In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there is a common saying “Leave your ego at the door”. This means, it’s good to train without an ego as otherwise it can hold you back or cause problems with other practitioners. Having said this, a little ego can actually be a good thing. Not only this, but whether we like it or not – we all have an element of ego whilst training. Whilst some make out they are completely without ego, this simply isn’t possible and is mostly a myth to make BJJ sound more grandiose than it actually is.
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Is ego is bad in Jiu Jitsu?
Ego can be bad for various reasons. The first problem with ego is that it can hold you back in terms of your progression. Let’s face it, no one enjoys getting tapped in the gym. At best it harms the ego a bit, but at worst it can physically hurt too. Because of this, some people will go to extreme lengths to avoid losing during a roll. Whilst this may come with a short-term gain, it will result in a long-term loss.
This is because if you keep training to win instead of training to learn then it will eventually catch up on your technique. For instance, if the first thing you do when taking the back is trying to submit by a neck crank then it may end in submission. However, learning to choke is more efficient as it will submit more high level practitioners.
Whilst it’s ok to develop a tough and gritty style, perfect technique will always trump being a hard opponent. At some point going hard all the time simply won’t work as well anymore. Usually, this works well against newcomers and can work until blue belt level. However, there will come a point where you waste training hours by not focusing on your long-term development by instead focusing on your short-term wins. The reality is, most people start BJJ to learn and improve – they do not start to win rounds in the gym.
Another issue with ego is that it can physically hurt you and others. For instance, if you get caught in a submission but refuse to tap out of pride, then you may end up breaking a bone. This is bad for obvious physical reasons. However, yet again it can stunt your progress by taking time off which could have been spent training. Not only this, but your ego can lead to others getting injured if left unchecked. For example, if an opponent taps you – you may up the intensity and crank a submission or hit them accidentally due to your aggression.
In short, there’s a difference in BJJ between controlled aggression and wild aggression. If your aggression is misplaced then injuries are more likely to happen. Because of this, ego can often be the enemy and is sometimes to the detriment of white belts.
Is ego good in Jiu Jitsu?
Having looked at the negative examples of ego in Jiu Jitsu, it’s only fair to look at the positives that a healthy ego can bring. In brief, there’s probably no such thing as zero ego – but this is fine as long as it’s controlled well. A good example of ego beneficial in BJJ is the will to improve. If you don’t like being the worst in the class then you may put in extra hours sparring or drilling. In short, you will go the extra distance to get results.
This fascination may stem from insecurity but the results are only positive. If you feel awkward being inferior then you may go out of your way to improve whilst others won’t. Sometimes this is what leads to great competitors; as they are people driven by ego to be the best and aren’t satisfied with mediocrity. Most people don’t have this mentality, but it certainly works to the benefit of some.
This may sound hypocritical but sometimes people with big egos will even enjoy getting tapped and losing rounds. For instance, if they see the bigger picture then they will be willing to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gains. If you are weak in an area and chose to spar a specialist in that domain, then you may lose initially.
However, this line of thinking will help you improve by adding to areas of your game. Eventually, you will over-take the specialist and still be superior in other areas of grappling. Because of this, there’s nothing wrong with an ego as long as it’s applied in a healthy, competitive manner that is based on progression rather than mindless aggression.
Perhaps the clearest example of this is seen in competition. Competition is often fueled by ego. Whilst competitors may get in the zone when competing, they can also be nice guys at the gym. This shows the difference in goal-setting and thinking long-term. Many practitioners do not compete. However, for those that are attracted to medals – the pursuit of the medal may be driven by ego. With this in mind, the ego may push you to train harder but also smarter and this can often be a good thing.
Summary
Ego is evident in all areas on Jiu Jitsu and those that say otherwise are often too idealistic when thinking about the issue. A common thinker amongst this idea is Joe Rogan who often claims that ego is beaten out of you by black belt. This may be a nice idea and is partly true in some cases.
However, for some – they can even gain feelings of superiority when achieving the black belt which only drives their ego further. Not only this but as the mentioned ego can often be used for good. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this article is not to pretend ego doesn’t exist, but instead to use it to your advantage as a positive tool rather than something which holds you back.
