As we continue to roll through 2021, taking on challenges and ambitiously working towards your goals, it’s important to stop and think about what you are avoiding.

What am I avoiding during my training?

• A bigger stronger person
• A new student with no technique
• A smaller person
• An experienced veteran who always wins
• A competitor
• My weak points

While the list goes on, it’s important to remember there are things that should be avoided in training.

• Bad hygiene
• High intensity without technique
• Rude behavior
• Illegal moves and holds

Today we’re talking about the first list, not the second, and the importance of addressing them with the skills and tools we have available. The more we work on addressing what we avoid, the BETTER we will get! It’s important so I’ll repeat that… The more we work on addressing what we avoid, the BETTER we will get! I use the pleural “we” because it usually involves you and your training partner problem solving and the ripple effect from that makes US ALL BETTER!

The first step is to think about and figure out WHAT you avoid (maybe both on and off the mat). This could be a conscious thing, it could be a subconscious thing. The next step is to think about WHY you avoid certain aspects of training.

ex: “I avoid warm ups because they are hard.” “I avoid people who roll hard because I don’t like to train hard.” “I don’t do leg locks because I have bad knees.”

Once you know WHAT and WHY, it would be good to think about the TOOLS and SKILLS you have available to work through or work with what you have been avoiding. Usually things involves the practice of COMMUNICATION (A constant practice and sometimes difficult thing but very useful and important).

Don’t hesitate to talk to a coach first. Your coach has experienced many things multiple times and might be better equipped with the tools and skills to address what’s being avoided.

In our mind, we might be thinking this isn’t going to be easy. We often avoid things because we know (or just think) something is going to be difficult. That’s why it’s important to consult with a coach or a training partner who has been around longer for help. They can guide you and hopefully show you how to better take on something you’ve been avoiding with ease.