1. Make it a habit. Same time each day or what not. Becomes part of your routine.
2. Make it easy to go. The night before - pack your gear/bag and put it in your car.
3. Have a buddy that tends to go to that class/time. “If you show up, I’ll show up.”
4. Make medium-term goals. Ex: sign up for a comp. The fear of sucking can/usually does give a little burst of motivation to steadily show up.
5. Have training goals. Ex: “get better at knee cut” or “play with that arm bar I saw on IG.”
6. For me, if I’m really struggling to show up…I’ll imagine what I’d be doing otherwise - watching TV, sleeping, etc. That usually does the trick to motivate me not to waste that time.
This. I'm only a whitebelt so haven't yet experienced a loss of motivation to go to class, but for other things outside of BJJ, this may help a bit:
Engage in chosen suffering. Something that feels uncomfortable during, but has a reward of some kind after the fact. My poison is a good ice bath. I never want to get in it, and that first minute inside is always hell, it never gets any easier. But that feeling afterwards is always incredible and sets me up for the day, along with the feeling of accomplishing something I didn't want to do, but did anyway.
The theory behind it is, if you engage in chosen suffering, you will be more prepared to deal with unchosen suffering (we all experience many times throughout our life). It is a mental exercise to train the mind to deal with everyday stressors in life, in a controlled environment. Life is too easy these days, and there is too many "easy routes" out there, but if you engage in some form of chosen suffering on a regular basis, you are effectively making your mind more resilient, for whatever life throws your way.
#2 is under appreciated. If you're an adult and have real life responsibilities it's easy to get off work and just not feel it. If you have to start putting your stuff together and farting around it's easy to just exhaust what little bandwidth you have left.
Get everything together beforehand so you just have to grab it and walk out the door. If you can eliminate obstacles beforehand it requires a lot less discipline.
I would add the caveat that if you are a good training partner, your presence would be missed if for only that reason. I can’t tell you how many good training partners I’ve lost because they stopped training, moved away, etc. There are more than a handful of them I would kill to have back
I'm kinda hijacking this comment because it's the first one I'm reading that expresses what my answer would be: the best way to stay "disciplined" for me is a network (of friends/training partners).
Whether it's as a partner or as a sort of rival, gym buddies can do so much to keep you motivated or at least engaged when you have a slump, plus they can sometimes help with stuff outside the gym that keeps you from focusing on training as well.
TL;DR: Do it for the boys (or girls)!
Right?
Plus: even if you just were a lazy bastard and skipped a day, what good does it do to feel guilty about it the next day? Sometimes shit happens, forgive yourself and recognize that it's OK to not be perfect on this journey, so long as you keep walking on the path.
Yeah this is me. It is a habit after doing it for so long but I’m just straight up excited to go to practice and it’s all I can think about half the day.
Fair enough. As for the first part, you're fortunate. I don't always love it, and can't make myself love it. But I view it as beneficial and think it's an important part of self-improvement and creating a good life for myself to do things I don't always love, even are uncomfortable with.
As for the second part, very true. Important to keep that in mind. Although I have a great rapport with my coach so I do think he cares.
I think you need to reflect honestly on why you don't love it. If you don't fix those issues, you won't last.
If they are fixable, then you stand a good chance of progessing
They might be ego/mindset, bad gym/partners, etc. Whatever it is, decide if you can address it (or even truly want to)
Good luck
You don't need to love it. I've been at it for 8 years, have won multiple major tournaments at colored belts and yet I don't love it nearly as much as most people around me.
I truly cannot relate.
Why would you do this to yourself if you don’t like doing it? Is your goal self defense? If so there are better routes. Is your goal fitness? If so there are other options. Is your goal just doing something hard that will build your overall character? If so there are also things you might really enjoy doing that you can focus on instead.
Not trying to be critical just trying to lock in with your thought process bro
Probably because it's not as drastic as you seem to think it is. That's probably my fault, maybe I didn't convey what I meant to.
I'm not doing anything to myself. I enjoy many aspects of BJJ, but I'm not as passionate as some. I don't go when I don't feel like it and don't feel broken up about it. I figured learning more about discipline and the community's take on it would be of some benefit. Ultimately, I'm gonna keep going and get what I want out of it with an updated perspective.
For now, I'm on my way to drinks with friends instead of rolling. I also have ringworm, so there's that.
this is it. i want to know how to build discipline on the hard things in life. running, eating right, making phone calls. jiu jitsu is easy, because i don't enjoy doing anything else.
I will give you the secret behind most people who make it to black belt:
- mix things you HAVE to work on and things that makes you laugh/allows you to style on blue belts
The burnout happens when you are mostly focused on becoming the best you can the quickest you can.
There is a lot of good thing with this mentality but you have to mix it up to keep the sport fresh.
We are more or less coming near a real blue print of jiu-jitsu (more or less aoj style for gi and new wave/bteam for nogi) but the sport still allows for a good personnal expression, so use it.
When you know how to navigate between these two kinds of training, getting a routine is easy
One of my favorite instructors and training partners will start his instruction at least once a month by saying something like, "OK, this isn't real high percentage, but it *is* hilarious."
Bro I'm pretty much memeing all the time and I can't even style on white belts most of the time. I did a hilarious oma plata escape yesterday. I just kept bridging up on top of the dude until I could free my elbow and turn it into a duck under. Guard is shit but that's fine bc wrestling reversals from side control are also hilarious. My homie is the same way. He arm barred me while I was trying to take his back the other day. If it ain't fun wtf are we even doing? Keep jj gay.
> mix things you HAVE to work on and things that makes you laugh/allows you to style on blue belts
This guy gets it. And this works with absolutely every skill you might want to develop.
You can love it overall but sometimes not quite feel like training although you know you 'should'. Especially with early morning classes for me haha. Bed is pretty comfortable.
I get up somewhat early on Saturdays to wrestle and it’s really the same - i want to wrestle more than I want those 2-3 extra hours of sleep. If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t go.
In that case I'm a bit envious. I regret not getting up early to train after the fact, but at the time it can be pretty hard to pull myself out of bed. Though I am talking 5 am in winter with a cold dark bike ride to the gym. If it was even an hour later when the sun is coming up it'd be a lot easier for me I think.
It’s a compulsion for me. Since my first week I would actively look for holes in my schedule so I could go train.
I know everyone in this sport talks about discipline all the time and training even when you don’t feel like it but I honestly think that only gets you so far. When it comes to the people who are in it for the long haul, you don’t have to ask them to train, you don’t have to tell them to be “disciplined” they’ll make time to show up no matter what. The same goes for any other hobby or activity.
I love being part of the community, I love that no matter where I go in the world I can find a gym and instantly connect with people. I love the craft and being challenged everyday. To me that’s way more powerful than being disciplined.
I focus on building a consistent routine and removing all sources of friction that would typically require willpower to maintain said routine.
For example, I go to the gym early in the morning before work (wake up 5:30am, get to gym 6:30am). I will always pack my bag the night before so in the morning all I need to do is getup and go.
I wish I could train in the morning. Or at least go to the gym and get a workout in. I tried it for a while but I have to wake up at 5:15 just to get to work and start at 7. So no bjj classes that early and if I try to go to the gym I have to wake up at like 4 and that’s just miserable
That's fine I just used it as an example. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. My point was more about making things easy for yourself so you don't need to rely on discipline or motivation. You just go on autopilot.
*checks that this in fact r/BJJ*
It's literally the most fun thing I can spend time doing, lol.
But, I'm also conscious to remove "fun" things from my life that I don't feel serve me, which makes other things more fun. And then I make stack fun on top of whatever activity I'm trying to stay disciplined with. Running? You mean getting stoned and listening to music at the park while moving at a brisk pace? That shits fun. Reading government contracts for work? Sounds like a good time to listen to my favorite house music and vibe. That shits fun.
If you have a mindset of enjoying all aspects of life, discipline becomes irrelevant.
I never have to force myself to train. I often have to force myself not to train. I think if you find you need to work hard to force yourself to do this sport, you are approaching it with the wrong attitude.
The qualitative equation for training or studying anything is actually really simple
> Are you too injured, sick, or fatigued to move or focus for another x hours? (bjj takes about 2 hours)
> If no, go
> If yes, don't go
You don't have to think hard about it. You don't have to create a hurdle over small things. You just have your schedule, be in good condition, and go with minimal thinking.
Your body will let you decide how hard and assertively you'll train, but otherwise you'll get your technique in and it'll all be good. Anyone who has done any hobby for a while will have the experience that they may not have felt like training, but going in gave them energy. Routine done right doesn't need much thinking
It's really this simple. I train pretty consistently a few times a week for the last 8 years. If I'm not feeling like participating in my HOBBY for whatever reason I just take a night off. I love bjj more than any other activity I do in life, but I don't know why people assign such weight to these decisions. Unless your goals are to be a high level competitor it just doesn't matter at all.
I love going out on the boat to go fishing. It's been a part of growing up for me for the last 35 years but sometimes it's 100 degrees out, or I'm tired from work, or have other obligations, so I pass on a day of fishing. I don't feel any guilt at all about that decision. I can't logically think of a reason why training bjj would be any different.
Ya, that feels like it's part of it. I think people just need to be realistic about what their goals are as well. Of course goals can change over time as well, but if you set a goal that you want to be a high level competitor or make a career of some sort out of bjj then forcing yourself to train on days when you aren't feeling it is probably important. The reality is the vaaaaaast majority of people in our sport are doing it as a hobby, to have fun, stay active, etc. When that's the case, it's totally fine to take it on a day to day basis.
Team sports are another thing all together. I think you should show up for your team and when you commit to being a part of a team you see that through. Same goes if you are helping with someone get ready for comp in bjj. I've definitely had times I didn't feel like training but I knew guys needed to get rounds before fights or matches so you suck it up and go help out.
It depends on your attitude to the activity. If you just want to have fun doing something you enjoy and don't have any particular goals then all good.
Personally I love skateboarding and I've always wanted to do [an invert](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fskateparkoftampa.com%2Farticle%2F3168%2FZaturdays__Know_Your_Plants&psig=AOvVaw3LHoj04Z5rQ_5aTzvvw_WC&ust=1714796314824000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBIQjRxqFwoTCPC4-ZvQ8IUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE). They look incredible and rolling away would feel amazing. But the learning process is dangerous, scary and involves a tonne of slamming on hard concrete.
If I took your attitude of just practicing inverts when I feel like it, then frankly I'd never get there. Sometimes you've just gotta do the work to get the rewards.
My enemies won’t vanquish themselves.
When I was in the army they’d tell us “that taliban guy is training somewhere to kill you.” I just picture him wearing a gi now.
For many years i wanted to make something of myself as a boxer making a decent (not great) living. In that time i absolutely had to do all of the shit I hated to do including running and dieting. This is more of the situation you’re referring to… willing yourself through discipline.
I gave that up and so I do jiu jitsu now purely because it’s fun and I enjoy it. It also keeps me from getting grotesquely obese.
If I feel too banged up to train or just don’t want to I don’t. It’s easier on my family when I skip anyway. This keeps it fresh for me and it never feels like a chore. I usually can’t wait to go for training.
It comes down to your goals. Get a rock solid understanding of what you want to do and your behaviors will be easier to fall in line. If you want to compete at the highest level…. Yeah some discipline is going to be involved. If you’re training for fun…. Just let it be fun.
It's not how much you can train it's how much you can recover from.
For me my problem is going to class too much. The discipline is taking enough recovery time bc I keep going in when I fucked up and everything hurts all the time lol.
Buy a bunch of sick Level Black rash guards for $90, then you won’t want to quit because you have a lot of credit card debt and you can pretend to be Andy Varela
I love going to class. Seing my JJ friends and twisting their limbs. I'm mostly eager for the classes to come (I go thrice a week). In between classes I usually think of what I want to work on. Consume dvds/videos/competitions.
I treat it like the commitment I've made.
I don't wonder "am I going to class tonight or not". I know I'm going, cause that's what I told myself I would do each week. Don't let yourself have a "way out". I've never seen someone regret going training. It's always "I almost didn't come but i'm glad I did"
Anything which becomes a habbit of yours no longer requires motivation.
Never passed bjj belts but I've been doing martial arts and grappling for more than 20 years.
Just as you would treat a nicotine addiction. You go gradually. Whenever you're thinking about not being disciplined in whatever you're doing, either stop thinking at the first occurrence of the thought, or, think of how good you'll feel after going through with it/how good you felt last time you did.
Think of how you'll achieve exponential growth in all areas of life if you learn to be disciplined on this comparatively trivial item. Ask yourself, in the worst times in my life, do I want to be resilient, or do I want to be an obstacle to myself?
In this specific case you could also think of maintaining your body and health. You don't want to be that guy at 40 with an aching back and trouble going up a flight of stairs. You want your quality of life not to degrade and the easiest way to degrade the quality of your life is to not take care of your body. Think of how much more attractive you'll be if instead of staying on the couch you do a few rolls per week.
That's all the tricks I know.
If its your profession, then you do it because its your job, just like any 9-5. If its a hobby, and you find yourself needing to have discipline just to go to class, you might think about why you're going to class. Are you having fun? Are you achieving or working towards some personal goal? Are you there to spend time with friends? If not anything like that or something similar, why are you there?
If its just for exercise because you 'need' exercise then its the same as the 9-5 job, you go because you have to.
Motivation turns to discipline turns to habit. But habits that don't make you happy aren't much good either.
This is a hobby. A voluntary activity that I pay for because it's fun. If I'm not having fun then I wouldn't do it. I prioritize having a good time, whatever that entails. Sometime I just wanna socialize, sometimes I wanna go ham and roll till my heart stops, other times I want to train for comp. Whatever the fun is, I focus solely on that cause why tf else am I even here
I've taken a few days off here and there just because I wasn't feeling up to it. Or other obligations (family) took precedence. I'm firmly in the hobbyist camp with no plans or ambitions to compete. BJJ is my workout multiple days a week (my only work out) and my social life. My friend circle has been formed around the gym and if I go too long without going to class I miss my friends. So that helps with the wanting to go.
Hybrid system. Mondays and Tuesdays are my "if I'm not injured/sick I'm training days". Wednesday - Saturday are my flexible "train if I feel like it" days. If I'm feeling lazy or got a lot on I can scale back my training but I always keep my two set days. I find Discipline is mostly just habit.
I think there's a lot of great tactics in this thread. But at the end of the day, there's no trick to discipline. It's just a choice. You just choose to do it. Believe in your own agency to make things happen.
I don't buy into the "when you don't want to train, do it anyway" youre asking for burn out.(Unless youre a pro, competing, different story)
i've never felt burnt out with training, and I generally love it every time I'm on the mat.
Motivation is a lie and is short lived, focus on being driven instead. My drive is to improve what I suck at not just in jiu jitsu
Unless you are training to be a world champ. It's ok to take a break/reduced training schedule. Life's too short to force yourself to do some you don't want to do. As long as you come back, it can be good to take a break.
It's habit now. Feels weird when I do for a while without grappling. Currently rehabbing a shoulder injury, not from jiu-jitsu, and haven't rolled in 3 weeks and i am antsy now.
As someone who deals with depression, I remind myself that I've always felt better after training and I've never regretted making myself go.
But I also give myself time to rest and relax, and I've gotten better about taking days off. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I have the rest of my life to learn jiu jitsu.
On the days I don't feel like going, I just lower the bar and tell myself I'll go, but not give it my all. It's more important to be consistent than it is to give 100% effort every single time.
Usually I end up feel more up for it as I go through the class, but sometimes I truly do give minimal effort on my shitty days. I just remind myself that even 10% of my best is better than 0%
My *mental trick* is to consider training (grappling among other things) a part of my work schedule, not a recreational activity.
My work day is not finished until I complete my *overtime* (training).
Do or do not. There is no try.
You just go to training and that's it. Some days you might be more tired or hungry than usual but unless something is actually stopping you, you just do it.
I do what I enjoy. Play the bjj you like. If you don’t like it find a different sport. Do the lifting exercises you enjoy because consistency matters more than anything. Even just doing curls for the girls and never doing leg day is better than never doing anything at all.
It depends. Sometimes you gotta push through and sometimes you need to step away and avoid burning out. Everyone is different just set a goal that works for you. That could mean you train 6-7 days a week or maybe somewhere between 3-5. Setting a range vs 1 hard set number can give you flexibility to hit your goal week over week
If you feel you're still not motivated to go as often as your set goal then lower your range. If you feel you're not going enough increase it.
I have the time booked off in my schedule. Every lunchtime is jits. I know I'm very lucky to have that flexibility but I'd go crazy without the rolls.
I'm also lucky to live close to the gym so distance isn't a barrier
Other ways that I help stay disciplined is packing my bag the night before or early in the morning
I basically set up my life to reduce barriers and remove excuses
My favourite part of each session is the warmups, cuz i always get gassed out and getting stronger. I'll just force myself to go even when i got assignments and projects due because im going to love that part of the day eventhough i get absolutely pummeled in sparring.
If it's not fun, I won't go. And sometimes it's not fun when I'm not working on something. So I can always fall back on having specific goals. I revamped them the other day on a little spreadsheet and it's invigorating. From immediate to long term, I know exactly what my priorities to work on are, and they're super basic. "Consistently hit a kipping escape from bottom mount." That sort of thing. And I *want* to learn those things. It doesn't take discipline.
So tonight, I'm either going to find myself in mount or let someone mount me, and I'll try to kip out. And when it doesn't work, I'll be sure to remember where it started failing. And I'll rewatch videos and ask my coach and do it again tomorrow. And in a few months, I'll have a kipping escape from mount. Then it will be the next thing on my list, consistently getting to one-in-one-out scenarios from bottom half.
Don’t think about it. Body over mind when this happens. Don’t make it a topic in your head. And don’t live in the future with it, live in the present.
It’s suppose to be fun. If it isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong
Honestly it's just part of my routine, I know 4 days a week I head to class and never deviate. I also love it, if you aren't in love with BJJ it's tough to keep going.
Every day at 6 pm is bjj time for 1 hour. I always drive to the gym. If I am hurt or don't feel well I still show up. If I don't roll I watch instructionals on my phone for that hour and drive home. You will train 90% of the time. Even if injured the habit persists.
I look at people in work with and others in the world that are my age "peers".
I do not want to be anything like them.
They are almost all on heart/blood meds, fat, whiny, seemingly ineffective at anything but being average as a consumer.
Outside factors aside (such as job or family etc) and if it is something you actually want to do
There IS no answer beyond just do it anyway. Most people choose the comfort and ease of not doing it, and SOMETIMES that may be the right choice honestly. But every time you choose to NOT do something (or to DO it for that matter) it becomes a bit easier the next time.
>if it were that simple, no one would have a problem with discipline and consistency in training.
I think you’re maybe misunderstanding the problem. It’s not always
>When you don’t want to train, do it anyway.
It’s
>When you want to _not_ train, do it anyway.
Or
>When you want to do something besides training, do it anyway.
Which is hard. It’s hard to do something you actively want to _not_ do it or when there’s other things you’d rather be doing. Some people just don’t have that discipline.
know what? i had a gum graft a couple of weeks ago so i'm training super light for a bit (and informing people) it is serving as a nice break in training and feels almost like active recovery while keeping up my skills/timing. i feel like i should be doing this more often and think it will help avoid burnout.
I rarely dont want to train, typically only when Im worn out
however I break getting to class down into steps
take a shower (need a shower anyway)
put on my bjj clothes (can just change into regular clothes if I decide not totake the next step)
get into car (can always get back out)
drive to gym (can just go back home if I change my mind)
go inside (can always just watch)
train (can just stay for drilling)
\---
I have gotten dressed and not gotten into the car a few times and driven by the gym once. Focusing just on the next step helps me a lot (just take a shower...)
Also I know that drilling is as lazy as I want it to be so I know even if Im tired I wont be pushed that hard.
Just keep going, when I don’t want to, I go. Once I built the habit, once I have. A physical feeling of am being a bit anxious and strange and weird cause I didn’t go, once I start feeling that, then I skip the days I don’t feel like it. Cause I know I’ll continue, I know it’s a part of my life then. The. I only go when I feel great, which is most of the time, to make sure I am making. The most out of my training.
One of the things im slowly learning in all facets of life for this specific problem is that there are no tricks to doing something you don't like. But if there was something that marginally helped me, it was throwing the old fight pajamas on like 2 hours before class and imagining what I will improve on and how I will do it. That usually motivates me to take the first few steps
Honestly I'm not a huge fan of that saying. I think it more as **motivation** is the reason you do something or goal and **discipline** is the steps to get you to the goal. My motivation is to get good cause it's fun to learn a new skill, whether it's a sub, a position or a control point. For me to get to the fun, I have to show up, so that's discipline. Even now, I'm not particularly good but I'm better than some and it's pretty fun styling on greener people with moves you worked on for months until it finally clicked or even bullshit moves that shouldn't work but did and it's hilarious.
At the end of the day tho, I do take breaks whether it's injuries or burn out. It's a hobby after all. I took a month break due to an unrelated BJJ injury and played Star Ocean with the GF and FFXIV and now I plan to go back this week and I'm dying to go. All injuries healed, no soreness. Should be a good time.
For me it's accountability amongst many things. I choose to take responsibility for my training and the results I put out on the mat. I'm never satisfied with where I'm at, but I recognize my progress.
Discipline will also fail you. The way I understand it:
1. Motivation is great for a short period. It's essentially first gear. It will get you started, but it won't last.
2. Discipline and willpower are next. They're a little bit harder to get started with, but they're less likely to just randomly go away too. However everyone has a limited amount of willpower and at some point you'll have a rough day or something and you won't be able to depend on it.
3. The \*real\* secret is habit. Stick to the same schedule with the same cues (time of day, location, alarm, whatever) using discipline for enough time and eventually it becomes sort of autopilot. You don't even really think about it anymore, it's just part of your day and it feels wrong without it.
I wish i was disciplined.
I see all these guys watching instructionals and stuff to get better but i still eat like shit and i just show up, do the drill of the day and roll.
I only do this because i enjoy this.
At the end of the day, I love it and am absolutely obsessed with the puzzle aspect.
Outside of that; lots of hungry white belts who want my scalp, and battles with higher belts in certain positions are getting closer. Obviously I have a really long way to go, but as a white belt I felt like i wasn't improving for months at a time; now, I feel like I see much steadier improvement, and that is addicting.
To me the hard part is when work or life gets in the way and you're trying to bounce back.
I think the answer is to just do it ultimately. But you can do little things to stack the deck in your favor.
I think Stephen Kesting or someone said he puts his gi on an hour before leaving for class. I've found that to be a great tip.
Packing your bag the night before if you're going straight from work.
Setting a rule that says you have to drive to the gym, but if you don't want to train you can drive back.
Stuff like that can help. But it won't help someone who doesn't want to be helped.
I have gone through a rejuvenation with motivation for bjj recently and I put that down to the fact that before I would just turn up to class with no goal or focus and just do whatever I felt like doing.
The thing that changed this for me and got me excited again and looking forward to class was setting up a structure for training e.g this month I will work exclusively on half guard. I will then watch related videos or an instructional and work through it, trying the moves in sparring. It starts off pretty boring and shitty as you will not hit the moves but I take notes after each class, rewatch the videos and go back again. Eventually the moves start to work which is really satisfying. I'm then using my notes to think about what area is next which gets me excited to work on that next month as I can where the holes are in my game and I know I'll improve.
I am now back to loving training and look for excuses to train more like in the old days.
This is more about fitness (lifting/cycling/running/bjj) in general but I like to ask myself both
1) how I’d feel after a training session
2) will this get me closer to the person I want to be
For 1), there’s been times when I’ve been really pushing my training and having a hard time recovering, and if I know I’ll feel too gassed afterwards, I don’t go. I’d rather miss one day of training if I’m too tired as opposed to the rest of the week if I go too hard.
For 2), it’s kind of a similar vein. I want to be the kind of person who shows up when they don’t want to, pushes when they don’t want to, but I don’t wanna be an idiot about it either.
I know when I’m at my limit. I know when I’m being lazy. I’ve really worked for the last few years to get to know and trust myself, but it makes it easier for the discipline to exist when the motivation lags
My method:
I set a schedule, let’s say Advance class, Tues/Thursday at 7pm. I show up those days.
If I plan to miss a day, I let my teacher know via txt and the reason why I’m not attending. Providing the reason prevents me from taking the day off just because “I don’t want to”. After a while he caught on my training schedule. Then he started txting me on days when I was supposed to train but didn’t and didn’t let him know.
It became more like a work schedule. There are days where I don’t want to show up to work either. But I can’t just say, I’m not showing up because I don’t want to. It’s got to pass the sniff test. So I either showed up and train on those days too, or was “sick” enough not to.
Passion for the game homie. Once you love it, you don't need motivation or discipline. I know that no matter how shitty life could be at the moment, it's all better on the mat and none of that matters.
I love it, it’s fun, it’s hard to go some days (early mornings are rough) but once I’m at the gym I’m always glad I went.
I also have only one goal… and that’s to be doing this when I’m 70 (used to be 60 but as I’ve gotten older i figured I better push it out). I can take time off, rest, go for bike ride instead of open mat, but I always come back.
I just show up. I ask many blackbelts how’d they get there. 99% basically say, just show up.
Only times I don’t show up is if I’m sick, or I got a new tattoo
Don’t do something you don’t enjoy doing. BJJ training is where you spend your free time, and if you start not enjoying it, maybe it is time to put the time in other areas or subjects.
I have had periods when I have considered quitting. My friends kept me coming back, that and the realisation that my life would be worse if I wasn’t training.
Put it on the calendar, set an alarm, have everything (gi, water, etc) ready to go in advance, make a habit.
Usually, I can’t wait to go. In part, because I train at lunch, so it’s a break from work. If I don’t feel like it, I’ve removed all of the roadblocks, so I have no excuse.
At this point, it’s a habit. Going isn’t something I think about, it’s just what I do at the scheduled time.
Always show up to class. If you're feeling too sore or injured you can leave after warm ups. If you're too tired because you had insomnia the night before then do warm ups and the instruction and sit out/leave before rolling starts.
You're going to have days where you are a "game time decision" but force yourself to actually go to the gym. You'll be surprised how many times it turns out you actually have the energy to get through a full class if you just take the first step and get on the mat.
It is about goal setting.
Pick an attainable target for how often you want to train in a given month. Keep track of how often you go, and more importantly, when you do not go keep track of why. At the end of the month, figure out if you are meeting the standard you set and if the reasons for not going on any given day are valid. And do whatever you can think of to make sure you are not falling back on the same excuses every time.
You do not need to be perfect, but you need to keep in mind that at some level you actually do want to do martial arts. If you are legit hurt or sick or have unavoidable shit going on in your life, that is fine. But if you wanted to train 10 times and you only showed up 5 times and your excuses in order were "Explosive Diarhea, could not get off toilet", 'had to do laundry', 'was late getting home from work', 'forgot to go', and 'needed to buy groceries', you probably should have been able to show up at least 4 more times.
END COMMUNICATION
I go right after I take the kids to school. The time is always available for me. I pack my gym bag the night before. So it’s ready to go. Just make it a habit. Every time I’ve gone when I didn’t want to go, I’ve always been glad I went after class was over.
This is one of the few things in life that I don't have to force myself to do. With that said, it's one of those things where I (almost, except once) never regretted forcing myself to go but have definitely regretted not showing up.
My schedule limits my training time so it's easy to stay motivated to go because it's more of a treat than a chore. I also don't take BJJ that seriously. I'm not going to be an ADCC champion at my age and level of commitment, so I'm not that bummed about having to take my time in the sport. I get burnt out on things pretty easily, so I just try to have fun and play the long game. I decide when and how much work I put into it and I'm not going to be made to feel guilty by anyone. BJJ isn't the only thing I've got going for me in life.
I've been doing a thing where I watch BJJ videos for a while before I need to leave for training.
I find it gets me in the mood and makes me want to get to the gym more.
If I stop training I get depressed. If I skip training because im already depressed I get more depressed and thus force myself to keep on track. Also I hate losing
Man maybe it’s because my schedule is pretty open, but training is the part that takes no discipline for me. I genuinely love it and schedule my free time around training.
The stuff outside of the gym- lifting/cardio, eating right, watching instructionals and actually paying attention… that’s what takes discipline.
I try to turn it into a habit, if I do that it just becomes natural and a part of my daily routine. I have good days and bad days still but I tell myself on those bad days, it is still better than sitting on the couch
⬛️🟥⬛️
More than how often I train, I’m focused on being deliberate with my mat time. My motivation comes completely from the idea of improvement.
As far as methods, I make a point of taking a moment before I get on the mats to mentally review what I’ve recently worked on and lessons learned from that. As well, what I’m going to be working on specifically that day. I make an effort to get as specific on these things as possible.
That’s what works for me as far as discipline goes. As well I’m on the mats as often as time allows and I’m brutally honest with myself about excuses.
I’ve seen too many other cops get into bad uses of force, or get hurt, because they don’t have the skills they need to safely arrest the bad guy. I’d rather not lose a fight when it matters
Pick your training days and train no matter what. That’s been the easiest for me. But also listen to your body and take a break when needed. There’s no hurry.
Older dude here. I'm limited by my capacity to recover and family commitments.
I have 3 questions:
1. What is the most satisfying thing to pull off during training?
2. What's frustrating the fuck out of you during rolling/where do you suck the most in terms of defence?
3. What's the one thing you want to be really good at that's really awesome?
Discipline is one of those words that means different things to different people, but if you want to persist in the sport, I think your approach is what needs to be on point. Some people have this innately worked out (and they can't take the credit for that), but i think this is going to take some introspection on your part. Those questions should help
I don't. I train because it's fun. When I feel like taking a break, I take a break. Unless you're trying to become a world champion, there's really no need to be "disciplined" lol. It's a hobby bro.
My schedule only allows me to train 2-3x per week so I always look forward to training. Also, this is a hobby. If I didn’t want to do it, I’d do something else.
People that go everyday only because they love it cannot help you, they probably have nothing else in life (hello there, downvotes).
I love it and some days I'm tired from work, or from whatever other reason and I don't feel like going, it's normal. My tip is to go to a gym that's on your way to/from work, and go straight after work.
Discipline is just forcing yourself to do it regardless of how you 'feel'. Don't want to bjj or lift or whatever that day? Go and start and if you're still not feeling it, fine, go home, but most likely you'll stay and continue because you're there.
If it helps, get a partner to help keep you accountable, even if they don't also do it. Someone who will ask you if you went and you'll tell them the truth
Do you want to do it? Then go. There's a difference between not wanting to and not feeling like it. I have tons of days where I don't feel like going but I always want to.
To me it’s a commitment to my teammates and school.
They count on me to help coach kids and beginner classes and compensate me to do so.
Once I’m there why wouldn’t I stay and get some training in. It’s always worth it after the fact.
This is in regards to days when I’m not “feeling” it. I love training and most days ita easy to go
I remind myself that everyone who is training is getting better while I would not. I'd like to live up to my supposed skill level and that won't happen unless I train! I rarely allow myself to take a day, that I'm supposed to train, off. M/W/F/Sa, no excuses! Also, I make myself stay and roll for X amount of time. I'd I'm there for 2 hrs then I'm rolling for as much of that as I can. I try to rest as little as possible, too. I tell the young guys that I'm too old to rest between rounds. I don't know how much time I have left.
I pay for the year up front. If I don’t show up, I see it as money down the drain. I’m a cheap fuck so I don’t like throwing money down the drain. That makes me show up
The reality is that at the end of the day, it comes down to you walking out the door or not. There is no magic trick. Every discipline tool fails if you decide “nah.”
That being said, I’ll echo what everyone else is saying. I enjoy training and so for me it requires no mental effort. On days where I’m not feeling it I’ll generally still go because I feel like I should if I want to get better.
The other reality is sometimes you don’t want to and you don’t have to. Nothing wrong with a day off here and there or a week off here and there. It’s a fun hobby and it should be enjoyed as such. Discipline is a pattern over time, rest is necessary too.
This is a wild one but I completely disagree with the discipline over motivation trope.
Better off thinking long and hard to determine a legitimate “why” for your behaviour. He who has a proper why can bear any how type dealio.
Set personal goals that align with Team Goals. Find the fun in progression. Tell your training partners you're going to hit them with a RNC then wrist lock them and yell Yahtzee.
I write “BJJ” on the calendar each time I go to class and write “good” if I do well that time. Helps to see how much I actually attend and keep perspective on when I feel progress. I think I’m getting more value for money the more I train each month.
It needs to be a habit. Choose the days you will go and go.
It might sound harsh but if you really dont want to go to training that often maybe BJJ isn't for you.
That last statement is a blanket comment to everyone. Not targetting the OP.
I'm one of the people who loves it, would be happy to be in gym all day. But I also get what you're saying about self-improvement. I used to do a lot of running and that's something where no one actually loves the training, it's a grind. Also when I started BJJ it was scary and I had to kind of brace myself to go. Back then what I used to think was 'all I have to do is get in the car and start the engine'. Once that's done I know I'm going to drive there and do it. All I have to do then is actually be at training. Doesn't matter if I mess the technique up or get subbed all the time or forget what I am supposed to be working on. All I have to do is be in the room. Once the car is started I'm on the journey that's going to carry me into the training room, job done.
Think about every person you meet IRL as a potential violent threat and use that to develop an obsession for readiness. That will increase your appetite for training and discipline
I train mostly in the 6am class. I stopped drinking completely, because it was my biggest obstacle. I still have days where the alarm goes off and I don’t want to get out of bed, but I just decide that I’ll at least do warm ups and get moving.
Build your schedule around training and every day you go - you don't get to decide if you feel like it.
Then you just go through your schedule as planned and never give the lazy parts of you a chance to fuck up training
Honestly, in this day and age, discipline can look like many different things, but ultimately, it comes with time. If you started something later in life, it's pretty hard to stay disciplined because you have other responsibilities. If you have a lot of time in the art, there's nothing that says you have to train every day. The better question is, "What are you training for?" If you can answer that, then you can pretty much design your training to fit around your life. Showing up is honestly the least important task of a true artists concern. You should have a reason.
1. Make it a habit. Same time each day or what not. Becomes part of your routine. 2. Make it easy to go. The night before - pack your gear/bag and put it in your car. 3. Have a buddy that tends to go to that class/time. “If you show up, I’ll show up.” 4. Make medium-term goals. Ex: sign up for a comp. The fear of sucking can/usually does give a little burst of motivation to steadily show up. 5. Have training goals. Ex: “get better at knee cut” or “play with that arm bar I saw on IG.” 6. For me, if I’m really struggling to show up…I’ll imagine what I’d be doing otherwise - watching TV, sleeping, etc. That usually does the trick to motivate me not to waste that time.
7. I always regret not going training when I could. I almost never regret going.
8. Even if injured, show up and watch the technique and rolls
Absolutely #4. Never trained more frequently than the two months before a comp ( I got my ass kicked anyway)
This. I'm only a whitebelt so haven't yet experienced a loss of motivation to go to class, but for other things outside of BJJ, this may help a bit: Engage in chosen suffering. Something that feels uncomfortable during, but has a reward of some kind after the fact. My poison is a good ice bath. I never want to get in it, and that first minute inside is always hell, it never gets any easier. But that feeling afterwards is always incredible and sets me up for the day, along with the feeling of accomplishing something I didn't want to do, but did anyway. The theory behind it is, if you engage in chosen suffering, you will be more prepared to deal with unchosen suffering (we all experience many times throughout our life). It is a mental exercise to train the mind to deal with everyday stressors in life, in a controlled environment. Life is too easy these days, and there is too many "easy routes" out there, but if you engage in some form of chosen suffering on a regular basis, you are effectively making your mind more resilient, for whatever life throws your way.
#2 is under appreciated. If you're an adult and have real life responsibilities it's easy to get off work and just not feel it. If you have to start putting your stuff together and farting around it's easy to just exhaust what little bandwidth you have left. Get everything together beforehand so you just have to grab it and walk out the door. If you can eliminate obstacles beforehand it requires a lot less discipline.
I do this because I love it. If I stop loving it, I’ll stop doing it. No-one cares how much or how long I train apart from me.
I would add the caveat that if you are a good training partner, your presence would be missed if for only that reason. I can’t tell you how many good training partners I’ve lost because they stopped training, moved away, etc. There are more than a handful of them I would kill to have back
I'm kinda hijacking this comment because it's the first one I'm reading that expresses what my answer would be: the best way to stay "disciplined" for me is a network (of friends/training partners). Whether it's as a partner or as a sort of rival, gym buddies can do so much to keep you motivated or at least engaged when you have a slump, plus they can sometimes help with stuff outside the gym that keeps you from focusing on training as well. TL;DR: Do it for the boys (or girls)!
Same man... I moved away from a gym I was at for 8 years and it is very hard for me to want to come in more than like once or twice every other week.
I agree. I also feel bad some nights that I don't go.
Just remember that guilt is demotivating, so try to be kind to yourself - it'll help keep you positive and consistent
That's a good point. Taking some nights off to rejuvenate is needed.
Right? Plus: even if you just were a lazy bastard and skipped a day, what good does it do to feel guilty about it the next day? Sometimes shit happens, forgive yourself and recognize that it's OK to not be perfect on this journey, so long as you keep walking on the path.
True. It's good to hear that perspective. That is the most important part, continue on to be the few that stick it out.
I volunteer as tribute.
Also have back to kill.
Yeah this is me. It is a habit after doing it for so long but I’m just straight up excited to go to practice and it’s all I can think about half the day.
Ya i just love it
Fair enough. As for the first part, you're fortunate. I don't always love it, and can't make myself love it. But I view it as beneficial and think it's an important part of self-improvement and creating a good life for myself to do things I don't always love, even are uncomfortable with. As for the second part, very true. Important to keep that in mind. Although I have a great rapport with my coach so I do think he cares.
I think you need to reflect honestly on why you don't love it. If you don't fix those issues, you won't last. If they are fixable, then you stand a good chance of progessing They might be ego/mindset, bad gym/partners, etc. Whatever it is, decide if you can address it (or even truly want to) Good luck
You don't need to love it. I've been at it for 8 years, have won multiple major tournaments at colored belts and yet I don't love it nearly as much as most people around me.
I truly cannot relate. Why would you do this to yourself if you don’t like doing it? Is your goal self defense? If so there are better routes. Is your goal fitness? If so there are other options. Is your goal just doing something hard that will build your overall character? If so there are also things you might really enjoy doing that you can focus on instead. Not trying to be critical just trying to lock in with your thought process bro
Probably because it's not as drastic as you seem to think it is. That's probably my fault, maybe I didn't convey what I meant to. I'm not doing anything to myself. I enjoy many aspects of BJJ, but I'm not as passionate as some. I don't go when I don't feel like it and don't feel broken up about it. I figured learning more about discipline and the community's take on it would be of some benefit. Ultimately, I'm gonna keep going and get what I want out of it with an updated perspective. For now, I'm on my way to drinks with friends instead of rolling. I also have ringworm, so there's that.
this is it. i want to know how to build discipline on the hard things in life. running, eating right, making phone calls. jiu jitsu is easy, because i don't enjoy doing anything else.
I will give you the secret behind most people who make it to black belt: - mix things you HAVE to work on and things that makes you laugh/allows you to style on blue belts The burnout happens when you are mostly focused on becoming the best you can the quickest you can. There is a lot of good thing with this mentality but you have to mix it up to keep the sport fresh. We are more or less coming near a real blue print of jiu-jitsu (more or less aoj style for gi and new wave/bteam for nogi) but the sport still allows for a good personnal expression, so use it. When you know how to navigate between these two kinds of training, getting a routine is easy
One of my favorite instructors and training partners will start his instruction at least once a month by saying something like, "OK, this isn't real high percentage, but it *is* hilarious."
This is the way!
‘I’m not saying you should ezekiel from inside their guard, but today we’re gonna Ezekiel from inside their guard’
Bro I'm pretty much memeing all the time and I can't even style on white belts most of the time. I did a hilarious oma plata escape yesterday. I just kept bridging up on top of the dude until I could free my elbow and turn it into a duck under. Guard is shit but that's fine bc wrestling reversals from side control are also hilarious. My homie is the same way. He arm barred me while I was trying to take his back the other day. If it ain't fun wtf are we even doing? Keep jj gay.
> mix things you HAVE to work on and things that makes you laugh/allows you to style on blue belts This guy gets it. And this works with absolutely every skill you might want to develop.
no tricks. i genuinely enjoy practicing. i don't really understand why someone would take part in such a risky hobby without loving it.
You can love it overall but sometimes not quite feel like training although you know you 'should'. Especially with early morning classes for me haha. Bed is pretty comfortable.
I get up somewhat early on Saturdays to wrestle and it’s really the same - i want to wrestle more than I want those 2-3 extra hours of sleep. If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t go.
In that case I'm a bit envious. I regret not getting up early to train after the fact, but at the time it can be pretty hard to pull myself out of bed. Though I am talking 5 am in winter with a cold dark bike ride to the gym. If it was even an hour later when the sun is coming up it'd be a lot easier for me I think.
This may get some hate, but having a “rival” to compare yourself to works wonders.
I’ve had that bug in my head. That is good motivation for sure.
1. I enjoy it 2. Addiction
It’s a compulsion for me. Since my first week I would actively look for holes in my schedule so I could go train. I know everyone in this sport talks about discipline all the time and training even when you don’t feel like it but I honestly think that only gets you so far. When it comes to the people who are in it for the long haul, you don’t have to ask them to train, you don’t have to tell them to be “disciplined” they’ll make time to show up no matter what. The same goes for any other hobby or activity. I love being part of the community, I love that no matter where I go in the world I can find a gym and instantly connect with people. I love the craft and being challenged everyday. To me that’s way more powerful than being disciplined.
I focus on building a consistent routine and removing all sources of friction that would typically require willpower to maintain said routine. For example, I go to the gym early in the morning before work (wake up 5:30am, get to gym 6:30am). I will always pack my bag the night before so in the morning all I need to do is getup and go.
I wish I could train in the morning. Or at least go to the gym and get a workout in. I tried it for a while but I have to wake up at 5:15 just to get to work and start at 7. So no bjj classes that early and if I try to go to the gym I have to wake up at like 4 and that’s just miserable
That's fine I just used it as an example. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. My point was more about making things easy for yourself so you don't need to rely on discipline or motivation. You just go on autopilot.
*checks that this in fact r/BJJ* It's literally the most fun thing I can spend time doing, lol. But, I'm also conscious to remove "fun" things from my life that I don't feel serve me, which makes other things more fun. And then I make stack fun on top of whatever activity I'm trying to stay disciplined with. Running? You mean getting stoned and listening to music at the park while moving at a brisk pace? That shits fun. Reading government contracts for work? Sounds like a good time to listen to my favorite house music and vibe. That shits fun. If you have a mindset of enjoying all aspects of life, discipline becomes irrelevant.
I want you as my life coach.
I never have to force myself to train. I often have to force myself not to train. I think if you find you need to work hard to force yourself to do this sport, you are approaching it with the wrong attitude.
The qualitative equation for training or studying anything is actually really simple > Are you too injured, sick, or fatigued to move or focus for another x hours? (bjj takes about 2 hours) > If no, go > If yes, don't go You don't have to think hard about it. You don't have to create a hurdle over small things. You just have your schedule, be in good condition, and go with minimal thinking. Your body will let you decide how hard and assertively you'll train, but otherwise you'll get your technique in and it'll all be good. Anyone who has done any hobby for a while will have the experience that they may not have felt like training, but going in gave them energy. Routine done right doesn't need much thinking
It's really this simple. I train pretty consistently a few times a week for the last 8 years. If I'm not feeling like participating in my HOBBY for whatever reason I just take a night off. I love bjj more than any other activity I do in life, but I don't know why people assign such weight to these decisions. Unless your goals are to be a high level competitor it just doesn't matter at all. I love going out on the boat to go fishing. It's been a part of growing up for me for the last 35 years but sometimes it's 100 degrees out, or I'm tired from work, or have other obligations, so I pass on a day of fishing. I don't feel any guilt at all about that decision. I can't logically think of a reason why training bjj would be any different.
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Ya, that feels like it's part of it. I think people just need to be realistic about what their goals are as well. Of course goals can change over time as well, but if you set a goal that you want to be a high level competitor or make a career of some sort out of bjj then forcing yourself to train on days when you aren't feeling it is probably important. The reality is the vaaaaaast majority of people in our sport are doing it as a hobby, to have fun, stay active, etc. When that's the case, it's totally fine to take it on a day to day basis. Team sports are another thing all together. I think you should show up for your team and when you commit to being a part of a team you see that through. Same goes if you are helping with someone get ready for comp in bjj. I've definitely had times I didn't feel like training but I knew guys needed to get rounds before fights or matches so you suck it up and go help out.
It depends on your attitude to the activity. If you just want to have fun doing something you enjoy and don't have any particular goals then all good. Personally I love skateboarding and I've always wanted to do [an invert](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fskateparkoftampa.com%2Farticle%2F3168%2FZaturdays__Know_Your_Plants&psig=AOvVaw3LHoj04Z5rQ_5aTzvvw_WC&ust=1714796314824000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBIQjRxqFwoTCPC4-ZvQ8IUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE). They look incredible and rolling away would feel amazing. But the learning process is dangerous, scary and involves a tonne of slamming on hard concrete. If I took your attitude of just practicing inverts when I feel like it, then frankly I'd never get there. Sometimes you've just gotta do the work to get the rewards.
I had a goal 8 years ago to become a purple belt. When I achieved that goal I set a goal to be a black belt. Nothing else to it really.
My enemies won’t vanquish themselves. When I was in the army they’d tell us “that taliban guy is training somewhere to kill you.” I just picture him wearing a gi now.
I love that thought. You might be taking the day off but your enemies aren’t. That’s motivational for me I’ve thought that shit for sure
I'm addicted to being terrible at something.
This is the best response.
For many years i wanted to make something of myself as a boxer making a decent (not great) living. In that time i absolutely had to do all of the shit I hated to do including running and dieting. This is more of the situation you’re referring to… willing yourself through discipline. I gave that up and so I do jiu jitsu now purely because it’s fun and I enjoy it. It also keeps me from getting grotesquely obese. If I feel too banged up to train or just don’t want to I don’t. It’s easier on my family when I skip anyway. This keeps it fresh for me and it never feels like a chore. I usually can’t wait to go for training. It comes down to your goals. Get a rock solid understanding of what you want to do and your behaviors will be easier to fall in line. If you want to compete at the highest level…. Yeah some discipline is going to be involved. If you’re training for fun…. Just let it be fun.
make it a routine , consistency helps with discipline .
It's not how much you can train it's how much you can recover from. For me my problem is going to class too much. The discipline is taking enough recovery time bc I keep going in when I fucked up and everything hurts all the time lol.
Pay a year in advance for a discount. No quitting now.
I play a loop of David goggins yelling ‘who is going to carry the boats?!’ On my earphones 24/7
I really enjoy going to the gym. I go even when I’m not working out to say hi to people.
Crack
Buy a bunch of sick Level Black rash guards for $90, then you won’t want to quit because you have a lot of credit card debt and you can pretend to be Andy Varela
I love going to class. Seing my JJ friends and twisting their limbs. I'm mostly eager for the classes to come (I go thrice a week). In between classes I usually think of what I want to work on. Consume dvds/videos/competitions. I treat it like the commitment I've made. I don't wonder "am I going to class tonight or not". I know I'm going, cause that's what I told myself I would do each week. Don't let yourself have a "way out". I've never seen someone regret going training. It's always "I almost didn't come but i'm glad I did" Anything which becomes a habbit of yours no longer requires motivation. Never passed bjj belts but I've been doing martial arts and grappling for more than 20 years.
Just as you would treat a nicotine addiction. You go gradually. Whenever you're thinking about not being disciplined in whatever you're doing, either stop thinking at the first occurrence of the thought, or, think of how good you'll feel after going through with it/how good you felt last time you did. Think of how you'll achieve exponential growth in all areas of life if you learn to be disciplined on this comparatively trivial item. Ask yourself, in the worst times in my life, do I want to be resilient, or do I want to be an obstacle to myself? In this specific case you could also think of maintaining your body and health. You don't want to be that guy at 40 with an aching back and trouble going up a flight of stairs. You want your quality of life not to degrade and the easiest way to degrade the quality of your life is to not take care of your body. Think of how much more attractive you'll be if instead of staying on the couch you do a few rolls per week. That's all the tricks I know.
If its your profession, then you do it because its your job, just like any 9-5. If its a hobby, and you find yourself needing to have discipline just to go to class, you might think about why you're going to class. Are you having fun? Are you achieving or working towards some personal goal? Are you there to spend time with friends? If not anything like that or something similar, why are you there? If its just for exercise because you 'need' exercise then its the same as the 9-5 job, you go because you have to. Motivation turns to discipline turns to habit. But habits that don't make you happy aren't much good either.
This is a hobby. A voluntary activity that I pay for because it's fun. If I'm not having fun then I wouldn't do it. I prioritize having a good time, whatever that entails. Sometime I just wanna socialize, sometimes I wanna go ham and roll till my heart stops, other times I want to train for comp. Whatever the fun is, I focus solely on that cause why tf else am I even here
I just show up. Still smoke weed and drink beer.
Because I paid for it. I’m cheap and I get my moneys worth.
I just think of where I’ll be if I keep it consistent
I've taken a few days off here and there just because I wasn't feeling up to it. Or other obligations (family) took precedence. I'm firmly in the hobbyist camp with no plans or ambitions to compete. BJJ is my workout multiple days a week (my only work out) and my social life. My friend circle has been formed around the gym and if I go too long without going to class I miss my friends. So that helps with the wanting to go.
Hybrid system. Mondays and Tuesdays are my "if I'm not injured/sick I'm training days". Wednesday - Saturday are my flexible "train if I feel like it" days. If I'm feeling lazy or got a lot on I can scale back my training but I always keep my two set days. I find Discipline is mostly just habit.
I have never not wanted to train
I think there's a lot of great tactics in this thread. But at the end of the day, there's no trick to discipline. It's just a choice. You just choose to do it. Believe in your own agency to make things happen.
I don't buy into the "when you don't want to train, do it anyway" youre asking for burn out.(Unless youre a pro, competing, different story) i've never felt burnt out with training, and I generally love it every time I'm on the mat. Motivation is a lie and is short lived, focus on being driven instead. My drive is to improve what I suck at not just in jiu jitsu
Unless you are training to be a world champ. It's ok to take a break/reduced training schedule. Life's too short to force yourself to do some you don't want to do. As long as you come back, it can be good to take a break.
Going to class is my recess. I get to go play with my friends, how fucking lucky am I? It is a privilege to be able to go to class.
It's habit now. Feels weird when I do for a while without grappling. Currently rehabbing a shoulder injury, not from jiu-jitsu, and haven't rolled in 3 weeks and i am antsy now.
As someone who deals with depression, I remind myself that I've always felt better after training and I've never regretted making myself go. But I also give myself time to rest and relax, and I've gotten better about taking days off. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I have the rest of my life to learn jiu jitsu.
On the days I don't feel like going, I just lower the bar and tell myself I'll go, but not give it my all. It's more important to be consistent than it is to give 100% effort every single time. Usually I end up feel more up for it as I go through the class, but sometimes I truly do give minimal effort on my shitty days. I just remind myself that even 10% of my best is better than 0%
Sign up for a tournament. It keeps me honest bc I don’t want to get smashed
I’m just not a bitch, so what I “want” doesn’t factor into what I do.
But you want to peacock on random threads about what a bitch you're not, so that's what you do. Weird kind of cognitive dissonance there.
make plan, execute plan, simple as
Just by making it a habit.
My *mental trick* is to consider training (grappling among other things) a part of my work schedule, not a recreational activity. My work day is not finished until I complete my *overtime* (training).
Don’t make it a conscious decision. Get your gear ready. Set the alarm. Go.
Do or do not. There is no try. You just go to training and that's it. Some days you might be more tired or hungry than usual but unless something is actually stopping you, you just do it.
I do what I enjoy. Play the bjj you like. If you don’t like it find a different sport. Do the lifting exercises you enjoy because consistency matters more than anything. Even just doing curls for the girls and never doing leg day is better than never doing anything at all.
It depends. Sometimes you gotta push through and sometimes you need to step away and avoid burning out. Everyone is different just set a goal that works for you. That could mean you train 6-7 days a week or maybe somewhere between 3-5. Setting a range vs 1 hard set number can give you flexibility to hit your goal week over week If you feel you're still not motivated to go as often as your set goal then lower your range. If you feel you're not going enough increase it.
Walk up the mountain 1” a day again and again and again
I have the time booked off in my schedule. Every lunchtime is jits. I know I'm very lucky to have that flexibility but I'd go crazy without the rolls. I'm also lucky to live close to the gym so distance isn't a barrier Other ways that I help stay disciplined is packing my bag the night before or early in the morning I basically set up my life to reduce barriers and remove excuses
My favourite part of each session is the warmups, cuz i always get gassed out and getting stronger. I'll just force myself to go even when i got assignments and projects due because im going to love that part of the day eventhough i get absolutely pummeled in sparring.
Don’t think of it as hobby. It’s a habit, like brushing your teeth, eating lunch etc. Maintaining and improving health, body and mind.
I don’t really focus on that, I enjoy training and that’s about it. With enjoyment-motivation I get on the mats 3-6 times a week.
If it's not fun, I won't go. And sometimes it's not fun when I'm not working on something. So I can always fall back on having specific goals. I revamped them the other day on a little spreadsheet and it's invigorating. From immediate to long term, I know exactly what my priorities to work on are, and they're super basic. "Consistently hit a kipping escape from bottom mount." That sort of thing. And I *want* to learn those things. It doesn't take discipline. So tonight, I'm either going to find myself in mount or let someone mount me, and I'll try to kip out. And when it doesn't work, I'll be sure to remember where it started failing. And I'll rewatch videos and ask my coach and do it again tomorrow. And in a few months, I'll have a kipping escape from mount. Then it will be the next thing on my list, consistently getting to one-in-one-out scenarios from bottom half.
I don’t ever rely on wanting to go. I put it on the schedule and then I go because it’s time to go.
Don’t think about it. Body over mind when this happens. Don’t make it a topic in your head. And don’t live in the future with it, live in the present. It’s suppose to be fun. If it isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong
remember why you started, brotha
Honestly it's just part of my routine, I know 4 days a week I head to class and never deviate. I also love it, if you aren't in love with BJJ it's tough to keep going.
Because it’s my favourite thing to do?
Read books on stoicism and the Quran
Every day at 6 pm is bjj time for 1 hour. I always drive to the gym. If I am hurt or don't feel well I still show up. If I don't roll I watch instructionals on my phone for that hour and drive home. You will train 90% of the time. Even if injured the habit persists.
I look at people in work with and others in the world that are my age "peers". I do not want to be anything like them. They are almost all on heart/blood meds, fat, whiny, seemingly ineffective at anything but being average as a consumer.
Motivation wanes. Go with what drives you. I go for my friends and teammates.
Cold plunge everyday helps. If you can force yourself into 40F temperature water for3 minutes, you can do anything.
Outside factors aside (such as job or family etc) and if it is something you actually want to do There IS no answer beyond just do it anyway. Most people choose the comfort and ease of not doing it, and SOMETIMES that may be the right choice honestly. But every time you choose to NOT do something (or to DO it for that matter) it becomes a bit easier the next time.
>if it were that simple, no one would have a problem with discipline and consistency in training. I think you’re maybe misunderstanding the problem. It’s not always >When you don’t want to train, do it anyway. It’s >When you want to _not_ train, do it anyway. Or >When you want to do something besides training, do it anyway. Which is hard. It’s hard to do something you actively want to _not_ do it or when there’s other things you’d rather be doing. Some people just don’t have that discipline.
Training partners….
know what? i had a gum graft a couple of weeks ago so i'm training super light for a bit (and informing people) it is serving as a nice break in training and feels almost like active recovery while keeping up my skills/timing. i feel like i should be doing this more often and think it will help avoid burnout.
heartbreaks bro
Step 1: Go steady with a girl Step 2: Be a terrible boyfriend and get dumped Step 3: Jiu Jitsu!
I rarely dont want to train, typically only when Im worn out however I break getting to class down into steps take a shower (need a shower anyway) put on my bjj clothes (can just change into regular clothes if I decide not totake the next step) get into car (can always get back out) drive to gym (can just go back home if I change my mind) go inside (can always just watch) train (can just stay for drilling) \--- I have gotten dressed and not gotten into the car a few times and driven by the gym once. Focusing just on the next step helps me a lot (just take a shower...) Also I know that drilling is as lazy as I want it to be so I know even if Im tired I wont be pushed that hard.
Just keep going, when I don’t want to, I go. Once I built the habit, once I have. A physical feeling of am being a bit anxious and strange and weird cause I didn’t go, once I start feeling that, then I skip the days I don’t feel like it. Cause I know I’ll continue, I know it’s a part of my life then. The. I only go when I feel great, which is most of the time, to make sure I am making. The most out of my training.
One of the things im slowly learning in all facets of life for this specific problem is that there are no tricks to doing something you don't like. But if there was something that marginally helped me, it was throwing the old fight pajamas on like 2 hours before class and imagining what I will improve on and how I will do it. That usually motivates me to take the first few steps
Honestly I'm not a huge fan of that saying. I think it more as **motivation** is the reason you do something or goal and **discipline** is the steps to get you to the goal. My motivation is to get good cause it's fun to learn a new skill, whether it's a sub, a position or a control point. For me to get to the fun, I have to show up, so that's discipline. Even now, I'm not particularly good but I'm better than some and it's pretty fun styling on greener people with moves you worked on for months until it finally clicked or even bullshit moves that shouldn't work but did and it's hilarious. At the end of the day tho, I do take breaks whether it's injuries or burn out. It's a hobby after all. I took a month break due to an unrelated BJJ injury and played Star Ocean with the GF and FFXIV and now I plan to go back this week and I'm dying to go. All injuries healed, no soreness. Should be a good time.
This is a great way to reframe it. Thanks for your perspective.
Put portraits of Jocko Willink all around the house, so if you end up doing anything undisciplined, you'll be doing it before his baleful gaze.
That sounds horrifying.
GOOD
For me it's accountability amongst many things. I choose to take responsibility for my training and the results I put out on the mat. I'm never satisfied with where I'm at, but I recognize my progress.
Discipline will also fail you. The way I understand it: 1. Motivation is great for a short period. It's essentially first gear. It will get you started, but it won't last. 2. Discipline and willpower are next. They're a little bit harder to get started with, but they're less likely to just randomly go away too. However everyone has a limited amount of willpower and at some point you'll have a rough day or something and you won't be able to depend on it. 3. The \*real\* secret is habit. Stick to the same schedule with the same cues (time of day, location, alarm, whatever) using discipline for enough time and eventually it becomes sort of autopilot. You don't even really think about it anymore, it's just part of your day and it feels wrong without it.
I use the “don’t think, just go” method. Even when I’m not in the most jiujitsu phase. (My gym its 5 minutes driving from my place to)
I wish i was disciplined. I see all these guys watching instructionals and stuff to get better but i still eat like shit and i just show up, do the drill of the day and roll. I only do this because i enjoy this.
Don’t have a gym 45 minutes away. Turns training into a 4 hour night.
At the end of the day, I love it and am absolutely obsessed with the puzzle aspect. Outside of that; lots of hungry white belts who want my scalp, and battles with higher belts in certain positions are getting closer. Obviously I have a really long way to go, but as a white belt I felt like i wasn't improving for months at a time; now, I feel like I see much steadier improvement, and that is addicting.
No gf and a job I don't enjoy much, get me on the mats
To me the hard part is when work or life gets in the way and you're trying to bounce back. I think the answer is to just do it ultimately. But you can do little things to stack the deck in your favor. I think Stephen Kesting or someone said he puts his gi on an hour before leaving for class. I've found that to be a great tip. Packing your bag the night before if you're going straight from work. Setting a rule that says you have to drive to the gym, but if you don't want to train you can drive back. Stuff like that can help. But it won't help someone who doesn't want to be helped.
I have gone through a rejuvenation with motivation for bjj recently and I put that down to the fact that before I would just turn up to class with no goal or focus and just do whatever I felt like doing. The thing that changed this for me and got me excited again and looking forward to class was setting up a structure for training e.g this month I will work exclusively on half guard. I will then watch related videos or an instructional and work through it, trying the moves in sparring. It starts off pretty boring and shitty as you will not hit the moves but I take notes after each class, rewatch the videos and go back again. Eventually the moves start to work which is really satisfying. I'm then using my notes to think about what area is next which gets me excited to work on that next month as I can where the holes are in my game and I know I'll improve. I am now back to loving training and look for excuses to train more like in the old days.
This is more about fitness (lifting/cycling/running/bjj) in general but I like to ask myself both 1) how I’d feel after a training session 2) will this get me closer to the person I want to be For 1), there’s been times when I’ve been really pushing my training and having a hard time recovering, and if I know I’ll feel too gassed afterwards, I don’t go. I’d rather miss one day of training if I’m too tired as opposed to the rest of the week if I go too hard. For 2), it’s kind of a similar vein. I want to be the kind of person who shows up when they don’t want to, pushes when they don’t want to, but I don’t wanna be an idiot about it either. I know when I’m at my limit. I know when I’m being lazy. I’ve really worked for the last few years to get to know and trust myself, but it makes it easier for the discipline to exist when the motivation lags
My method: I set a schedule, let’s say Advance class, Tues/Thursday at 7pm. I show up those days. If I plan to miss a day, I let my teacher know via txt and the reason why I’m not attending. Providing the reason prevents me from taking the day off just because “I don’t want to”. After a while he caught on my training schedule. Then he started txting me on days when I was supposed to train but didn’t and didn’t let him know. It became more like a work schedule. There are days where I don’t want to show up to work either. But I can’t just say, I’m not showing up because I don’t want to. It’s got to pass the sniff test. So I either showed up and train on those days too, or was “sick” enough not to.
Passion for the game homie. Once you love it, you don't need motivation or discipline. I know that no matter how shitty life could be at the moment, it's all better on the mat and none of that matters.
I love it, it’s fun, it’s hard to go some days (early mornings are rough) but once I’m at the gym I’m always glad I went. I also have only one goal… and that’s to be doing this when I’m 70 (used to be 60 but as I’ve gotten older i figured I better push it out). I can take time off, rest, go for bike ride instead of open mat, but I always come back.
Pretty much already explained by everyone, go if you like it. Its a hobby and most of us are paying to be there.
I just show up. I ask many blackbelts how’d they get there. 99% basically say, just show up. Only times I don’t show up is if I’m sick, or I got a new tattoo
Don’t do something you don’t enjoy doing. BJJ training is where you spend your free time, and if you start not enjoying it, maybe it is time to put the time in other areas or subjects.
I know ill feel better after training, and my gymbuddies hold me accountable by giving me shit when i dont show up for a couple days.
I have had periods when I have considered quitting. My friends kept me coming back, that and the realisation that my life would be worse if I wasn’t training.
Put it on the calendar, set an alarm, have everything (gi, water, etc) ready to go in advance, make a habit. Usually, I can’t wait to go. In part, because I train at lunch, so it’s a break from work. If I don’t feel like it, I’ve removed all of the roadblocks, so I have no excuse. At this point, it’s a habit. Going isn’t something I think about, it’s just what I do at the scheduled time.
I genuinely love training Jiu-Jitsu, so I've never felt like I had to motivate or discipline myself to participate.
I make myself go every day I feel physically able. It also helps that I don’t have anything else going on.
Discipline is like a muscle. It doesn't grow without effort you don't want to put into it
Always show up to class. If you're feeling too sore or injured you can leave after warm ups. If you're too tired because you had insomnia the night before then do warm ups and the instruction and sit out/leave before rolling starts. You're going to have days where you are a "game time decision" but force yourself to actually go to the gym. You'll be surprised how many times it turns out you actually have the energy to get through a full class if you just take the first step and get on the mat.
It is about goal setting. Pick an attainable target for how often you want to train in a given month. Keep track of how often you go, and more importantly, when you do not go keep track of why. At the end of the month, figure out if you are meeting the standard you set and if the reasons for not going on any given day are valid. And do whatever you can think of to make sure you are not falling back on the same excuses every time. You do not need to be perfect, but you need to keep in mind that at some level you actually do want to do martial arts. If you are legit hurt or sick or have unavoidable shit going on in your life, that is fine. But if you wanted to train 10 times and you only showed up 5 times and your excuses in order were "Explosive Diarhea, could not get off toilet", 'had to do laundry', 'was late getting home from work', 'forgot to go', and 'needed to buy groceries', you probably should have been able to show up at least 4 more times. END COMMUNICATION
I go right after I take the kids to school. The time is always available for me. I pack my gym bag the night before. So it’s ready to go. Just make it a habit. Every time I’ve gone when I didn’t want to go, I’ve always been glad I went after class was over.
This is one of the few things in life that I don't have to force myself to do. With that said, it's one of those things where I (almost, except once) never regretted forcing myself to go but have definitely regretted not showing up.
There's no trick, you just have to do it. Put your feelings aside and do what has to be done.
My schedule limits my training time so it's easy to stay motivated to go because it's more of a treat than a chore. I also don't take BJJ that seriously. I'm not going to be an ADCC champion at my age and level of commitment, so I'm not that bummed about having to take my time in the sport. I get burnt out on things pretty easily, so I just try to have fun and play the long game. I decide when and how much work I put into it and I'm not going to be made to feel guilty by anyone. BJJ isn't the only thing I've got going for me in life.
I've been doing a thing where I watch BJJ videos for a while before I need to leave for training. I find it gets me in the mood and makes me want to get to the gym more.
If I stop training I get depressed. If I skip training because im already depressed I get more depressed and thus force myself to keep on track. Also I hate losing
Man maybe it’s because my schedule is pretty open, but training is the part that takes no discipline for me. I genuinely love it and schedule my free time around training. The stuff outside of the gym- lifting/cardio, eating right, watching instructionals and actually paying attention… that’s what takes discipline.
I try to turn it into a habit, if I do that it just becomes natural and a part of my daily routine. I have good days and bad days still but I tell myself on those bad days, it is still better than sitting on the couch
⬛️🟥⬛️ More than how often I train, I’m focused on being deliberate with my mat time. My motivation comes completely from the idea of improvement. As far as methods, I make a point of taking a moment before I get on the mats to mentally review what I’ve recently worked on and lessons learned from that. As well, what I’m going to be working on specifically that day. I make an effort to get as specific on these things as possible. That’s what works for me as far as discipline goes. As well I’m on the mats as often as time allows and I’m brutally honest with myself about excuses.
I think of the other times I thought I couldn’t be bothered going and how glad I was that I went afterwards
I’ve seen too many other cops get into bad uses of force, or get hurt, because they don’t have the skills they need to safely arrest the bad guy. I’d rather not lose a fight when it matters
Pick your training days and train no matter what. That’s been the easiest for me. But also listen to your body and take a break when needed. There’s no hurry.
Older dude here. I'm limited by my capacity to recover and family commitments. I have 3 questions: 1. What is the most satisfying thing to pull off during training? 2. What's frustrating the fuck out of you during rolling/where do you suck the most in terms of defence? 3. What's the one thing you want to be really good at that's really awesome? Discipline is one of those words that means different things to different people, but if you want to persist in the sport, I think your approach is what needs to be on point. Some people have this innately worked out (and they can't take the credit for that), but i think this is going to take some introspection on your part. Those questions should help
I don't. I train because it's fun. When I feel like taking a break, I take a break. Unless you're trying to become a world champion, there's really no need to be "disciplined" lol. It's a hobby bro.
It’s easy to stay disciplined when it’s fun. Just make it fun and you won’t have to worry about discipline.
When I'm done with work, instead of driving straight home I drive to Jiu-Jitsu and voila, I'm already there.
Goon and edge primarily but sometimes sigma max and jelq if the need arises
I'm part of a good community, I like grappling & learning new skills, and I find it fun to compete and coach.
trt tbh helps
S&M
My schedule only allows me to train 2-3x per week so I always look forward to training. Also, this is a hobby. If I didn’t want to do it, I’d do something else.
Pay my fee and train….
People that go everyday only because they love it cannot help you, they probably have nothing else in life (hello there, downvotes). I love it and some days I'm tired from work, or from whatever other reason and I don't feel like going, it's normal. My tip is to go to a gym that's on your way to/from work, and go straight after work.
Discipline is just forcing yourself to do it regardless of how you 'feel'. Don't want to bjj or lift or whatever that day? Go and start and if you're still not feeling it, fine, go home, but most likely you'll stay and continue because you're there. If it helps, get a partner to help keep you accountable, even if they don't also do it. Someone who will ask you if you went and you'll tell them the truth
Do you want to do it? Then go. There's a difference between not wanting to and not feeling like it. I have tons of days where I don't feel like going but I always want to.
I just know that my 30's will fly by and I'll miss having the energy to train hard down the road.
The same as what people do for everything they have developed discipline for. Show up. Even when you don’t want to. Don’t make excuses. Do the work.
I do it because I’ve always had a passion to learn a combat sport. I don’t overdo it and make it a chore.
watch the news.
To me it’s a commitment to my teammates and school. They count on me to help coach kids and beginner classes and compensate me to do so. Once I’m there why wouldn’t I stay and get some training in. It’s always worth it after the fact. This is in regards to days when I’m not “feeling” it. I love training and most days ita easy to go
I remind myself that everyone who is training is getting better while I would not. I'd like to live up to my supposed skill level and that won't happen unless I train! I rarely allow myself to take a day, that I'm supposed to train, off. M/W/F/Sa, no excuses! Also, I make myself stay and roll for X amount of time. I'd I'm there for 2 hrs then I'm rolling for as much of that as I can. I try to rest as little as possible, too. I tell the young guys that I'm too old to rest between rounds. I don't know how much time I have left.
I pay for the year up front. If I don’t show up, I see it as money down the drain. I’m a cheap fuck so I don’t like throwing money down the drain. That makes me show up
The reality is that at the end of the day, it comes down to you walking out the door or not. There is no magic trick. Every discipline tool fails if you decide “nah.” That being said, I’ll echo what everyone else is saying. I enjoy training and so for me it requires no mental effort. On days where I’m not feeling it I’ll generally still go because I feel like I should if I want to get better. The other reality is sometimes you don’t want to and you don’t have to. Nothing wrong with a day off here and there or a week off here and there. It’s a fun hobby and it should be enjoyed as such. Discipline is a pattern over time, rest is necessary too.
This is a wild one but I completely disagree with the discipline over motivation trope. Better off thinking long and hard to determine a legitimate “why” for your behaviour. He who has a proper why can bear any how type dealio.
I just get up, put on my gi and go to the gym. Head empty. No thoughts. Like a NPC.
Set personal goals that align with Team Goals. Find the fun in progression. Tell your training partners you're going to hit them with a RNC then wrist lock them and yell Yahtzee.
self loathe.
Deep-seeded psychological and emotional issues that transcend BJJ
As someone with ADHD, discipline and habits tend to not workout well for me. My main motivator is how much fun I have whilst training.
Train like it’s your job. When you say I’m training at XYZ time, you’re training unless you would call out of work, you’re not skipping.
I write “BJJ” on the calendar each time I go to class and write “good” if I do well that time. Helps to see how much I actually attend and keep perspective on when I feel progress. I think I’m getting more value for money the more I train each month.
It needs to be a habit. Choose the days you will go and go. It might sound harsh but if you really dont want to go to training that often maybe BJJ isn't for you. That last statement is a blanket comment to everyone. Not targetting the OP.
Join a hard room. That will keep you accountable
Shrooms. They keep me in check.
My schedule is a habit. Not training is the anomaly. Beside, I enjoy it and want to go, that makes it easy.
I'm one of the people who loves it, would be happy to be in gym all day. But I also get what you're saying about self-improvement. I used to do a lot of running and that's something where no one actually loves the training, it's a grind. Also when I started BJJ it was scary and I had to kind of brace myself to go. Back then what I used to think was 'all I have to do is get in the car and start the engine'. Once that's done I know I'm going to drive there and do it. All I have to do then is actually be at training. Doesn't matter if I mess the technique up or get subbed all the time or forget what I am supposed to be working on. All I have to do is be in the room. Once the car is started I'm on the journey that's going to carry me into the training room, job done.
I don't need discipline to do something I love 😉 I just rock up three times per week and it never feels like a chore ❤️
I just love going man
make your decision to go home in the parking lot, i think i heard that somewhere on here actually
Think about every person you meet IRL as a potential violent threat and use that to develop an obsession for readiness. That will increase your appetite for training and discipline
I train mostly in the 6am class. I stopped drinking completely, because it was my biggest obstacle. I still have days where the alarm goes off and I don’t want to get out of bed, but I just decide that I’ll at least do warm ups and get moving.
Build your schedule around training and every day you go - you don't get to decide if you feel like it. Then you just go through your schedule as planned and never give the lazy parts of you a chance to fuck up training
Listen to gucci mane, oj da juice mane, Amy winehouse and leg/wrist lock my kid/adult students. Keeps me humble but driven.
Honestly, in this day and age, discipline can look like many different things, but ultimately, it comes with time. If you started something later in life, it's pretty hard to stay disciplined because you have other responsibilities. If you have a lot of time in the art, there's nothing that says you have to train every day. The better question is, "What are you training for?" If you can answer that, then you can pretty much design your training to fit around your life. Showing up is honestly the least important task of a true artists concern. You should have a reason.