Alright so technically jiujitsu doesn’t really have a season. I mean we train all year, could potentially train all year if willing to travel, and well let’s be honest… it’s just ALL YEAR. In order to perform well, and remain mentally and physically on point I like to take a month to “reboot.” I relax my training schedule, spend more time with friends and family, maybe actually ingest a cookie or two! GASP! I can hear you judging me already!
So now it’s the beginning of 2015. It’s a new year, I have my tournaments lined up from now until (cough, cough) October… ambitious, stupid, overkill you say? Well I look at it like this. Time is of the essence. Looking ahead let’s me know what I will face in the future; and planning so far in advance gives me an edge. Focus on the here and now and knock the first tournament out of the park! BAM! Cross it off the list. One down on my way to xyz. It’s my to-do list and as long as that to-do list is full I feel full of purposes, motivation and drive.
I do not handle chaos or surprises well. I’m a planner. My Ts are crossed and my Is are dotted. Now don’t get me wrong, I can wake up and decide to go to the beach or camping or on a weekend getaway. But this is JIU-JITSU! This is what I eat breathe and sleep. This is what I’ve waited for my entire life? I’ll let you in on a little secret, I am or was, also a runner. God knows I’ll never be crossing a marathon finish line first! But in jiujitsu, I can be first. I can train hard and make the magic happen. I can ride this journey out or I can push it along.
Isn’t that what life is about?
Andrea Harris trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the MA area. Currently a blue belt her focus is on competing this year. You can visit her fan page
Photo courtesy of Richard Photography
