Grand Master Helio Gracie, Master Royler Gracie, and Professor Bruno Panno are the first names that come to our mind when we talk about resilience and humility. They are true inspirations that guide Gracie Humaita! Black belts never quit!
‘For every choice, there is a renunciation”. So, can you imagine how many choices towards the Gentle Art all the black belts had to make since they started?
The famous BJJ quote written on this article title is the fuel to boost your motivation on and off the mats. You can apply Gracie’s learnings to your professional career and personal goals.
The following paragraphs are designated for who aims to thrive in life.
GRIT – the power of passion and perseverance!
GRIT – the power of passion and perseverance, by Angela Duckworth, is a New York Best Seller book that talks about how rewarding life based on core values and purpose can be. This article will use many passages from the book to illustrate how BJJ can be highly beneficial to your life. To begin with, Angela explains the GRIT concept by a hierarchy goal diagram.
At the bottom, are your most concrete and specific goals – tasks that you have on your short-term to-do list. In contrast, the higher the goal in this hierarchy, the more abstract, general, and important it is. The diagram aims to set your life in a way to be concise and balanced. We really recommend you to sit down and put all your thoughts on a piece of paper.
“Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long time”.
Your top-level goal can be “BE HAPPY”, and one of the ways to pursue it is having a healthier life. Having a healthier life can be thought Sports, and for instance on Jiu-Jitsu. You can set a belt color as your mid-level goal and lose weight as your bottom-level goal.
The book is divided into three parts.
PART1: WHAT IS GRIT AND WHY IT MATTERS?
“As much as talent counts, effort counts twice”.
Endurance and persistence have shown to be the way to achieve your ultimate goals in life. On your laziest days is when you MUST come train. So, on all the other days it will be easy for you to come to the mats. Do not let temporary setbacks become permanent excuses.
PART 2: GROWING GRIT FROM INSIDE OUT.
“But more often than we think, our limits are self-imposed”.
Developing an interest requires time and energy, and yes, some discipline and sacrifice. If you would like to follow your passion for Jiu-Jitsu but haven’t yet fostered it, start at the beginning: DISCOVER. Book your free trial and get to know the ‘Gentle Art’ at Gracie Sydney.
After discovering, comes development. Fundamentals classes and Foundation program at Gracie Sydney were meticulously developed for beginners! Improvement at this stage is clear to see. You will see yourself thinking about the techniques when driving or trying to sleep. It’s addictive. This is the phase to do the deliberative practice.
But, if BJJ has already been part of your life for a long time, remember, interests must be triggered again and again and again. Setting some short-term goals is very helpful, e.g. lose weight, change your belt, compete in a BJJ championship… In contrast to deliberate practice, FLOW is for performance. The flow state is intrinsically pleasurable. You feel like you’re in control because you are. You are floating, you lose track of time. This stage is more common with Intermediate / Advanced students. Full timetable here.
PART3: GROWING GRIT FROM OUTSIDE IN.
“Surround yourself with good people”.
There is a hard way to get grit and an easy way. The hard one is to do it by yourself. And, the easy one is to use conformity – the basic human drive to fit in – because if you are around a lot of people who are gritty, you’re going to act grittier. Remember, black belts never quit, and Gracie Sydney is full of them.
Coaches, parents, teachers, mentors, bosses, and friends play a big role in how you see the outside world. And, here is how Gracie Sydney can support you directly! Coaches, Students, and Staff at Gracie Humaita are every day at the gym giving just their best. The academy environment is perfect for learning, improving and growing in!
“SUCCESS IS NEVER FINAL, FAILURE IS NEVER FATAL. IT’S COURAGE THAT COUNTS”
Curious about Angela Duckworkth? Check out her TEDE video where she explains based on social research what GRIT is.
Want to read the book? Come to see our friendly staff at the reception and ask for the book. We are offering a single book for the first student that pops up. We aim to rotate this book and start a virtuous cycle through reading in the academy.
Black belts never quit!
by Renato Seixas