Choosing a Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle
Choosing a Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle
Jiu Jitsu becomes exponentially more fun when:
A: You’re strong
B: You’re flexible and mobile
But… drum roll…
Strength and flexibility don’t mean shit if you don’t have C: Cardio—and not just general cardio, but sport-specific cardio. And above all:
D: Fight IQ.
The ability to use timing, strategy, and leverage to manifest your strength and flexibility through technique.
Health is Part of the Contract
When you step onto the Jiu Jitsu path, you make a contract with yourself for better health. A poorly maintained body (and spirit) can’t fight—simple as that.
You clean up your diet.
You build your strength, flexibility, mobility, and cardio.
You may add meditation to your routine.
But most importantly, you spend time on the mats (ideally every day, but 2-4 days/week is a solid start), training with intention to improve, using your brain.
You also commit to recovery, hydration, and optimizing your sleep pattern.
Don’t Redline Every Session
Many fighters have a “mental disorder” where they think they need to redline every session. I’ve been there.
If you go balls to the wall every day, you will end up injured, inflamed, mentally burned out, and in poor health. Hard training days have their place, especially before tournaments, but outside of fight camp, training should be addictive and playful.
“Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.”
– Bruce Lee
Train at a pace that lets you return the next day, hungry for more. Volume over intensity builds your base.
Study Outside the Gym
Watching instructionals, competition footage, and analyzing technique accelerates your progression. Students who study on the side always progress faster.
This builds intentional training:
You process new concepts.
You show up wanting to test them.
You train with purpose.
Don’t Be a Class Spaz
Two white belts with reptile brains locked at 1000, clashing egos with zero skill, is not Jiu Jitsu. You might as well run uphill for an hour instead.
This behavior:
Slows your progress.
Risks injury to yourself and your partners.
Robs you of valuable training bodies.
You can’t get good at Jiu Jitsu training alone. It’s a team sport. A strong room, run professionally, produces strong, sharp individuals over time.
Training is for skill development. Tournaments are for fighting. Use your brain.
Note: The more skill you and your partners develop, the safer your high-intensity rolls become. Beginners often roll like runaway trains. Calm down and breathe. Skill takes time to build.
Forget Motivation. Build Discipline.
I despise the word “motivation.” Most people use it in a weak, shallow sense.
You don’t need motivation to start. You need self-discipline.
You simply do. And do more. That’s it.
It takes 60-90 days to build a solid habit. Many people fail because they don’t spend enough consecutive time. They go hard for 3-4 weeks, then quit.
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
If you stick to something for 90 days, it becomes part of you. This is when you start to feel real motivation, the kind that comes from inside. You no longer need someone to baby you.
So, forget motivation. Choose inspiration instead. And just go.
“I don’t understand why so many people read self-help books. Life is not that complicated… If you’re looking for self-help, why would you read a book written by someone else? That’s not self-help; that’s help.”
– George Carlin
Everything starts with self-discipline. You just do.
This process transforms your daily drive and habits, removing “motivation” from the equation.
You.. JustDo.Done. Zen.
Jiu Jitsu is about building strong, robust, resilient individuals.
The best way to get started is to surround yourself with others on the same mission.
Join the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle, and give yourself an upgrade.
Frode Nilsen
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Blackbelt
"The Jiu Jitsu dojo is the ultimate training ground for life" - Eddie Bravo 🥷👇🏻👊🏻⛩️ #jiujitsulifestyle @10pfredrikstad #nogi #jiujitsu #bjj #subonlymindset #jiujitsuculture #shootboxing #combatjiujitsu #MMA #fredrikstad #team10pfredrikstad #grandopening #1september #10P4L
