BJJ

Learning Leadership through BJJ Training

Learning Leadership through BJJ Training

1. Overview

Developing leadership skills is an integral part of BJJ training, enabling BJJ students to learn valuable life lessons. BJJ training is a physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental journey that encourages positive change in the lives of BJJ practitioners. Becoming an effective leader begins once a BJJ student steps on the BJJ mat for the first time.

This article provides insight into the significance of leadership in BJJ. The good qualities of a leader inspire and motivate others to become the shining star of the BJJ community.

2. Defining Leadership

  • Leadership skill is considered a soft skill.
  • Leadership skill is the ability to lead oneself and others.
  • It enables a leader to organize people to attain a specific goal.
  • It is a way to inspire and motivate others to complete tasks within a given time frame.
  • It is a combination of different soft skills.
  • It is a result-driven skill.
  • It is the inner ability to encourage new ideas by sharing a common goal to empower the team.

Defining Leadership

2.1 Characteristics of Effective Leaders

  • Communicating effectively with the team
  • Leading others with confidence
  • Demonstrating high-levels of intelligence and emotional maturity
  • Developing mutual understanding and trust among team
  • Accepting mistakes and failures
  • Finding common interests to make conversations easier
  • Empowering subordinates
  • Providing constructive feedback
  • Resolving conflicts

3. Need for Leadership in BJJ Training

The philosophy of BJJ discipline is so complex that no BJJ instructor can claim to know everything. So, this is a lifelong journey of learning and improvement. Leaders are always ready to learn more about new things to better inspire others to do the same.

Similarly, a BJJ instructor plays the role of an effective role model for his students and fulfills all of his/her duties. BJJ instructors lead their students with knowledge gained through experience. BJJ instructors must convey the required knowledge in a way that their students can understand.

Regrettably, many BJJ coaches have excellent knowledge of BJJ principles but cannot convey them well to others. It is also quite natural for BJJ coaches that they may not know the answers to every question.

But still, they try to help their students find answers. They also put all their efforts into teaching and guiding BJJ students to pave the way for their physical, mental, and spiritual journeys. So, BJJ students’ foremost duty is to respect and trust their instructors to help them make progress.

The responsibility of providing as many opportunities for BJJ students to become good leaders lies on BJJ instructors.

4. Developing Essential Skills through BJJ Training

The following are the skills a BJJ student must have to become a good leader.

4.1 Communication

Communication skills are an essential part of effective leadership. BJJ training teaches you how and when to communicate with your teammates. BJJ students must learn communication skills to deal with issues within the team politely and respectfully.

4.2 Critical Thinking

BJJ students must enhance their leadership skills by using different strategies and critical thinking. They must welcome difficult situations with a creative solution. They must evaluate the cause and effect of every problem during BJJ training. Critical thinking and evaluation ability encourage BJJ #practitioners to make better decisions. BJJ students must practice the philosophy of learning from their mistakes to be able to improve.

4.3 Focus

BJJ students must learn to concentrate and focus on BJJ techniques by avoiding distractions during training. A good leader knows to focus on only the relevant things needed to complete a task.

4.4 Self-Confidence

Another quality to be an effective leader is to act confidently. BJJ students must practice with confidence, even during difficult times. They should be willing to seek team assistance. They must also be willing to help others, too. Thus, BJJ students are constantly motivated to tackle new challenges to be able to realize their full potential.

4.5 Self-Discipline

BJJ training needs highly efficient and well-disciplined students. Students like them are more willing to put extra effort during BJJ training to accomplish personal and team goals. Only an effective leader knows the importance of passion and self-discipline.

Good leaders recognize the importance of committing to a task to achieve a long-term plan. One of the most essential skills needed to be a leader is discipline.

4.6 Being Authentic

BJJ training teaches students to practice authenticity both on and off the mats. They must learn to feel comfortable and stop comparing themselves with others. A good leader’s duty is to speak, do, and practice in an authentic way that makes their achievements legitimate. As actions speak louder than words, leaders don’t need to lie about their achievements. There is no space for fake rumors in the BJJ community.

4.7 Consistency

On the mats, BJJ students face many tests and challenges. They need to be able to tackle difficult situations through consistency and determination. They need to improve or adopt reliable strategies to be able to progress. Most people avoid new challenges, but good leaders don’t quit no matter what they face. They show others that victory isn’t what is important, only that you gave your best effort to try and succeed.

4.8 Courage

In BJJ, training both your body and mind can be quite nerve-wracking. Most of the time, students cannot meet expectations. BJJ students must always have the courage to take on new challenges. They must also understand that winning must not be their ultimate goal. Instead, self-improvement is the key to making progress in your BJJ journey. A good leader always leads people with courage, even when they are afraid.

4.9 Humility

Humility is one of the most important values of BJJ. All BJJ students learn to put aside their ego and pride. BJJ students must be eager to learn new things and accept their mistakes. All people have some insecurities and weaknesses, but still, BJJ students learn to show their emotional maturity. During BJJ training, BJJ students are expected to develop a positive self-image, healthy self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-management. In the future, BJJ students who show humility, respect, and gratitude tend to become effective leaders and role models that inspire others on their BJJ journeys.

4.10 Resilience and Emotional Control

A BJJ student must show emotional control and resilience during BJJ training. This will help BJJ students remain calm and make better decisions when under pressure. They must also show mental strength to control their emotions during victory or defeat.

4.11 Respect

All BJJ leaders are expected to respect their team members once they step on BJJ mats. They must honor and respect their elders and show kindness towards their teammates.

4.12 Perseverance

A good BJJ leader must have the ability to develop a strong relationship with his team members despite their different beliefs, personalities, and backgrounds.

4.13 Perseverance

In BJJ training, the best leaders are those who have the heart to accept their weaknesses and defeats. Perseverance is needed by BJJ leaders to show a positive attitude even when met by failure. It is necessary for a good BJJ leader to change and adjust BJJ training to overcome his/her weaknesses to better his/her chances of winning BJJ competitions.

4.14 Positive Attitude

BJJ training is an inspiring journey with many different hurdles. A BJJ leader needs a positive attitude and mindset to be able to overcome obstacles.

4.15 Conflict Resolution

Training for BJJ competitions can be challenging for BJJ students. Thus, BJJ students are able to better assess, adjust, and overcome conflicts and challenges. BJJ students can confidently resolve conflicts on and off the BJJ mats. A quality of a good leader is to resolve the conflict tactfully rather than winning it.

4.16 Avoiding Negative Leadership

Many people in the BJJ community misuse their power as leaders by pressuring their students into making decisions against their will, manipulating their minds, and using taunts or criticisms. Such leaders are examples of weak personalities, fragile egos, and jealousy.

  • Lie to the students about achievements, abilities, and accomplishments.
  • Encourage any kind of physical violence during BJJ training sessions.
  • Incite any mental or physical trauma or abuse towards BJJ students.
  • Show arrogance.
  • Fool BJJ students by having false charisma
  • Force BJJ students to be bound to limited BJJ techniques and snubbing them from practicing on their own
  • Use drugs, cheat partners, deceives the public, or steal
  • Injures someone deliberately
  • Disallow socializing of his BJJ students with other BJJ athletes from other BJJ gyms.
  • Use dishonest influence.

5. Conclusion

BJJ students tend to follow their BJJ instructors' strict rules and instructions on BJJ mats. As time passes, they grow in skill and realisz the importance of leadership in BJJ. They also become leaders for other BJJ students. All BJJ students understand the need for leadership skills as they grow in physical strength, mental fortitude, and emotional health. They also appreciate the skills they learn on BJJ mats, such as listening, communication, control, discipline, responsibility, positive attitude, and teamwork. These skills help them achieve professional goals, maintain personal relations, lead a healthy life, and overcome challenges.

Photo credit: @thirstymag , @grapplersretreat , @khon2 , @agfight , @grmag , @pixels

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