Sitting on the sidelines: There will always be times injury takes you off the mat. Whenever that occurs I always encourage students to come in and watch. Part of the motivation is to keep their spirits up, but far more important is the need to keep their progress going even when you can't physically participate. Never forget that every physical action in Jiu jitsu begins with a mental decision to act that way. You can use this insight to help your progress when you can't physically perform the moves. Watch matches from the sideline – but don't watch for ENTERTAINMENT by simply seeing who wins and who loses. Watch to learn and IMPROVE by MENTALLY PARTICIPATING IN THE MATCHES YOU WATCH. Put yourself in the place of the two athletes, sometimes the offensive player and sometimes the defensive player. Don't FOLLOW the action with your eyes, PREDICT and JUDGE the action with your mind. This is the best and most important participation you can engage in when your body can't engage. When the body can't engage – THE MIND STILL CAN – and that mental engagement will allow noticeable improvement when you return. Never forget that physical action action begins with mental decisions and use this to your advantage next time you can't physically train.
