Rickson Gracie: "You have to be able to live in your worst nightmare."

In the current issue of Black Belt magazine, I read an article on Rickson Gracie and his combat psychology. I typed up one part of the article for my personal notes and also to share with you. IMO, this quote is very powerful and pure gold!

I liked the writing style of the author and cannot wait for the book to be published. Although I have many books on my To Read list, when this book is available, it will jump to the top of my list! In all likelihood, I won't have a chance to train with Rickson Gracie, let alone the other 9 masters in the book, but from the article, it is clear that the author was able to get into the minds of the masters. Rickson IMO is a throwback to the warriors of old... part warrior and part philosopher. Showing my age here, but to paraphrase the old E.F. Hutton commercial, "When Rickson Gracie speaks, I listen!"

How many of us are mentally tough enough to put ourselves in a place/situation that we know will test and challenge us? It is easy to be complacent and always look to do what you are strongest or feel the most comfortable doing, but can you do as Rickson advises? Is your ego/confidence fragile? Are you mentally tough?

... Gracie talked about the importance of regular jiu-jitsu training and being put in uncomfortable situations.

"Where there's discomfort, there's fear," he said. "In these very tough positions, you're in a little piece of hell. And through this daily suffering, you learn to survive in these situations. You have to find comfort in uncomfortable situations. You have to be able to live in your worst nightmare. Jiu-jitsu puts you completely in the moment where you must have complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems. Sometimes, you don't have to win. You cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing."

Source
"Live In Your Worst Nightmare - The Fighting Wisdom of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Master Rickson Gracie"
by Steven Abood
Black Belt
January 2012
pg 65


Note

Rickson is one of 10 masters author Steven Abood interviewed and is writing about in his upcoming book "Ten Jiu-jitsu Masters". It's a book that chronicles the life stories and life lessons he learned form a decade of training under the greatest masters of our time. Abood posts as "FatBuddha" on http://www.mixedmartialarts.com.