“I told myself to either change the way I feel about competing, or walk away from it.”
This was Brianna Ste-Marie as she stepped off the podium at No-Gi Worlds. She had just won the tournament, but as she openly shared, it marked the first time in a while that she felt good again after struggling with her mental health.
She realized that she practices jiu jitsu because she wants to, because it brings her joy—and that realization helped her find her light after a period of darkness. It’s such a simple yet powerful message, and I wanted to share it again because we often forget about the importance of having fun.
Jiu jitsu is an incredible sport that comes with highs and lows. Whether you train for fun or pursue jiu jitsu as a full-time career, there will be moments of doubt, pressure to perform, stress over training schedules, or frustration when things don’t go your way.
Moments like these are easy to get caught up in and lose sight of why you started in the first place: because jiu jitsu makes you happy. Chasing goals is great, but if you don’t enjoy yourself while doing it, what’s the point?
So if there’s one thing I wish for you to carry into this new year, then it is to enjoy what you do. Remember this, because at the end of the day, being happy is what makes all the difference.