Pressure and Performance
* Contributed by Black Belt and EGA’s Head Coach, Mike Palladino
I hung these belts up in my closet the other day, and it made me think about all the grapplers I’ve crossed paths with while wearing each of these belts.
One of the most unfortunate things I witness as a coach is the overwhelming pressure an individual puts on themselves in the face of competition.
Sadly, just one of these experiences has either permanently sidelined individuals from ever competing again or, in many cases, derailed their Jiu Jitsu progress permanently.
I’ve found that it’s almost always at a junior level—White belt or Blue belt. Ultimately, those are the ranks where you shouldn’t be putting that level of pressure on yourself, because, from the perspective of the big picture, those performances are insignificant.
We can be our own worst critics, and if we allow early performances to define us, we’re holding ourselves to a standard that isn’t realistic.
I don’t know of any competitors who have gone from White belt to Black belt undefeated. Loss is inevitable, and how you deal with it is important to your progress and development.
You can take the approach of quitting or you can watch tape, learn from your mistakes and continue to make progress.
There are internal pressures, where we put the pressure on ourselves, and external pressures, where other people place pressure on us.
I’ve personally found that, at Black belt, most of the pressure is external, as it comes from others putting performance expectations on you.
In the book With Winning in Mind, the author emphasizes focusing on performance over results. You can hold your head high if you have a good performance but come up short, as opposed to being so zoned in on earning a gold medal that you’re not focused on each individual performance.
In closing, don’t let your losses or your wins define you. Don’t put unjust pressure on yourself, especially at a junior belt. Performance is a byproduct of the effort and work put into day-to-day training—the stuff your opponents and spectators don’t see.
*Evolution Grappling Academy, located in Beacon and Fishkill, NY, offers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, and boxing for our adult students and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for our children. We provide high level coaching and experiences for all our strikers and grapplers at every level. We are proud to meet people where they are and provide the opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Whether you’re a competitor or hobbyist, there is a place for you in our Tribe! To come take a look, give us a call at 845-214-8134.