30. On Competing

Why are neither of us particularly interested in competitive sport? We’re both keen if beginner jiu jitsu white belts, and the sport spends a lot of time pushing you to compete - but neither of us is particularly interested in this. Are we just cowardly and intimidated, afraid of public humiliation, or are we actually in the right? Does competition warp sports and activities away from what’s actually important and valuable about them? Does a sport need to retain some connection with real world application to remain valid? (This is not a jiu jitsu episode)

With any skill, you need to test yourself against reality. It’s the only way of benchmarking your progress, and it helps you improve much more quickly. In something like jiu jitsu, that reality is an opponent. You need to fight to test your skills. You need competition, it unlocks an additional level of intensity, and as a result we both feel like we should want to compete. But we don’t. We are satisfied with the understanding of our bodies and minds that the sport gives us, as well as the counterbalance to the cerebral and non-physical lives we tend to lead day to day. We get that through normal training and sparring, and the same is true for our other hobbies. Add the discipline,the fitness, the satisfaction of mastering a skill, and perhaps a bit of prepping, and really you have everything you need.

But how about competition as a community focal point? A reason to wake up early and train, and to do something alongside other people, perhaps even in a team. The sense of corporate endeavour, like-minded people coming together to do something they love. It adds some validation, some bonding. It’s like climbing a peak rather than just wandering, mixed with public commitment. It’s realer if there are other people there. It’s a reason to show up.

Or what about competition as unlocking opportunities that you don’t get normally? The Devizes to Westminster race? White collar boxing? Hyrox?

Basically, are we just creating a grand intellectual case for something that we don’t want to do? Or should we just put on our big boy pants and do a jiu jitsu competition?