Welcome to the new section of our website: Taking Care of Your Mind is Jiu-Jitsu! Everything in this section will be based on Jiu-Jitsu with the aim to help with the improvement of our readers on and off the mats.

To kick-start the new section, we chose the theme: ‘The union of our minds with a common goal’. Many of you may have heard the phrase “I met my best friends on the mats” said by many practitioners of the gentle martial art. You must have noticed that senior students are the ones who talk about it most often, haven’t you? And you must have wondered why, right? Perhaps the answer to this question, lies with the magic that happens when we partner with people who all share a common goal.

A friend is a person you’ve established a positive connection with and in their eyes you show that  you have a credible image. Many true friendships begin in the Jiu-Jitsu schools, because during the fight, people reveal themselves and show their true personality. As the founder of Gracie Barra Master Carlos Gracie Jr. likes to say: “Nobody can hide their true personality on the mats.” A friend is someone who knows you well and is always willing to assist you, strengthening the bond of the friendship you share.

“Nobody can hide their true personality on the mats” – Carlos Gracie Jr.

All great fighters have teamed up with others to accomplish their goals. Once these superstars understood the value of interdependence, they sought mainly people who followed the same line of thought and had common goals. So, they put together successful teams, oriented towards the common goals of the group and the end result was excellent.

5 lessons we can draw from the mats and apply in life:

1 – All men who’ve performed great deeds have joined with others to accomplish their goals.

2 – The growth of our friends, colleagues and partners is our own growth.

3 – Union and fellowship are key elements for anyone who wants to succeed.

4 – The union of two or more people generates a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts.

5 – Control of the mind is necessary so that the ego does not overlap the reason.

Victories and defeats happen according to our ability to manage the teams that exist in our lives. A good Jiu-Jitsu practitioner is one who knows all the rules and all the techniques. An excellent one knows that taking care of the mind is Jiu-Jitsu, never lets his ego and vanity get the better of him, is humble and above all thinks about the future.  They see the bigger picture and put the goals of the team before his own.

An exemplary Jiu-Jitsu practitioner understands the power of cooperation; always works in a team and is tireless in achieving the common goals. He knows success and happiness go together, as people learn from one another being part of a team. Take care of your mind, practice Jiu-Jitsu.