.
Most of us arent going to be stepping into a cage anytime soon, and some of us are far past our prime, so why even bother?
It's always a bit scary to engage in hard training, but when you finish the feeling of satisfaction is really worthwhile. Being drenched in sweat, worked and sore makes us feel a little more alive. Facing our fears and overcoming the negativity our ego shouts at us is important work.
Some people sit at their computers all the time, play video games, watch tv, and just sort of trudge through life. For you and me, we chose a different path. Not many people pursue something as difficult and as rigorous as BJJ. It doesnt matter that I have a black belt, I have the same battle against my ego and fear as you do. The wonderful thing is if you look around the mat at all your friends training, I promise you they can all empathize with what you are going through, because we all know how hard the training at BJJ can be.
I went to a comedy club a few months ago, I laughed for sure, and I can not tell you one thing that the comedian said. I hiked Palmyra peak in Telluride in the middle of winter and skiied it 10 years ago, I thought I was going to die, it was so gnarly...I can retell you every detail of that day.
Its the hard days that you remember, its defeats that you grow from and sometimes it is the pain and suffering of a hard day that makes us feel really alive and its how we evolve...
My yoga teacher told me, sometimes when you drop a glass it isnt worth fixing. its shattered. but you can reform it into something beautiful, like a vase. To do that you would need heat and tools. Well BJJ is what heats us and our "tool" is our will. And thats what our academy does for us on a daily basis.