Know your limits

In any situation, at any given time, we have mental and physical limits and often these are only discovered by going way over and beyond them. The nature of this blog you will realise, is about achieving our own definition of impossible and overcoming limits, but only by accepting can we go beyond them. The question therefore becomes about the "how". How do you tackle limits? Do you barge through them or knock gently at the periphery? 

I made a commitment to myself two weeks ago to compete in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament (BJJ) and to go through the training process as intensely as possible. I'm nearly at the end of the training period but I'm dangerously teetering on the edge of overtraining. My back is going into spasm after some serious torsion through my spine, my menstrual cycle is all over the place and I'm exhausted. I'm the only girl in my training group and a beginner; but more importantly I'm human and I like being human. Being vulnerable and embracing the more fragile qualities of being a human have made my life infinitely better. I share more, I cry more, I laugh more and I love more. 
My challenge is having to learn how to navigate a really tough sport but stay true to my values and so far as I wrote last week, I have failed. I have got wrapped up in my own ego and other's ego's and have denied listening to my body in every sense. I'm physically strong; I can therefore match most men my size on strength. It does however come with a price, because training partners fight you, rather than spar with you, so there are no easy days, ever. 

Part of my training ethos is I like to work and train with my menstrual cycle. I get great results from this as it really optimises the body and makes progress much easier. The last week of my cycle I like to train very light, take extra rest and don't diet, but I haven't had the luxury of being able to reduce training load in a group environment and I'm paying the price for it - heavily. As a consequence in a very short space of time, I am banging at the doors of my own physical and mental limits. I have celebrated this knowledge with an unplanned rest day and a little stiff talking to, with how I proceed. I can accept and honour where I am in alignment with my "inside-out" training approach, or continue to thrash through the whispers of overreaching into full blown overtraining and injury. When I write the options down, of course there isn't an option, yet it is much harder doing the right thing because my ego is ferociously and extraordinarily robust. 
But this blog is about well-being, health and ultimately making decisions that enable us to be happier and stronger characters, because in the end what matters is the person we become. I therefore feel I have a duty of care to explore the more holistic options for making the impossible possible, because the alternative just isn't an option for me anymore. 

What I have realised throughout my life training in different disciplines is nobody is going to tell you not to train, or tell you you're doing a good job. People love to offer advice but that does not mean it is good advice or it will work for you; for that, they have to know you. What does make a difference however, are words of encouragement but it is a mistake to expect, and actually this is a great opportunity to realise I don't need permission or validation to feel good, because I am fully responsible for my physical and mental wellbeing including my happiness. Nobody can give it and nobody can take that away. 

Overtraining and not listening to my body is a tried, tested and failed method for me. It's easy to do but gets you nowhere really fast. Part of the "inside out" approach is being very clear about what constitutes success and there does seem to be a gender difference with this! Being the best I can be in any situation, regardless of my opponent is my new definition of success and part of my frustration this week has been my training has not been in alignment with that. I've allowed myself to overtrain through pure stubbornness and ego. 

Making choices that are right for me, not just physically but that are in alignment with my values really matters. It is part of standing tall as an empowered female. I choose not to break my body and mind these days, there is no value in that so it's managing to make skilful decisions in a situation that doesn't always allow it. In my particular training environment, it is clear there are not going to be any easy training days or easy sparring sessions. I'm not going to be treated as a girl and actually I'm not going to be treated as a beginner! Therefore, if I turn up for training I have to be prepared for that, and actually sometimes (as in today) the right decision is not to train, hence why I'm writing (from bed with chocolate) and feeling really good about it. 

Working with the menstrual cycle and not against it

Not honouring my menstrual cycle is a big contributor to the overtraining issue. I'm a big believer in working with the female cycle to one's advantage. If allowed, it can give us tremendous insight, creativity and spikes of limitless energy. To access this however, it also means not resisting the premenstrual urge for introspection, a few emotional turbulences and extra rest.

Since I started listening to my body about 2 years ago, I have had great energy levels, stable moods, no injuries and regular healthy periods, despite a heavy training load for bodybuilding competitions. 
Training for a BJJ tournament in an all male environment, somewhere along the line I stopped listening and trusting myself.  No surprise, my body is not very happy, illustrated by early warning signs of injury and an erratic cycle. 

As a women and having trained many women, I feel it is extremely important to work with the menstrual cycle and not against it. In truth, we are different characters mentally and physically throughout the month and that's ok - it's the nature of being a female. To dishonour or apologise is just denying what is natural. Our motivation, emotions and physical body change over the month and actually this can be used to our advantage. Premenstrual dieting I have found is usually a recipe for disaster and is a time when the body needs extra nourishment and rest. When you give the body what it needs, it will generally reward you so I've found kindness at this time of the month really lays the foundations for the rest of the month. 

There are many women that train in male dominated sports or work in a male dominated environment and being able to embrace, honour and not deny being a female is a real skill. I've come to love my cycle as it highlights many things; in fact it slaps you in the face. Mid cycle I'm physically invincible with energy that is through the roof, and pre-menstrually the polar opposite - where even washing my hair seems like a magnanimous task. It highlights any emotional or physical issues which can then be dealt with before too late and dealing with small problems early is by far easier than dealing with huge problems brought on because they were ignored. 

Planning my training and life in alignment with my menstrual cycle has completely revolutionised my life and it just makes sense. Of course, it isn't always possible with work and family commitments but it's amazing what even a few minor changes to one's schedule can make. I'm a couple of days before tournament now and I intend to get back on track by spending those resting and getting my mind back to where it belongs. I won't be dieting or dehydrating but going into it with energy and vigour, excited and appreciative of the journey. This experience has also taught me to always stay true to my values of being human and listen to my body, because nobody else will do this for me. 

Making the impossible possible

The essence of this blog is really about asking and exploring the question - How do we tackle the impossible? Of course, this is highly individual and I use this expression not in the literal sense, as in, "can I fly"? but as a metaphor for defying the odds.

The strategy for the above, I believe is making hard things fun or enjoyable, because this is the foundation of self-motivation. Willpower will only take you so far, but rarely beyond.  
I ask this question because I can't help thinking the human spirit is strong beyond comprehension and with this comes the innate desire to accomplish the inconceivable. My curiosity and desire to confront this, has been a recurrent theme my whole life which for the most part has led to catastrophic failure doing things the hard way; suggesting the hard way is not the best way. The alternative to the hard way is the easy way, or a combination of both. The easy way revolves around the path of least resistance which slightly defies  logic for huge challenge; there is however method in the madness.

The Flow state

Struggle and release, theoretically are both necessary components for learning. My default is "efforting", so putting more focus on "relaxing" restores the balance in the cycle and actually has made a huge difference to my performance and my general sense of wellness and happiness. It was this personal discovery which got me interested in the Biology of "Flow" - a term coined by the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe an altered state of consciousness where attention is so focused on the task at hand that everything else goes away. There is a whole litany of lingo used to describe this, such as "being in the zone" or "runners high" and extends to everybody, not just athletes. Essentially it is an emotionless state where our perception of time disappears and physical and mental performance goes through the roof.
Although research of flow has existed for over 150 years, the last 20 years has given us increasing insight into what happens in the body and brain during flow, which seems to revolve around a complicated cascade of neurochemicals; norepinephrine, dopamine (focus), serotonin, anandamide (lateral thinking) and endorphins.

Although I haven't experienced a lot of flow, I have glimpsed it and I can attribute my best performances to being relaxed and devoid of nerves and this is often a common theme talking to other people's performance experiences. 
Brief glimpsing of it is enough to facilitate a quest on this path, because it is such an extraordinarily positive experience. This backs up the notion that "flow" is a very addictive mental state. Interviews of top rock climbers have revealed that climbing is really a facilitator of getting into this state, which is the primary motivator for these athletes, rather than the climb itself. This sheds a little light on what may be the driving force behind many athletes, including ultra-distance runners. 

From a personal and academic interest in self-motivation I'm therefore very interested in trying to consciously access flow, rather than it occurring by accident or by having to rely on competition, as it seems this state is the source code of motivation. Without delving too much into the neurochemistry of flow, there seems to be a "struggle-release" cycle associated with it. The struggle (where skill level is not sufficient for the challenge) is a necessary prerequisite of release. If surrender accompanies the struggle, frustration and fatigue can progress into a physical release; causing flooding of nitric oxide into the blood stream and flushing away of norepinephrine and cortisol. 

Steven Kotler, the director of the Flow Genome Project suggests criteria for accessing the flow state and that is 1) High consequences 2) Rich sensory environment 3) Deep embodiment. 

High consequences is an interesting idea and this is just as much about perception than any real threat. It is summed up rather nicely in Samuel Johnson's quote "nothing concentrates the mind like the knowledge that one will be hanged in the morning.". In a high consequence situation, the mind has to focus and hence why extreme sport athletes are such a good cohort to study flow, as these physical performances simply would not be possible without this intense level of focus. From a personal perspective, my achilles heel is defaulting into an over-aroused state in a competition environment i.e jacked! I have found there is no better way to relax in challenge than 1) to desensitise yourself to a challenge situation by doing more and more things that put you outside your comfort zone. The brain isn’t daunted by its endless tasks; the more you ask it to do, the more it can do. 2) Execute deep breathing to help facilitate the process. 

Competition as a tool to understand motivation

The majority of my competitive years was spent in anguish, discontent and dissatisfaction. It just wasn't something I enjoyed very much because I was terrified of failure and I wasn't experienced enough to know how to moderate performance anxiety; it always got the better of me. 
Today I'm older (not necessarily wiser) but my motivation to compete is different. It is about exploring self-motivation. I'm therefore not attached to the outcome which comes with a huge advantage, in that it has given me the courage to be very experimental with training and competition strategies; an endless source of entertainment to friends and family!

I now compete in two sports; bodybuilding (Figure) and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and I think they complement each other beautifully. It has taken me 18 months of consistent weight training to bring my physique to where I want it to be and now I have the freedom to play around with other ways of enjoying the journey, at the same time as refining a physique. I chose BJJ, because I love martial arts and being a beginner at anything and learning is where I'm at my happiest.

My first BJJ tournament was in Bangkok after 1 week of training. Being a recovering perfectionist, I was curious to see just how much preparation you need to "survive" a high level tournament. In terms of technical mastery administered in my fight, there was none, but... I survived. Of course survival is not the goal but I was interested to see what kind of experience minimal training would have in that environment. I love to fight (perhaps that is the product of two older brothers) and it feels natural to do so (within a sport!) but in truth I was too nervous to allow any intuitive movement or skill that I had learnt to come to fruition. It would undoubtably have been more enjoyable if I had been armed with a few more tools and I had managed my state of "fight or flight" a little better!

So, I have embraced my next challenge of the BJJ British open. I still don't have much more skill but I have one tournament under my belt which takes the sting out of first competition nerves. I'm very curious to see if I can access "flow" and I'm interested to see if I can use learned mental skills; meditation, breathing and mindfulness etc to manipulate arousal levels so I can better match skill level with challenge. I have practised mindfulness in weight training over and over again but to apply this to sparring and fighting is a really different thing, because there are so many more parameters outside of one's control. 

Week 1 and Failing to Flow

I have a great coach and great training partners - they are however all men, and all heavier than I am.  I committed to twice daily training for two weeks before the tournament and it is a baptism of fire in every sense. I get dragged across the mat, arm-barred, leg-locked, sat on, suffocated...the list goes on and on. Training is mentally and physically tiring and PMS has really tested my usual stoic training composure. In truth, I haven't fared particularly well keeping calm; the red mist has come down on several occasions and ego has gotten the better of me every time! There have however been glimmers of hope in the gradual waring down process. Out of fatigue comes creativity  - you try other things when what you are doing doesn't work. 
You learn to conserve energy by surrendering to unnecessary emotions; namely frustration - this is "release". Interestingly, in moments of release come a heightened awareness of what is going on and that I believe is at least progression in the right direction. 

 BJJ legs!

Despite being hugely fun and enjoyable, with a lot of raucous belly laughter thrown in, I have failed miserably at taking conscious control over my own mastery of emotion and skill. Surrender has come about purely as a consequence of complete exhaustion! but rest and recuperation is wonderful for restoring perspective and learning. All I can say is thank goodness I can laugh at myself. 
This passing week has been a humbling experience, highlighting my complete inadequacy and lack of control but I'm hoping after a rest day to consolidate learning, next week will be different. I have zero expectation of winning my tournament, but my definition of success is simply to stay calm enough and "in the moment" to at least allow some recall of technique. From there, well...we'll see what happens - after all this is an experiment!

Life lessons from a Bodybuilding competition

I recently competed in my second Figure competition on 25th April and qualified for the NABBA Britain finals, so this post is really a culmination of lessons I have learnt from a less than ideal preparation and a little more experience in a sport I really know little about; the beauty of which is beginners mind where possibilities are infinite. 

I wrote last week about coming home to yourself; your authenticity and feeling good in your own skin. It's a process that has evolved over 35 years and will continue to do so but these days the deviation from this feeling is marginal compared to the dramatic "off coursing" of my earlier years. 

Ironically, a head injury from Thai boxing and a complete loss of health and identity is what I have to thank for this. The outcome of which is huge gratitude and appreciation for my body which is now fully recovered. 

I therefore came to bodybuilding (about a year ago) with a slightly different outlook on life and my body. It was an experiment in enjoying the journey; something largely missing from my formative sporting years. As with many things I do, it's usually upside down and back to front but coming to this sport and being predominantly at peace with my body has enabled me to take many different things from it. I also chose to prep myself; based on taking the path of least resistance, so my journey to the stage has been rich with experience and challenge from doing things a different way. 

Often, communicating why we love something is beyond words and perhaps that is how it should be, but I do love bodybuilding so I shall try and do it justice by explaining why. Firstly, I love weight training but most importantly my journey through it has been positive, challenging, transformative (mentally and physically) and has reinforced clarity about how I view my own body. 

I understand I have a limit on how far I can go in the sport because I choose a "gear-free rear". I also value my opinion of my body over those of the judges but I would still like to think there is a place for people like me in this sport, because my journey through it has been life changing. It has put me so far out of my physical and mental comfort zone and introduced me to some fascinating people. It is easy to get on with like minded people but eye opening and interesting trying to find common ground with those that see the world very differently. This is where the test comes in; and that is how grounded can I be surrounded by people that are very opinionated about the physique? 

This waxes and wanes depending on all sorts of things and there are days I will put a hoodie on and avoid mirrors at all costs! It is however really good mental training to stand firmly in comfort, in your own body and for this I am grateful for the sport because it has really reinstated clarity on this issue. It makes me far more uncomfortable being around people berating their bodies. I won't be naive about the existence of body dysmorphia and constant dissatisfaction in people that do this sport; fear can no doubt be a good motivator but I believe there are other and better ways to do things. 

Self-motivation is intrinsically linked to encouragement; the science of which I am interested in from an academic perspective. So, I take a much kinder and gentler approach to life and training which in turn means I can get the best from my training sessions and body. This is what I mean by "path of least resistance"; it is allowance rather than struggle. My approach is most definitely unconventional and "inside out" in all ways because it is holistic and intuitive. I meditate daily, I encourage a good relationship with ALL food (including chocolate almonds!) and don't weigh myself or my food and yet I can get great results from this. I'm healthier than I ever have been; retain a regular menstrual cycle and haven't yet experienced post competition weight rebounds.

Clarity of vision

I was fortunate to meet many inspiring ladies through my journey but my most recent acquisition was an amazing woman - to be named "wonderwoman": part boxer, part figure competitor, judge, posing coach and full time paramedic; that description really doesn't do her justice. https://www.facebook.com/emmalouise.bowen.5. We both have a love for martial arts and bodybuilding, so that creates understanding but she has the unique ability to listen and by that I mean really "listen". When someone does this, they can read between the lines, hear undertones of values and therefore give the right advice at the right time. Apart from teaching me posing and a full routine in 90 minutes flat; infused with so much humour and fun, she inspired the "ah-ha" moment right before I was about to go on stage. 

A last minute change of category, being extremely tired, covered in fake tan and having eye lashes the size of a crow on my eyelids, shook my core momentarily. A last minute phone call to wonder woman and invaluable advice of "own your body - regardless of what the judges think" coming from a judge, was actually all I needed to hear, because it aligned so nicely with my values and what I know so well. In all honesty, standing on stage and performing terrifies me a little. I can do it; I can wing it and fake confidence if I have to but there has always been undertones of terror in there. This was the first time I truly enjoyed every moment and felt completely at ease with expressing how I felt about sportsmanship and the human body, because I am passionate about that message. Mental and physical wellbeing first and foremost teamed with some compassion for others. 

The truth is I think anyone that gets to the point of being on stage deserves a monumental clap on the back. It's a huge achievement and so, in this particular sport I cannot be rivals with my competitors; because I have too much admiration - another reason I'll only be able to go so far! I'm at peace with that. The journey, friendships and lessons have been far more valuable. 

Starting any project from a place of self-worth and feeling good really makes the process fun and successful. So actually I would be so bold as to say, this is the place to start. It's not a conventional approach but having sat on the other side of this for the majority of my life I can't imagine an alternative. 

Coming home - To yourself

Six weeks has passed so quickly training in Thailand; it has been an emotional and physical journey to say the least. Bodybuilding prep for a Figure competition, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament, a hospitalised Staph infection and a few personal curveballs have created a maelstrom of emotion; good, bad and everything in between. The upside to negative emotions is they can act as guidance to get us back on the path where we feel good, so there are lessons in everything and the lessons have come thick and fast.

Probably one of my biggest lessons was about "fitting in", something I never quite managed since I can remember. Most recently I made a transition from intellectualising the idea that it's ok not to fit in, to sort of getting it, to actually really feeling and "getting" it and this has made a big difference to me. Perhaps all that was needed was feeling comfortable in my own skin, abilities and purpose.

It made me pontificate this issue of "belonging" that seems to be relevant to most people at the deeper level. Are we even meant to fit in? The reason I say this is because it is such an innate desire to belong but we are all exquisitely different and unique so this is therefore a problem, often solved with the wrong kinds of solutions.

Humans are social creatures but I believe it's the quality of socialising that is the key and that comes from meaningful connection which can only come from being authentic and genuine. Packing your life with things that don't enrich it really is just a temporary feel-good of the wrong kind. It's also an individual thing to what is meaningful and enriching to a person, but essentially... the way to recognise that is also rather simple - just do more of the things you really love. In turn, this usually puts you around people that are more positive and passionate as well.

Doing things we love and sharing that with others will make your life stronger rather than weaker.
Training out in Thailand was an amazing opportunity to be around like minded and positive people for a few weeks and I whiled away a good few hours here with complete strangers. The most fulfilling enriching conversations have always been with those that are not afraid to let rip and just be themselves and perhaps it is easier with strangers. An understanding that the interaction is fleeting is also a rather lovely cure for eroding the ego. So through this, I learnt meaningful connection can come in all forms. It's so important to have a core support system, be that family or close friends but also people in passing can sometimes do the same thing, albeit brief.

I'm home now to Spring in London, Builders Tea, M25 traffic but for now I feel extremely lucky and grateful to smell fresh cut grass and see pigeons. Being out the comfort zone is so important for expansion but being back in it is where consolidation of lessons happen; you need the both. Perhaps you have to go away to come back again; physically and metaphorically!

I have my "Figure" Bodybuilding show tomorrow and am horrifyingly unprepared having spent the previous week in hospital and realising I had finally lost my dignity when I had to use a pair of knickers as a hair band. I'm a bit jet lagged, bloated from antibiotics and lack of sleep but I also have more peace of mind than I have done for a long time being home. Perfection in the human physique doesn't exist, it is subjective and neither does perfect timing so I say..."bring it on". Tomorrow will be a day of fake tan, Diamante, cadbury's chocolate and rum (the backstage pump!) but somehow....it will be ok because my definition of success for this particular experience is just showing up and enjoying it - the work was done in the journey. Thank-you to all those that helped me on my way.

Sting like a bee and NOT floating like a butterfly

A good definition of vulnerability

This post is about humility, vulnerability and friendship - something I really wanted to share, because it is part of success but much less spoken about. People talk about failure as a whole, but less about the gritty undignified details, so I thought I will let rip and wax lyrical about this. 
A combination of training for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament and a Figure competition in a hot humid country, teamed with life's curveballs culminated in an untimely Staph infection on my right thigh. An infection as stubborn as I am. The outcome of which was a visit to the Thai Government hospital (miscommunication to the taxi) and a minor operation on my leg with no anaesthetic. 
Now...I do love a novel experience and being operated in a hospital on your own with nobody speaking English is certainly one of those. Thai government hospital is most definitely not the same as private and this is a place you will not find many foreigners, pain relief or anaesthetics. On returning from the hospital, I then got stung by a bee and definitely didn't float like a butterfly. All this was a strong reminder of my own vulnerability and lesson on humility. 

I spent that evening scared, frustrated, in pain, lonely and bewildered, because the last time I had a Staph infection I was in hospital on IV Vancomycin for weeks. No amount of positive thought or meditation was going to change that. I did however get to watch a group of monks going through the same A&E process, which was comforting to know that even the most spiritually evolved of us struggle. 

It did make me ask the question of why is it so bad to feel bad? Should we enforce positivity when it just doesn't feel authentic or right? Self imposed negativity is never great but acceptance of sadness, grief, doubt and despair is necessary for the experience of happiness. One can be peaceful and calm in moments of catastrophe and the only difference is acceptance. It's such a powerful thing; it is also the last step in the apparent grief process (although I question those conventional steps!) so I say... why not skip straight to it, it makes life a lot easier than experiencing all the interim stages. 

I have failed many times because I have tried many things. I've therefore tested my strength but also the strength of those around me. Through adversity, I have found an iron will, great friends and unconditional unwavering love from my family. Those that walk away....let them go. Learning to be vulnerable and who to share that with is a great quality; it strengthens human connection and ultimately creates a more fulfilling life. 

Friendship

I have leant a lot about friendships recently. Some people come into your life for a day, a week or longer. Some are here to stay for good and others are not. I have had strangers show me extraordinary kindness and that was nowhere more apparent than today from a British Paramedic here who helped me clean and care for my wound; so thank-you. (https://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Divemaster-Medic/100008875246260)

I'm lucky to have two wonderful friends come into my life recently; one from the past and a new friendship. It's not the trite pseudo positive statements that motivate me but the real gritty demonstration of authenticity that inspires me. Their resilience, fortitude, fragility and courage that really reminded me of my beliefs about sportsmanship. It's for that reason I choose to continue to do my bodybuilding show in under two weeks, despite being pumped full of antibiotics. I will train with kindness and compassion to myself for the next few days, with the emphasis on recovery. It isn't about winning or losing, it's about doing your best and enjoying it. On this occasion, just showing up will be a success and I feel that is an important message to communicate. So, I shall don my smallest bejewelled bikini, a big smile, my best friend, a tan coloured bandage and enjoy every minute. After all, is this not what all this is about? - learning how to get up from being down, working hard, sharing and enjoying all that comes with it. 
Thank-you to adversity and challenge for showing me what matters and who matters. 

Letting go and life lessons from climbing

Life lessons from climbing - Trust, belief and commitment

This post was inspired by enforced bed rest from a run down immune system and accompanying Staph infection, which isn't ideal two weeks before my next Figure bodybuilding competition, but on a positive slant it is an opportunity to practice lessons I learnt the hard way; one of which is mother nature always wins. If the body needs to rest, it will let you know very clearly and I've found pushing against this creates nothing but absolute chaos, breakdown and worsening of a condition. It's a really tough lesson for athletes to learn because coping with discomfort, pain and fatigue is a necessary part of training and adaptation, but being able to distinguish between a genuine need for rest is a skill worth knowing. I personally like to take an intuitive approach to rest days; imposed when needed or bypassed when not needed, but I have no fixed rule about this. As part of rest or recovery, being able to focus on the positives, in place of the negatives is a huge part of mental relaxation. Instead of fixating on a growing infection I opted for watching outdoor rock climbing videos! It's a hobby I love and watching the world's best climbers is extremely relaxing because it's a beautiful contradiction of effort and ease. I've observed that the best climbers all seem remarkably good at balancing that intense desire for a goal with the ability to mentally "let go" when things are going wrong. I wonder if perhaps this is something more observable in extreme sports (where the life/death stakes are high) because it simply isn't possible to achieve these physical feats without that combination. I also think this mind set is beneficial, necessary and transferrable to other sports. When things seem impossible, sometimes the best thing to do is just try less hard.

Life lessons from climbing

Enforced rest is actually a lovely chance to reminisce over past climbing trips and revisit things that have really helped me today. Technically I'm not a good climber, I'm strong but I have the interesting ability to make easy things look really hard. I don't have that beautiful ease and grace that you see in the best climbers. I'm more like an oversized feline that has got stuck up a tree and refuses to come down; claws deeply embedded into whatever it can find, so again I will not be talking about technicalities of climbing and movement but more about the profound lessons I learnt as a beginner which have served me so well in life and competition.

Surrendering

There is this beautiful moment that comes when you surrender to a difficult situation and just accept "it is what it is". It allows you to take action from a place of calm. This situation may face you multiple times on a challenging climbing route and this is where those things such as: trust in yourself and your belay partner, belief and 100% commitment to a move really matter. There will be moments where a full-on integration of mind and body needs to happen in order to make the impossible possible.

Having to repeatedly face these moments where I was climbing continuously above my comfort level, a rather interesting thing happened - I learnt to relax in terror, because it simply would not have been possible to do what I wanted to do from that place of fear and tension. Believe you me there were many moments of tantrums, blame, tears and despair, all of which were not going to do anything to help the situation except expend energy I didn't have and infuriate my climbing partner!

Learning to stay calm and focused amongst fear (perceived and real) is possibly one of the biggest and best lessons I have learnt in dealing with challenging situations. It also gives you confidence to try harder things because facing fear diminishes it and therefore enjoyment comes with that. Having just taken up grappling (and of course now competition!) as part of bodybuilding training, I'm really trying to apply this to a situation where you have another opponent to factor in. It requires a lot of focus to override my modus operandi of just chaotic fight but there have been fleeting moments of clarity under pressure and what a difference it makes. Infinite possibilities become visible and the game becomes truly enjoyable; which to me is the whole point of all this.
I am a jack of all trades of sport and competition but there are interesting lessons in being a generalist to a reasonably high level. I love that all sports teach us something. I love that these lessons are universal and can be applied to anything - but more than anything I love being a beginner and being curious because you can find something in anything.

Life Lessons from a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament

The last week of my life involved total immersion in twice daily Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) training and getting ready for my first tournament (Copa de Bangkok). This whole competition prep was to take place in just over one week, which could be classed as stupid or brave or possibly both, but I learnt more about myself, others, the sport and sportsmanship in one week than I could possibly imagine. 

I certainly will not be waxing lyrical about the technicalities of BJJ because my knowledge of this and the points scoring is virtually non-existent. To cut a very long story short; I lost my fight on points to a competitor with 2 years experience, gained a bronze medal and found my human spirit again. Shared experiences and connection are so vital to human health and happiness and this was found in abundance; during hours spent training and travelling to Bangkok either sharing a bus seat or a bunked youth hostel room with 20 other male fighters. 

For me, this experience was a personal initiation test that could only have been a success just by taking part. Although I'm brand new to grappling, my journey with martial arts is not new, but a head  injury from a concussion combined with dehydration stopped my Muay Thai fighting dead in it's tracks about 5 years ago and I had always assumed I would never be able to go back. It seems you can; it also seems you can never truly leave it behind because the lessons it teaches you are so deeply entrenched. These are a just a few things I took away from a week in a completely new setting and sport. 

1. Creating a positive gym vibe

When I asked to compete in the BJJ tournament, I had a total of 1 "no-gi" session and had never worn a gi (the BJJ uniform) before. I was greeted with the biggest of smiles from an excellent man; Prof Olavo Abreu, who was so encouraging and relaxed about the whole thing. I haven't encountered heart, passion and enthusiasm like this in a long time and this was extended to the most beginner of beginners (me) right through to the best of the best. There is a zero tolerance for purposeful malicious intent in the gym I trained in (Phuket Top Team), made possible by good instructors and that, I think is vital for creating a good training environment. I don't know enough about the sport to comment on whether that is a trait common to it or not, but observing this etiquette at the tournament throughout pretty much all competitors, I can assume good sportsmanship is embedded in the training philosophy. 
The effect of training in a positive environment is also extremely infectious and motivating. People helping each other and trying to get the best from themselves and those around them really aligns with my values and beliefs about the essence of sport and it is so lovely to see this act out in a real way that is beyond dreamy idealism. 

2. Creating a positive team

This then leads intuitively on from the previous point to creating a positive team. I am a very solitary person so to travel and train intensely with people even for a week was an onslaught to my senses. In training and competing, your body and soul is laid bare for all to see - literally. In the grappling sports, there is no room for shyness! But to travel with 20 men, factor in some serious Bangkok bus sleep deprivation and pre competition nerves is a serious test to "group" character and this was immense. I haven't had so much fun in a long time; the group dynamic was impressive, positive, relaxed, serious, caring and compassionate all at the same time. There were win's and losses in our group but everybody conducted themselves and helped others in a way that was seriously inspiring and a demonstration of the true human spirit. No arrogance or sulking at any time. 

3. You cannot train for competition

You absolutely can't train for competition and so this experience is invaluable. Female fights is slightly more tricky in martial arts and especially here in Thailand so you take what there is but ideally matching the skill level and opponent can really make an experience good (or bad). In the end however, competition is about preparing for uncertainty and that's why it is such a good lesson about humility. Everyone is beatable - two hands, two legs, same weight - everybody can win and lose. My personal experience is taking amateur or inter club level competitions early on is a good way to progress and to learn about competition as there just isn't any other way to prepare. You can't train for the nerves, adrenaline, fatigue and how that will work for multiple bouts. I was nervous, especially after watching two hours of competitions beforehand which is something I never would have done for Muay Thai. By the time I came for my fight I was a stoic mess of fatigue, but I was also pleased to note that the fighting instinct never leaves you and that is something I needed to know after years of not fighting. I still have that fire in my belly for a "fisticuff"; I also know that strength will not beat skill in BJJ! Something that was rather nice to see. I like to be humbled and strength is something I have a lot of, so I rely on it a lot - but it can only take you so far in this sport. I was also knackered after just one 5 min bout - "note to self" - pacing! 

4. Transferrable skills

The lessons that martial arts teaches you are usually centred around: humility, sportsmanship, work ethic, discipline, courage etc. I was lucky I had someone patient enough to show me this through action over a number of years. I'm also grateful that those lessons once learnt don't leave your side and I found that this "inside-out" approach to training can then be used in a whole manner of things. I used this approach in bodybuilding training for my first show (Figure) and it became a "constructive" process to my character rather than a "destructive" one and I wonder if without this grounding in  martials arts philosophy whether the outcome would have been very different. I also believe, the combination of training, competition and a skilled coach/mentor can coax these traits out in almost anybody. 

5. Meditation for focus, recovery and information retention

I started to use meditation and mindfulness as above, whilst I was prepping for my first figure bodybuilding competition as I needed this element to balance out the ethos of the sport. It has proved invaluable to getting the best out of myself (and others) by improving focus, self-motivation and building a really robust mind set. I found 10 mins of meditation and breathing before BJJ class really helped deal with information overload from learning new techniques every day. It also helped hugely in dealing with competition nerves in a completely different setting and situation, with no close friend anywhere in sight. It also helps with recovery as you learn mastery over emotion and staying calm is a huge part of this. Being able to detach from emotion and release tension is hugely underrated in the recovery process. 

A final note

I've come to this sport a little older now, a little wiser (I like to think) with the ability to train smarter. I also have a whole catalog of mental skills I didn't have years ago which made my coping mechanism of a potentially very stressful situation nothing but huge fun and enjoyment. I wasn't just a little out my comfort zone but hugely out of it and being calm amongst uncertainty is one of the ways to enjoy life, as that is the only certainty we have - we don't and won't ever know how the story tells itself. Competition is an excellent way of learning to deal with that and transfers to all other areas of life. Being around positive passionate people was the biggest and most inspiring lesson for me. This is so vital for doing anything ambitious because it is just really hard on your own. Being vulnerable and strong are compatible and necessary, and understanding the place for both is part of this journey. Being appropriately out of one's comfort zone will usually be accompanied by personal growth but knowing how and what you need to grow are also part of this lesson. The team made my experience one which I won't forget and one which has been lacking in my life for a long time. You can be alone and connected which is not the same as being alone and disconnected and that is my lesson learnt. A very nice one. Thank-you to all involved.