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11 Lessons From 11 Years of Combat Sports (1-6)
Every November I hit my grappling “anniversary”, and it always makes me reflect on what I’ve learned both in the last year and in the years since I began training. It’s a fun exercise to remember all the experiences I’ve collected since I got involved in combat sports as a chubby 12 year old. Looking back, one thing is clear: I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
When I began wrestling in the 7th grade, I was an unfit, unconfident, and timid kid. Over time, wrestling helped me build confidence through hard work, and perseverance through failure. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I belonged in a community based on competence and my output rather than just social acceptance from friends or loved ones. It was empowering.
Without the experiences I’ve had in combat sports and the reflections I’ve made on those experiences, I’d never have learned how to deal with real adversity, how to work hard, or how to really treat people with respect.
This is a list that includes one lesson from each year that I’ve spent doing wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (coming in part 2), going all the way back to my first days of wrestling in the 7th grade. Most of them apply to life as well.
