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For 60 minutes of hot yoga, the effort and challenge is occasionally so intense and nearly overwhelming, that it reminds me of the power of doing hard things. I

For 60 minutes of hot yoga, the effort and challenge is occasionally so intense and nearly overwhelming, that it reminds me of the power of doing hard things. I often think if I just did 2-3 super hard things a day with this intensity, then I could master various skills, knowledge and perhaps life itself. Although it’s harder to study and learn a programming language, even just for 2-3 hours a week, than it is to do something physically intense with group pressure. I think mostly the ease of studying and practicing is what limits me. Going to yoga is the hardest part, once there it’s relatively straightforward to complete it. If I setup a system to intensely learn with limited technical friction (ie frustration of a slow environment with a clear path to what to learn), then I could overcome this. Of course, ultimately it just comes down to my choice.

Zelphyr 7y ago
Doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of those super hard things I try to do a day. It's not as "super hard" physically as one might think, especially as one improves their technique. Rather, for me and many others, it's very mentally and emotionally challenging in a fun and approachable way. The mental benefits I have realized since doing it very much speak to what you say about mastering various other skills, knowledge, and life itself. I've realized that for most of my life I've really doubted myself and that has held me back. BJJ has showed me that I can do this thing that I doubt I can do. I need only try. I might not succeed at first but with focus and persistence I will get there. That's not to suggest everyone do BJJ. But, to your point, I think everyone should find things that really challenge them and try to engage in them on a near daily basis.
- peatmoss 7y ago
  I think another major benefit of martial arts is the challenging practice of socializing. In addition to the support and camaraderie you get, you also learn a ton about others’ psychology. In my aikido (and in the past in judo and DZR jujitsu), I am continually putting others—and being put by others—in physically and mentally stressful situations. This requires sensitivity to not under- or over-stress training partners. So, in addition to being ready to respond to chaotic and potentially injurious situations, you also need to hold a model of the other person’s capabilities at the same time. I’m sure you’ve had the experience in BJJ of practicing with someone far beyond your skill, and knowing that they are leaving you openings in hopes that you’ll see and take the opportunity. The best martial artists I’ve known have all dialed their technique to a level that was just barely within my grasp. On beyond being good is being good enough to simulate less evolved life forms :-)
- daenz 7y ago
  I did BJJ for 6 months. During that time, the students and my teachers frequently came in injured (we had rotating teachers). Broken fingers, toes, sprained things, etc. Then one day one of the teachers was hurt so bad that she was out for awhile. I concluded that BJJ wasn't worth the risk of these kinds of injuries, especially ones that prevent me from working with my hands. Which is a shame because I loved how BJJ engaged the body and the mind, and the camaraderie with others.
  - specialist 7y ago
    Maybe find a different dojo? I've seen the same with yoga, crossfit, cycling, dance, etc. I'd argue those teachers shouldn't be teaching. Yes, the martial arts are way more injury prone. (My SO tore a shoulder muscle working a punching bag.) But it doesn't have to be the norm.
    - Zelphyr 7y ago
      I second this. I rarely see injuries like OP described at my academy.
  - peatmoss 7y ago
    One of the great things about bjj and judo, is that they are symmetric arts. That is, both participants have the same objective. This leads to a lot of intensity / realism within the rules of engagement. This is also a downside, as some people get very caught up in winning. By contrast an art like aikido is assymetric meaning that the participants have different roles and goals. You have an attacker, whose goal is to attack with energy and then fall safely. You have a responder whose objective is to avoid getting hurt by the initial attack and then to execute a technique. People work up to realism in a stepwise way that requires a great deal of pushing yourself psychologically. An upside of this approach is that there are relatively few partner-inflicted injuries. Of course a downside is that realism, which is effortless in judo or bjj, takes a long time to achieve in aikido. It’s not uncommon to find dojos that never push toward intensity or realism—which is a (valid) reason aikido is frequently criticized by practitioners of other arts. Both approaches are valid, and most marital arts are “effective” with respect to their own threat model. It’s mostly a question of whether you want an art where your Monkey Brain is called on to temper your competitive Lizard Brain (judo, bjj). Or, do you want an art where your Monkey Brain has to incrementally push your Lizard Brain to do things it is scared to let you do (aikido). In my experience, the latter kind of art seems to yield fewer injuries at the expense of faster progress. At the right dojo, both will provide a positive social environment and as much fitness as you desire.

Zelphyr 7y ago

Doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of those super hard things I try to do a day. It's not as "super hard" physically as one might think, especially as one improves their technique. Rather, for me and many others, it's very mentally and emotionally challenging in a fun and approachable way. The mental benefits I have realized since doing it very much speak to what you say about mastering various other skills, knowledge, and life itself. I've realized that for most of my life I've really doubted myself and that has held me back. BJJ has showed me that I can do this thing that I doubt I can do. I need only try. I might not succeed at first but with focus and persistence I will get there. That's not to suggest everyone do BJJ. But, to your point, I think everyone should find things that really challenge them and try to engage in them on a near daily basis.

peatmoss 7y ago
I think another major benefit of martial arts is the challenging practice of socializing. In addition to the support and camaraderie you get, you also learn a ton about others’ psychology. In my aikido (and in the past in judo and DZR jujitsu), I am continually putting others—and being put by others—in physically and mentally stressful situations. This requires sensitivity to not under- or over-stress training partners. So, in addition to being ready to respond to chaotic and potentially injurious situations, you also need to hold a model of the other person’s capabilities at the same time. I’m sure you’ve had the experience in BJJ of practicing with someone far beyond your skill, and knowing that they are leaving you openings in hopes that you’ll see and take the opportunity. The best martial artists I’ve known have all dialed their technique to a level that was just barely within my grasp. On beyond being good is being good enough to simulate less evolved life forms :-)
daenz 7y ago
I did BJJ for 6 months. During that time, the students and my teachers frequently came in injured (we had rotating teachers). Broken fingers, toes, sprained things, etc. Then one day one of the teachers was hurt so bad that she was out for awhile. I concluded that BJJ wasn't worth the risk of these kinds of injuries, especially ones that prevent me from working with my hands. Which is a shame because I loved how BJJ engaged the body and the mind, and the camaraderie with others.
- specialist 7y ago
  Maybe find a different dojo? I've seen the same with yoga, crossfit, cycling, dance, etc. I'd argue those teachers shouldn't be teaching. Yes, the martial arts are way more injury prone. (My SO tore a shoulder muscle working a punching bag.) But it doesn't have to be the norm.
  - Zelphyr 7y ago
    I second this. I rarely see injuries like OP described at my academy.
- peatmoss 7y ago
  One of the great things about bjj and judo, is that they are symmetric arts. That is, both participants have the same objective. This leads to a lot of intensity / realism within the rules of engagement. This is also a downside, as some people get very caught up in winning. By contrast an art like aikido is assymetric meaning that the participants have different roles and goals. You have an attacker, whose goal is to attack with energy and then fall safely. You have a responder whose objective is to avoid getting hurt by the initial attack and then to execute a technique. People work up to realism in a stepwise way that requires a great deal of pushing yourself psychologically. An upside of this approach is that there are relatively few partner-inflicted injuries. Of course a downside is that realism, which is effortless in judo or bjj, takes a long time to achieve in aikido. It’s not uncommon to find dojos that never push toward intensity or realism—which is a (valid) reason aikido is frequently criticized by practitioners of other arts. Both approaches are valid, and most marital arts are “effective” with respect to their own threat model. It’s mostly a question of whether you want an art where your Monkey Brain is called on to temper your competitive Lizard Brain (judo, bjj). Or, do you want an art where your Monkey Brain has to incrementally push your Lizard Brain to do things it is scared to let you do (aikido). In my experience, the latter kind of art seems to yield fewer injuries at the expense of faster progress. At the right dojo, both will provide a positive social environment and as much fitness as you desire.