Coaches have Coaches-Weird!

Have you ever watched your own coach learn? I’m not just talking about just your daily learning through teaching and interacting with people like we all do or even through a seminar or whatever, but I’m talking about your coach, taking a class from HIS OWN coach? Have you ever watched that?

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I can’t even put my finger on why this was such an interesting experience for me, but it was. We hosted SBG fall camp at our gym in Reno almost a month ago now. Among the participants were 26 SBG black belts, and of course, Matt Thornton, founder of SBG AND my coach’s coach. I watched MY coach (Ray) drill with other black belts. I watched him ask questions of his partners, give feedback to his partners, and have fun while doing it. I watched him do all the things that I do (or should do), and it was fascinating to me. 

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Maybe on the most basic surface level, it was a reminder that my coach is not that different from me. How often do we hold coaches or teachers or trainers up on a pedestal that is unattainable? How often do we believe that we can’t ever be just like them? How often do we forget that they went through all the same processes that we are currently going through to get to where they are? There’s nothing inherently “special” about how they got to where they are…they are people who stuck with the process, made it through the trials and frustrations, and worked their knowledge and capabilities on up to a black belt level.

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It’s a good thing that our coaches inspire us. They’re further ahead of us in the journey and so much can be learned from them (besides just skill work). But it’s also good to remember that we are no different than they are-we can show up, put in the work, and have our own awesome journey in Jiu Jitsu, too.

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Do the work.