BJJ Makes the Proverbial Trip to the Dentist More Survivable
October 2, 2007
Do you ever find yourself thinking about the ways that Brazilian jiu-jitsu helps you? I mean outside of knowing how to break an attacker’s limbs or choke them unconscious. A lot could be written about the benefits of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. You know, things like an increase in self-confidence, the socialization, not to mention what it does for one’s physical fitness.
Patience is something I think BJJ forces one to learn. It’s not something that comes easily to a white belt, and blue belts are beginning to understand it, but there are multiple ways patience is a part of BJJ. One must be patient when looking for submissions. You can’t get upset when the attack you’re trying to perform does not come easy. Some of your opponents know more than you, may be really good at countering whatever attack you’re throwing at them, or they may just physically have capabilities in the strength or flexibility department that are enough to foil your efforts.
Patience is also required as you advance in belt rankings. It’s pretty well known that achieving one’s black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu takes most normal people between nine and ten years. (Even the prodigies and those who are lucky enough to study and BJJ train full-time for a living usually take between four and five years.) You can’t get upset when your goal isn’t immediately met in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Instant gratification is not really what it’s about.
Another benefit of Brazilian jiu-jitsu I’ve found that comes with time is that it allows you to remain calm under situations that are, when you step back and look at them, pretty dangerous! “Is that choke that my opponent is laying on me really enough to make me tap?” “Am I really ready to tap to this guy’s armbar? Does he really have it, or am I just nervous?” These are decisions we make every time we roll with someone who is better than us. Now keep in mind that I am not advocating trying to “tough out” submission holds that you’ll encounter. The default answer to the above questions should be “yes”, as safety comes first and you must have the policy that it’s better to be safe than sorry, as you can get seriously injured in BJJ if you don’t tap when you should (humility is another benefit you get from BJJ, but that’s a story for another day). But that ability to remain calm under physical duress is something that comes with training Brazilian jiu-jitsu for sure.
So, what makes me decide to write about this is that I recently went to the dentist after putting it off for a while. (Not smart.) It turns out that I needed some work done which included some drilling. Hey, not good news, but I better get it over with while I’m there, right? So as the dentist begins work, there were definitely times when I said to myself, “Oh $*%#&! Christ it feels like that drill is about to sever my jaw! Oh jesuschristinheaven she nailed that nerve.” (And I’m not even religious.) But then some instincts from jiu-jitsu kicked in, and I stopped and asked myself if the pain I was experiencing was really enough to make me react. “Do I tell her to stop? Do I freak out?” No, it was not really that bad. I could really handle it. And here’s where another BJJ benefit kicked in: I told myself “It’ll be over soon. Just chill. Go think about rolling around on the mats or something. Just relax and when it’s over it’s over.” I didn’t hear a voice from on high telling me to “flow with the go” (which would’ve been cool in retrospect) but I kept my composure.
So, thank you BJJ. Not only was I able to make my dentist’s life easier, BJJ helped me survive the serious discomfort I’d earned myself. I don’t know if it’s a compelling enough story to include in a BJJ school’s marketing material, but maybe it’ll help you next time you find out that brushing alone is not enough to keep your teeth in pristine shape!
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