Giving it everything: When we think of giving it everything in some aspect of our life, whether it be in jiu jitsu or anything else, we typically think in terms of a single big challenge in which we give our all to prevail. So for example a very tough match in which we give everything we have to win. Certainly this is admirable and indeed necessary for your toughest matches, but the more difficult and important aspect of giving it everything is to do so over TIME. Most people can give everything they have for a ten minute match, but very few can give everything they have for ten years of a training program that prepares them for the biggest ten minute match of their life. Yet it's who gives everything for ten years that will determine winner of loser, rather than who gives everything for that ten minutes. Your skill level is more important than anything for determining the outcome of your matches, and high level your skills are will be determined by your commitment over lonely years in gym workouts that no one sees rather than the few minutes you spend in front of an audience.
