In the fight between the rock and the stream, the stream always wins, not by strength but by perseverance.

In martial arts, like most things in life, it’s not about who’s best.  It’s about who’s left. 

Over the years a lot of the athletic, eager and talented people stop showing up. The wash-out rate in Jiu Jitsu is incredibly high, even at Easton Training Center where attrition rates are lower due to a thriving culture.

Why?

There are lots of reasons why people wash out.  Priorities change.  Demands change.  Finances change.

Cruel truths also keep people from coming back. Their talent only got them so far, and they don’t have the grit to do the hard work from there. Beach muscles and athleticism didn’t keep them from getting tapped out over and over.

Ego is a common cause. When a person’s image of themselves doesn’t match the hard realities the mat brings, it forces people to either accept those truths or avoid them.

The ones who are consistent, trust the process and stick to it get the farthest. Everyone has a friend, or maybe is the friend, that was awful starting out. Most of us are. It’s normal. We’re not supposed to be good at things we’ve never done before. As the years go by, the ones who stay get good, and the ones that quit simply don’t.

By taking the long view — understanding that this isn’t a sport but a practice, a path and a discipline –you’ll discover a lot about who you are. 

You discover way down that mystical oneness in all of us — the same stuff that lights up the stars. The fire of the universe right inside you. 

You may have a lot of fun outflanking and beating the people who used to smash you all the time. You’ll also make some great, deep friendships with people that don’t quit and won’t let you either.

Be the stream

In the fight between the rock and the stream, the stream always wins, not by strength but by perseverance.

You will be tested if you stay on this path, but it’ll be worth it.  You will find new lows. You’ll experience the despair of coming up short, losing tournaments, maybe even embarrassment, the inevitable injuries and losing friends that did give up.

By sticking with it, you’ll be mentally tougher. You’ll make a fine example to your peers and children that you follow through on what you started. You’ll become more fit and have a strange sense of humor that people who have never been strangled while laughing will simply never understand. 

It’s worth it.