06.09.2007 100 things you should do before reaching black belt - 21 - 50Based on the experience of established fighters, GRACIE Magazine puts together a goal plan of the most daring kind for the unconditional Jiu-Jitsu lover
By Marcelo Dunlop and Raphael Nogueira* / Photos by Gustavo Aragao / Illustrations by Gustavo Villa Nova
21 » Learn to lose.
22 » Learn to win.
23 » Find the brand of gi with the cut that best suits your body.
24 » Brush up on your surfing, as you have yet to participate in a Black Belt Surf Championship.
25 » If surfing isn’t your thing, work on another outdoor activity to invigorate you on the days you are not in the gym.
26 » Learn to teach. This includes knowing how to conduct an entire class, plan the warm-up for the specific lesson of the day, match the fighters properly and put the student at ease before going home, among other things. “At brown, the promising athlete may teach a class under a black belt’s supervision, as though it were an internship, a test,” suggests instructor Raphael Abi-Rihan.
27 » Read the IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu rule book.
28 » Close to receiving the black belt, participate in MMA or a slap training session. A training session involving real-life fighting is extremely important to sharpen up your self-defense, by learning to time takedowns and refining other aspects.
29 » Forget steroids.
30 » Try to get private classes – vital for refining your technique and learning tricks from your teacher.
31 » Offer yourself as your master’s sparring partner, especially in private classes, in which you too will learn a lot.
32 » Put together your basic bibliography of martial arts. The more books, the better.
33 » Fight, with all your strength, so that whatever nickname it is they gave you doesn’t stick.
34 » Accept the nickname, if it sticks.
35 » Give a good nickname to a good partner.
36 » Encourage a child to start learning Jiu-Jitsu. After all, they are the future of the sport.
37 » Gain self-control.
38 » Use your technical abilities and stamina to get out of a bind. Adventures are a part of every black belt’s story.
39 » Don’t let your Jiu-Jitsu go to your head. Keep yourself well-centered.
40 » Learn how to react. There is no precise guide to reacting in each situation, but instructor Carlos Gracie Jr. teaches a classic lesson. When someone is bothering you, in the cinema, on the plane or wherever, think before reacting: what if this person is a Ricardo Arona or Wanderlei Silva, what would you do? Figured it out? There are times when you definitely must intervene, or just talk to the bugger, but do it politely – without treachery. It doesn’t matter if the person is a little old woman, a bunch of teenagers, Arona or Wanderlei Silva.
41 » Don’t forget to practice the basics, nor how to defend the basic moves.
42 » Have a physiotherapist buddy, who after all the appointments will give you that discount when a new little injury pops up...
43 » Have a favorite recipe for açai.
44 » Find out when the best time of the day for you to train is, and understand whether your body responds better to training hard at night, in the afternoon, or early in the morning.
45 » Send an email commending GRACIE Magazine.
46 » Send an email criticizing GRACIE Magazine – or suggesting an article for us to write.
47 » Study the basic history of your sport, and understand who Carlos, Helio, Carlson, Rolls, among others were, and their roles in Jiu-Jitsu.
48 » Every white belt has seen them 48 times, so don’t you be the one not to re-watch them: watch, every now and then, the first fights Royce fought in the UFC, Rickson fought in Pride or the battle between Minotauro and Bob Sapp. After all, they make up a big part of the saga of Jiu-Jitsu.
49 » After so many years of injury, find out one hold you will not tap out to by any means – a foot lock, a guillotine…
50 » Be flexible; discover your favorite stretching program.
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