Black Belt or Bust BlackBeltorBust

Everyone gets ready for competition in their own ways and even we have changed our training throughout the years based on what we feel we need at the time. In today's episode we talk about how we currently prepare for bigger tournaments compared to how we prepared as blue belts. Additionally, we talk about the benefits of jiu jitsu camps serving to reset ourselves mentally and spiritually and how that can play a role in our goals for the year. Ultimately, while we want win gold and to be world champions, some things are more important to us and that is just as much cause for celebration.

Join us as we recap our past year on hiatus from the podcast and how we are feeling now that we are back! This episode reflects how we prioritized ourselves and sought out balance in our hectic lives. From changing jobs, new training schedules, habits, and holistic approaches to our day-to-day thanks to Natalie Boss and the Body By Boss Performance Blueprint. We have truly grown as individuals and jiujiieiras and cannot wait to share our experiences with all of you.

Our discussion today revolves around some behaviors we have observed in competitors as well as ourselves. This is not the same as a competitive behavior so much as behaviors like selfishness, sportsmanship, portrayal on social media, and gameness. We also reflect on having realizations on where you are at with your jiu jitsu and how that impacts your preparation for competitions. Then we wrap things up by going over why some people even compete and understanding that all of your time and energy used to prepare for competitions have to come somewhere. Which ultimately means that if you want a healthy life balance and to be able to do jits for the long run, you need to have a balance or you will burn out.

In this episode, your co-hosts discuss some of the reasons some people decide to quit jiu jitsu which can mainly be broken down into  internal and external factors. From the things you can control, like your own emotions, reasons for training, and self confidence, to things you may not have as much control over like work, financial status, and other responsibilities. However, choosing to leave jiu jitsu isn't necessarily black and white as some things are connected like family and personal obligations. In no way are we shaming anyone who chooses to leave jiu jitsu, but we want everyone to know that no matter your reason, you are always able to come back to the mats.

Today's episode focuses on the new practitioner and different learning styles. Once you have been training for a few months, you should generally have an idea of what works best for you, but what about in the very beginning? What learning styles are there for you to choose from? We go over flow charts, note taking, videos, audio, textile learning, and more! Hopefully this episode gives you an idea of how to start learning more information or maybe even convince you to change up your study habits!

In today's episode we catch up on everything we have been up to over the haitus. Misty was officially hired at UFC Gym as as assistant kids coach and we discuss some of her ideas to develop and grow the kids program. Meanwhile, Keelee has settled into Denver, CO at a new job and new gym ans we talk about some of the green and red flags to look for.  Finally we wrap things up by talking about women's classes and their role in jiu jistu gyms.