I have taken on a new habit over the last couple of months with 10 minutes of guided mindfulness with the monotone voice of Sam Harris. He gets you ready then tells you to be in the moment and not worry about the rest of your day or any other thoughts you may have, just let them happen and be present, he then asks you to let things just basically happen, sounds thoughts and things in your visual field. After all that in the last minute he tells you to let go and not focus on anything or focus on your breath.
BJJ and being in the moment
There are two layers to this, one on the whole class level and one on the sparring level. We will start with the class level first as this is like the training for mindfulness.
Warm Up
When you start the warm up which is generally the same at the beginning of every class this tells your mind and body that you need to get into a certain mode. You start to focus and are ready for the class and what is to come.
The technique part of the class
This repetition of techniques ingrains the movements and teaches you to think calmly. I think I have always struggled with this part, as I am impatient and restless, so it’s a good way to practice focus and mental control.
Sparring part of the class
This is where you let go of trying to control what is happening and let things happen. When you are sparring it is hard to actually think about much else. Naturally, you will be forced at the moment and must learn to stay calm and let your body move into what you have learned. You actually want to avoid even thinking too much about the techniques as you find you fall behind what is happening. The challenge here is to trust yourself and let things go.
When sparring you actually want to forget about winning or losing, especially in the class. You have the simple goal of improving your position until submission is inevitable. You must focus on each moment and not the end goal or the fear of losing or the idea of winning. It’s a paradoxical moment as you do want to “win” but it’s not necessarily how you think about it. Just trust it and let it happen.
After sparring
Of course you will make mistakes try and step back again and observe these from the outside and also notice where things went well. Again a mindful approach to what has happened. You can even use stoic mindfulness where you absorb all that has happened without judgment and you have another chance to start again in the next class.
The same focus can be applied to everything
Once you get comfortable focusing at training, you could apply the same focus to everything else you do. BJJ kind of forces you to focus as there is that chance that if you lose focus something will happen to you. It is just one way BJJ can benefit your life and improve your mental well being.