of techniques and philosophies to learn. In an interview I did with Helio Gracie, he told me is still learning and refining his technique! Now if he is still working at it at the age of ninety-something, that means there is always room for improvement for everyone.

Realistically, a mentor at the highest level may not be one offers much technical advice anymore, but the motivation factor plus the years of familiarity will be of great help.

•I am not your Mentor.

One thing I want to clear up right now, that unless you happen to train at the Ralph Gracie Academy in Mountain View, there is no way I am your mentor. I am simply not in contact with you to the degree a mentor should be. Nothing should be substituted for live human interaction and a mentor-student relationship, and I would never suggest anything to overtly or subliminally suggest otherwise or sabotage those bonds. I am merely an observer and a giver of advice in this case, heck I like to consider all of you my friends, take it as you will.

•Becoming a mentor yourself.

At some point in your career in Jiu Jitsu you may find yourself in the position of mentor, in taking more personal responsibility for the growth of an individual. It is not a position to be taken lightly. The first part is taking care not to usurp any previous mentorship relationships. As I said earlier, it generally should be the primary instructor at your academy who should be fulfilling the mentorship role, although in large academies that role may often be filled by a senior student. Secondly, it’s important to know your own limitations. You may have some work of your own to go on your technical ability, or your ability to communicate that knowledge, or above all you might not have the time or energy to devote to being a mentor. It’s a task that takes a considerable amount of time to get good at it, but ultimately the desire to accumulate and pass along knowledge is a very human trait that has contributed to our evolution for eons. Becoming a mentor may be the most rewarding aspect of Jiu Jitsu.

The single most significant piece of advice I can give to any would be mentors out there is to lead by example.


Homework Assignment #1

Your assignment is to identify and approach your personal mentor. Make sure that YOU have someone at a level above you that will help you become better in Jiu Jitsu. This person should probably be your instructor, although given the size of the class and your actual interaction with him/her, it might be a senior student acting as your mentor.

Homework Assignment Part Deux

Now that you’ve identified your mentor, ask that person what you need to do to become better at Jiu Jitsu. Listen very carefully to what he/she has to say, and don’t offer any feedback just yet, just listen. I do not know what your mentor is going to tell you, but I encourage you to act upon it the best you can. (You might also want to share with your mentor about Critical Thinking and Jiu Jitsu, so you have something to discuss).


Next Week: What is Jiu Jitsu?

I’m a bit more than amazed at everyone trying to sell, defend, or talk about Jiu Jitsu without having a clear definition of the topic. Next week I aim to help correct that.

You can discuss this article and points made with Gumby in the OTM Forum Critical Thinking and Jiu Jitsu

http://www.onthemat.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21