Mop the mats!

This article is made for you grappling enthusiasts out there, specifically the wrestlers and BJJ players that are just starting out or need to revisit their passion for their sport. – By: Taylor Winzeler

You’re stepping on the mat. The home and sanctuary of all of your blood, sweat, and tears. Where you have spent a countless number of hours practicing, drilling and training. Now it’s time to put it together. A familiar feeling sends a wave of adrenaline down your spine as you step on to your playing field.

Are you a wrestler strapping on an ankle band? Or are you the BJJ player unweaving the tattered belt? Whichever you are,you share an unknown bond. The mat.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Collegiate Wrestling are not the same, nor do they have the same origins or scoring systems. But with all their differences, it is intriguing to look past and focus on what lies underneath the root of competition.

Think of back to the first day of your sport.

Do you remember thinking about where and when you should position your body to gain an advantage? Remember trying to resist a maneuver with pure strength and then getting crushed by somebody who has correct technique and the speed and power to back it up? This is the starting point for both sports. The struggle. This is how both clean white belts and fresh wrestling shoes begin their journey.

What’s amazing is when look back to the first technique that actually worked for you. Whether it be the arm-bar or half-nelson, the realization is both sports contain almost the same system of learning. Only by  repetition and drilling does technique become a part of muscle memory.

So how do we keep progressing?

First, find a technique that really catches your eye and study it. Then break it down, understand it, and eventually perfect it. Once the you begin to pull it off, it’ll become a new drug and you’ll want to do it over and over until it is second nature. Every grappler or wrestler knows exactly what I’m talking about. Once you have it down, move on to the next one. And repeat that over and over with different techniques for the rest of your life.

Remember, with grappling and all things in life, it takes drive, passion, and discipline to continuously get better. Achieve that sense of accomplishment never comes easy but the juice is worth the squeeze. After all, succeeding at something that at first seemed like a foreign language will always be satisfying no matter what you do in life.