The holidays can be jam-packed and busy for most of us but here are some ways you can stay consistent in your jiu-jitsu training.

With the holidays already in full swing (I think they were actually in full swing back in October), we tend to get busy with holiday shopping, preparing for holiday parties, and finishing up any last-minute things before the year ends. With all this, sometimes our training goes to the wayside, and we can’t make it to our BJJ gyms as much as we would like and the training consistency we had throughout the year goes down tremendously.  I for one am going through this right now. 

In the giving season where we put others before ourselves, it is important to remember that jiu-jitsu is a gift to ourselves: A gift of self-improvement, a gift of health, and a gift of stress relief.  This post aims to share some ways you can stay consistent during the holiday season

How to Stay Consistent in Jiu-Jitsu Training During the Holidays

1.        Plan and Stick to a Schedule

Things always come up here and there but when you create a schedule and stick to it, it makes things easier.  One way is to decide ahead of time which days you will train.  If you know that you’re generally  free on Mondays and Saturdays, then you can always make sure that you attend classes on those days. If it helps, write it down in your calendar and set a reminder on your phone, computer, or on your email to alert you to go train.

If your schedule has been more sporadic, consider setting a goal of training a certain number of times per week. I have been quite busy, so I aim to train at least three times a week.   Sometimes I don’t train at my home gym as often so those three times might be mixed with other gyms where I know the time fits my schedule a bit better.

Within sticking to a schedule for jiu-jitsu training, make sure that you’re communicating with the people around you, setting boundaries and letting them know you won’t be available during those designated training times.  If you need to, put your phone on do not disturb so you’re not tempted to ignore your time to train.

2.        Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Many people believe if you’re showing your face at the gym multiple times a week, then that constitutes as great training and you’ve won at jiu-jitsu. Then when the holidays come around and you’re not as consistent, you start to be down on yourself for not being at the gym every day. 

If you know you won’t be able to get to your BJJ as much as you would like, aim to have more focused training sessions where you work on improving parts of your game that need work, extensive drilling, or fundamentals.  You can also incorporate things you’ve studied on instructionals at open mat or come in with designated questions for your jiu-jitsu coach especially if you know you’re only going to be able to train one or two times in the week.

3.        Incorporate Jiu-Jitsu into Holiday Travel

Many times we put our jiu-jitsu training away especially if we’re going to be traveling a lot for the holiday season.  But traveling does not mean that there aren’t opportunities to get your training in while your away.  If your holiday travel is planned, reach out to gyms in the area that you’re travel to and ask them if you can come while you’re there. You’re more inclined to train because you know they’re expecting you especially if you tell them you’re coming to train on a specific day.

4.        Keep Your BJJ Gear Ready to Go

The phrase “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” really comes in handy for this tip. Sometimes the extra time it takes to pack your jiu-jitsu bag with all your training essentials takes a lot. If you have time, make sure you have your gear packed even on days you don’t plan to train. You can put both your gi and no-gi gear in your bag so even when you weren’t planning on training but stumble across some free time, you’re ready to just go. No extra planning or packing needed.

5.        Find a Training Buddy for Accountability

If you depend on yourself and your own motivation to go train, you might disappoint yourself (speaking from experience). We might use our busy-ness as an excuse to not get training in. Sometimes, you need another person kicking you in the ass to get to yourself to the gym.  If you find someone who you can depend on, and who depends on you to be at training, you’re more likely to train.  You might need that person who can cut through all your bull crap excuses and ultimately tells you to just get to the gym and train. They will make sure you’re there even if you’re late, even if you can only make it for a little while. It’s nice to utilize the jiu-jitsu community to keep you accountable.

BJJ Training Does Not Need to Go on The Wayside This Holiday Season

These five tips are just a few small ways to get yourself into the gym as you get through the holiday season.  Things come up but if you stay prepared by planning ahead, focusing on the quality of training and have people around you to keep you accountable, then training during the  season will be a lot easier than you think.

The idea is to focus on progress, not perfection. You might not get as much training as you like in but the main thing is that you are continuing to build yourself up on your jiu-jitsu journey.

Question: How do you stay consistent and train with all the holiday hustle and bustle? Tell me in the comments or on my Instagram @blackgirlwhitegi_bjj