BJJ & Life Lessons: The Value of Doing Hard Things
Dear Parents,
There is a saying in BJJ: “A black belt is a white belt that never quit.” I used to not like that at all. As I get older, I finally understand what it means. I thought it took away from the hard work and made it seem easy. Now, I focus on the word quit. Until I found BJJ at the age of thirty, I quit everything that didn’t come easy. BJJ was literally the first thing that was hard that I stuck with. I was consistent and determined, and I slowly saw changes in my everyday life.
The reason I am sharing this with you is that if I had started BJJ at a younger age, I probably would have wanted to quit. I wouldn’t have been mature enough to see the short- and long-term benefits of consistently doing something so physically and mentally challenging. There are obvious benefits to BJJ, like self-defense and confidence, but the real benefit is this: if you work hard at something difficult consistently, it will form the habit of reaching your potential.
BJJ is a sport that doesn’t rely on physical attributes like basketball or football. If you show up and try your best, you will get better and eventually excel. This is a great life lesson for the kids—one they might not consciously understand until they are much older, but they are learning it nonetheless.
I hope this helps you see the value of your child doing hard things like BJJ, and the importance of consistent training through my eyes and experience. There will be days when your child doesn’t want to come in and train, but remember: the long-term investment is the reason you brought them through our doors in the first place.
If there comes a time when your child doesn’t want to come to class or expresses a desire to quit training altogether, please let me know. I would be happy to sit down with them and discuss some of the points I’ve brought up in this email. You can always email me at contact@mcmahonbjj.com to schedule a time to chat with your child. Thank you for trusting your child’s development to me and our team. I look forward to seeing everyone in class this week!
Professor Rich and the McMahon team