“Parting is such sweet sorrow. ”

If you want to learn you need to give up what you know.

Being a beginner in anything is hard work. Especially the jiu jitsu journey. It starts as a big, crazy shambles. You’re uncoordinated, regularly unsuccessful, and always behind the 8ball.

The more you attend the more you’re able to unravel and make sense of what is happening.

Soon enough you start to work things out a little. Sweeps start to work, submissions present themselves, and what was once a big mess now starts to make some sense.

You build skills and they become your strengths. Behind these strengths you get to have fun, go up against your mates, and enjoy the practice of jiu jitsu.

But if you want to keep learning, you need to put aside the things you already know and seek what you don’t know.

No matter how good your jiu jitsu is right now, it can be better. And if you want to get to better, ignore what you do know, pretend it’s not there, and keep filling your cup.

An empty cup is indicative of the white belt mindset. Everything you do can be put into question, and can be done better.

Both your work on the mats and off can be refined to infinity. And if this is a thought that excites you then you’re on the right path.

So, how empty is your cup?