“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is so much about Jiu-Jitsu that it may take a lifetime to learn, hear, and understand most of the important facets that leads any student to fully succeed. However, success in BJJ does not happen overnight. Most will wish that it did, but it won’t. Not ever.

Most newbies can succeed in BJJ. But there are some who may leave their learning to theories… and that’s about it. Theories do not make a fighter. Training does.

To our dear readers: here is one of the pitfalls of learning jiu-jitsu – too much theory pitfall.

Imagine a student who is into BJJ. A student who has seen all of the videos on YouTube. This student made it a habit to wake up in the morning and check all of the videos that he can find. He even goes as far as subscribing to different gurus on the internet to be a part of their mailing list. He knows a lot about Jiu-Jitsu. And yet he has never come close to attending classes for weeks!

This student signed up for a competition and lost. He feels that he does not deserve the loss because he has studied BJJ. He eventually quits.

Theories do not make the fighter. It’s the practice of being a fighter that makes him. To feed one’s mind in BJJ is a good thing. A smart fighter is a good fighter. The fighter who knows a lot is a fighter who has the advantage over his opponent. However, a fighter who limits himself to text book knowledge will be a fighter that is good only for the books or in debates. The lack of action in training cannot make a fighter. It’s that’s simple.

In Gracie Barra, the professors that we look up to and idolize have paid their dues in both in action and in knowledge.

To do a thing is to apply what we know. Know then apply.

Put on your Gi and read the books. Ask for knowledge that can help you become one of the best there is. An ounce of action, or even less, trumps out tons of knowledge that you may have stored in your head.

Your success in BJJ awaits you. Improving your BJJ skills is a drill, a session, a tournament away! It’s close. All you need to do is to just get on it and do it.

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This article was inspired by one of the dear Professors that I have worked with in BJJ. Hours of conversation with him regarding holes in my personal game has gained me insight to what I feel is what I lack. I am the student who has known so much about BJJ and plateaued into it. Thank you, Professor JP. 

Credits:  Nilo Valle Chinilla

Reporter, GB.com