Working Out Your Jiu Jitsu Goals

You will have your own unique path that drew you to BJJ, and working out what you want to get out of it may not immediately be clear. Whatever goal posts you set for yourself, they will likely shift and change as you progress — but having at least some broad objectives will help give you direction so you can get the most out of this multi-faceted sport.

You’ll probably find yourself in or between some of the below categories of goals:

• Looking for a fun way to get fit
• Looking for activity-based community
• Self-development 
• Self-defence 
• Want to be a competitive athlete

At New School we have members from each of these categories — including some that wander between objectives depending on what’s happening in their life!

When you’re still working out your goals, here are some key questions you might ask yourself:

INSPIRATION

• Are you most inspired by masterful skill and proficient movement? (THE BJJ GEEK)
• Are you inspired by functional combat technique? (THE FIGHTER)
• Are you inspired by the playful, interactive nature of BJJ? (THE INNER CHILD)
• Are you just inspired to try something new and challenging? (THE ADVENTURER)

MOTIVATION

• How many sessions per week are you willing to commit to?
• How motivated are you to research techniques and professional matches + plan your own strategic game plan?

TIME

• How much time do you have to train?
• How much time do you want to spend studying BJJ outside of class?
• How much time do you have on the weekends to compete or support the team competing?

ENERGY

• Considering other lifestyle factors, how much energy do you have to dedicate to BJJ?
• Do you need to manage your output expectations based on injury, illness or age?

Once you have a sense of what most inspires you, and you’ve considered what you can practically commit to, next you might consider the first milestones you need to reach on the way to your greater goal. For example:

• Is your fitness or mobility a limiting factor? Perhaps you could set some physical goals as your first milestone
• Has discipline and consistency been an issue for you? Perhaps getting to a certain number of classes per week is your first goal
• Are you a well-seasoned athlete? Perhaps you look to your first competition as an initial milestone
• Are you a geek for all things technical or an artist that wants to perform beautiful movement? Perhaps you choose some techniques you want to focus on and perfect
• Are you all about climbing the ladder of mastery towards black belt? You could clarify the milestones you need to hit to get your first stripes

There are so many ways to approach your Jiu Jitsu training, and the lessons and benefits will appear in ways you never even imagined. Even if you’re still not sure which direction you want to head in, asking yourself the above questions will help you start the process of clarifying what you want to get out of this sport. 

By Eleanor Forder, Co-Facilitator of NSBJJ Embodiment Programme