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Apr
30
Kids cry. They cry when they can’t have candy, when the dog chews up their favorite toy, when they drop their ice-cream cone on the floor—they cry. It’s something they do.
I like to see kids cry at jiu-jitsu tournaments. Not because I enjoy little people in misery; it’s because it’s a sign of an emotional investment. If you’ve ever been to a jiu-jitsu tournament where kids are competing, you’ll witness a lot of crying. A kid will cry if they lose, they’ll cry if they win, they’ll cry if their Dad yells at them, they’ll cry if he doesn’t. For kids, crying is good.
Crying means the kid cares. They have something vested in the competition. They want to do well.
Adults on the other hand are a different story. You need to show some control. There is no crying on the mat—it rarely happens. What does happen, however, is even worse—the temper tantrum, hissy fit, the display of bad sportsmanship.
While it’s alright for a kid to break down—to be flooded with emotion—it is not alright for grown people. Control. That’s what jiu-jitsu is about: control the hips, control the head, control the pace and movement, control yourself, and that includes before and after your match.
I was watching an MMA fight yesterday—two tough guys-with good skills, and like most competitions, there is a winner and loser. The loser was so upset with the decision, that he refused to shake his opponent’s hand, he stomped all around the cage shaking his head, he looked at the ref pathetically, he shouted to the heavens and cursed, basically he was being a dick.
I just thought “Be a man–you lost. Deal with it.”
He couldn’t.
Part of being a good competitor is to be in control of your emotions. Kids are learning how to do it, adults should be able to do it, but not everyone can.
When Tap or Die starts looking for people to sponsor, we will not sponsor the guy who can’t control himself, because that guy, no matter how good he is, is an embarrassment to the sport.
well put