The BBJJ Community

The bond built among likeminded practitioners is distinct from anything else in the world. That’s why we talk about community as being at the heart of a good Jiu-Jitsu dojo.

(via Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Raises Funds and Awareness for Pulmonary Hypertension Association |)

Like Jiu-Jitsu itself, leadership is not an exclusive club for those who were born with it. The traits and qualities of great leadership can be taught, learned and developed. 

Link these qualities and skills, along with an intense burning desire and nothing can keep you from becoming a leader.

When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you dream about becoming a famous actor or a singer? Maybe you wanted to become an Olympic athlete or one of the wealthiest people in the world.

Some of us are already pursuing our dreams and desires, while others may have lost sight of their dreams and need to re-create the clarity they once had. 

No matter how successful you’ve already become, you’ll always still have dreams and goals that are waiting to be fulfilled.

One key objective of this training is to help our most dedicated students to clarify their dreams and desires, then to set some positive and powerful goals to help them realize their true potential as leaders.

Most people ask “What just happened?” 

One of the instructors at Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu shares why even a little goal-setting matters, no matter the age or stage of the practitioner.

“One of our students asked me to help her get better at sit ups and push ups, so we scheduled a time after her class to go through those things. In November at school she has a physical test where they ask her to do push ups and sit ups and she wants to do better then she is last year. 

“So we went over her results from last year and her goals for this year. Then we did push ups and sit ups to see where is is now. We created another goal for next week and our aim is to get a little better every time so she can reach her goal. 

“This also gave me a opportunity to talk with her a little more about her goals in general and how she is doing overall. She is a very bright girl who lost her mom at a young age, and giving her support and someone who she can talk to is what I want. Her dad was also very grateful for me spending the extra time with her.”

Think this will make a significant impact on this student’s life on and off the mat? A great teacher reaches past the technique to develop the entire student. 

This episode focuses on what happens when a new student isn’t able to “empty their cup” - where does it leave the instructor?

When people are resistant to learning in the classroom, it signifies a rigidity of thought and a hardening of the attitude. The martial arts is supposed to be a remedy for this type of fossilization...so what’s the answer?

Listen in as Master Crowder shares some gems here. 

Sometimes the best stories are the simplest: how martial arts can positively affect someone’s life. Thanks to one of our excellent students for sharing their thoughts on practicing and their plans for the future!

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To me, part of being a martial artist means being dedicated to achieving your goals. That dedication and commitment can be learned - you don’t have to be born with them. It means being disciplined in all aspects of life, not just in class.  

Of course, it does take discipline to show up to class regularly.  It also takes discipline to give your best effort in each class.  But for me, the most important change in my life since starting Thai Kickboxing at Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been the spreading of this discipline into areas of my life.

Although I struggled with being disciplined (self-disciplined, that is!) for a long time, what I’m finding now is that living a disciplined lifestyle can be very rewarding.  When I realized how great I feel when I stick with my training and maintain a regular training schedule, I started wondering what else I could accomplish.  

Just as a simple illustration: I began to try to be more careful about indulging in sugary food and drinks.  I also started thinking more about what kind of people I was spending time with and whether or not those people were contributing to my healthy, positive lifestyle.

These aren’t huge changes, but I never considered trying to make them before. Now that I understand more about how I can make these choices - and how discipline strengthens them - I have the confidence to try. 

Reaching any goal in anything you do takes discipline. That’s across almost all areas of life.  On the road to black belt, I’m starting to understand that a martial artist must be aware of how discipline can improve his or her life emotionally, socially, academically, professionally, and of course in health and fitness. 

It's been said many times that attitude determines your altitude in life.

In Jiu-Jitsu it’s no different. 

To be the best you are capable of becoming, you must constantly condition your attitude and emotions to remain positive and optimistic. The effort and energy you give to this area will strengthen your performance, on and off the mat.   

Liken your daily outlook and attitude to your physical fitness, conditioning and flexibility. The effort and energy you give determines what you get. 

You need to condition yourself daily, or you may find yourself slipping backwards.  

If you absorb negative content, it's easy to become negative. Before you know it, you develop a negative attitude, your mind becomes filled with fear, doubt, worry, envy, anger and many other negative thoughts and feelings about yourself and others.   

I’m sure you see people like this on the mat all the time. They allow their negatives to overwhelm whatever good is going on. 

How successful do you think you will become in anything, if you’re loaded with all those negatives? ANSWER=>NOT VERY!!! If left untreated, negative attitudes will lead to a downward spiral in your life and can do great damage to your health, wealth and happiness. It can have huge impact on your relationships.  

A positive attitude and mindset creates an energy force that inspires and motivates people to take positive actions and creates positive results. It helps to create an uplifting emotion that will enhance your learning and promotes a positive, progressive energy for life.   

Read and study positive and inspirational material everyday, hang around positive people and talk about positive things. And practice your outlook. No matter how positive you already are, I'm sure you would agree that your optimism is frequently put to the test. 

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