What kind of Jiu-jitsu artist are you?

In any Jiu-jitsu class you will find a variety of student types. Some are hobbyists, some are competitive athletes and others have earned a spot teaching other students. This makes perfect sense. After all, people have different personalities and will naturally gravitate toward what most interests them. But one common goal that most jiu-jitsu students share is the desire to learn and become better over time. And for this reason, becoming all 3 (a jiu-jitsu student, teacher and competitor) will all contribute to this goal.

What if I don’t like to compete in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?

You may not be drawn to the competition arena. In fact, the majority of Jiu-jitsu students are not regular competitors. But that’s not the point. Competing forces the student to hyper focus on his/her training in an effort to have to the best performance. And this results in faster growth and progress as a student. The temporary discomfort of more intense training sessions, the anxiety before the competition, the insecure emotions about your performance might not be fun for everyone. But remember, you are a martial artist. And you are in this for the long run…for the black belt and beyond. The temporary stress will be well worth the end result and you will become a more complete, humble and mature Jiu-jitsu artist.

What if I don’t like to teach Jiu-jitsu?

Practicing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is very different than teaching. Each student is unique in his/her ability to absorb new knowledge and material. Some students are visual learners, others respond to audible cues, still others need to feel the techniques or have the jiu-jitsu moves done to them. While you may not enjoy this personally, by gaining the skillset to teach you will expand your own knowledge thereby making you a more efficient Jiu-jitsu practitioner. This makes teaching a very valuable skillset. Not only might you really enjoy the process but you will become a sharper, more technical student athlete.

Travis Tooke is a 4th degree Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Black Belt and the owner/head instructor of Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts. He is an ongoing student, a motivating teacher and a Jiu-jitsu competitor.

Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts

10111 Grant Rd Suite R

Houston, TX 77070

281-955-7300