The phenomenon of getting out of shape as we become purple, brown, black belts is a symptom of not changing your measuring stick.

We start and we learn how to play safe defense, be efficient, effective. In some ways, we correlate our improvement with tapping less and getting more taps. And that’s good.

Eventually, that training mindset has to change. You tap to submissions and even positions because you know the danger ahead. You open yourself up to attack, and open yourself up to get attacked. You tap people less because you have a specific intention for each training session. You tap more because that’s no longer your only measuring stick. But also because it’s how you will expand your game. You move more, but with grace and intention.

As an upper belt you don’t measure your progress in practice with stats and numbers any more. You check in with your mindset and that’s how you know your on the right path.