Why do we train???

  Jiujitsu? What is Jiujitsu? Why do you train so much? What do you get out of training so much? Don't you worry about getting hurt?  These are all questions I am asked at least 2 to 3 times a week by different people. And to tell you the truth, the one answer that I always fall back to is, "For the love of the Art."
   Training at Humble Jiujitsu has never been an obligation or a duty.  Its never been because I paid for the month so I felt the need to be there. Now at first, it was about the desire to WIN.  I wanted to be the best. Not necessarily my best self but I wanted to win in competition.  I wanted to have an edge over not just my Team mates, but whoever I may have face in the next competition. Winning always feels good. The congratulations, the cheers, the pride you feel in the victory. Man but the thing people don't realize is that glory fades. No one really remembers your victories or defeats in competition. 
   What they do remember is YOU! They remember how you acted in victory or defeat. They remember your work ethic. Your actions on and off the mats. They remember whether you helped them grow in their own training. They remember your positives as well as your negatives. They remember YOU!
  So, the older I got and the less I found myself competing, the more I thought about this. Why do I train At Humble Jiujitsu?  Don't get me wrong, the thrill of victory or defeat. That feeling right before you get on the mats to compete. The energy. The excitement. The emotions. I still have that stirring within me. However, my focus has changed. At least for myself.  Competition is not what drives me anymore. To make all those around me the best they can be at Jiujitsu. This is my goal now...
  Why do I train? For the love of the Art? When your in the middle of an awesome roll, your partners trying to take your back, there is nothing else going on in your world, or mind except, DEFEND YOUR BACK!!! Don't let them get their grips, stop the choke. If you blink, if you allow yourself to focus on anything except that moment, you bet your @ your tapping.
  Man, to be so caught up in a single moment in time that time doesn't even exist. To be so focused that nothing else in your day to day life, good or bad, has meaning. The complete gratifying feeling you have when your training session is over. That basic calm, cool, and collected emotions as you thank your partners for the butt whoopin they just put on you. No victory. No defeat. Just fun. The Art of Jiujitsu. A living game of chess. The only game of life and death where a simple TAP, saves you. I get worked up just writing about it!!!
  Davis Martial Arts is about the Art. We're about Team. We're about the family and friends we teach and train with everyday. There are some highly skilled grapplers here. I feel each and everyone is here for the similar purposes and goals. To bring out the best within themselves. To be more than just a person who trains. If you allow the Art of Jiujitsu to enter your life. I can promise you this, you'll never be the same. From that moment, you are a changed person. Jiujitsu is more than a sport. More than grappling. More than competitions or training. Its a way of life...
  Come train and see for yourself. Don't take my word for it. The Life I talk about is waiting on you. Its never too late to start. Answer that question for yourself. Why do you train? Come train!
                                    
                                    DAVIS MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY
                                            Practice Makes Permanent

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