Tap early, tap often

Let’s talk about tapping.

The first time somebody catches you in something, your brain is going to tell you to fight it. Hold on a little longer. Be tough. Don’t be the one who taps.

I want you to let that voice go. It means well, but it’s wrong.

I’ve been training Jiu Jitsu for twenty years. The people I started with who are still on the mats with me, twenty years later, they all have one thing in common. They tapped early. They tapped often. They tapped at white belt, they tap now, and they’re still here.

The people who didn’t tap, they’re not around anymore. Some of them blew out a knee. Some of them tore a shoulder. Some of them just got tired of being injured and walked away.

Here’s the realest way I have to put it. Your tap is not you losing. Your tap is you telling your partner, “I trust you, you got me, let’s reset and go again.” That’s it. It’s a conversation. It’s not a verdict on you.

I tap. I’ve been doing this twenty years and I still tap. I tapped this week. I’ll probably tap tomorrow. Because the goal isn’t to never get caught. The goal is to still be training in year three, year ten, year twenty.

So the first thing I want you to take with you, before you ever set foot on the mat with us, is this. When you’re not sure, tap. When you think you can probably hang on a second longer, tap. That’s how you make sure you’re still on the mat next week, next year, and twenty years from now.

Next lesson: who you’re tapping to.

Ready when you are: Book your first class — no commitment.