After nogi Europeans I was frustrated at myself for not taking enough risks in my match. So I asked a good friend and world class coach from Japan, how I can practice taking risks in training. His response translated:

“It might be good to take into consideration the end result of a match is a culmination of many things we can’t control; for example the setting of the match, the referee, even luck.

If you take risks and get after it and still lose, then all you can really do is take it in for what it is and find a way to connect the loss to your improvement.”

In about a 6 week span between nogi Europeans and nogi worlds I set my intentions on this idea and put it in my mind during practice sessions. I ended up facing the same opponent in the semi final absolute in Europe in the semi final of weight in worlds. I lost in Europe and won at worlds, so you could say my efforts paid off. However, more importantly I was able to take risks and get after it after 6 weeks of intentional practice.

Experiences like these that force me to think, reflect, and question, remind me of the valuable lessons I get from competition. I’m very lucky and thankful to have friends who are willing to help me think about my dilemmas and give me such great feedback.