EUGENIZATION.

It is on rare occasions that I execute judo throws properly; rarer still for me to actually hit one during live sparring in Brazilian Jiujitsu class. Nonetheless, yesterday I successfully chucked a guy with a tai otoshi, and how sweet it was.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfvgJr7XoN8]

Above: What made it even better was that (unlike this clip) my tai otoshi was performed without a gi. Awesome.

I then proceeded to get submitted every which way by each and every one of my sparring partners. It was a trying time for my ego, to say the least; especially when that one guy submitted me with a guillotine choke four times in a row (yikes).

But that one tai otoshi throw gives me hope. It shows me that my jiujitsu is improving, since I typically can’t pull off throws to save my life. That I can see I’m making progress is motivation enough for me to keep trying and improving.

It’s disappointing when a trainee doesn’t reach their fitness goals. Often, it’s not due to lack of knowledge or ability - there are plenty of resources for free fitness and fat loss information out there - but rather, it’s due to a waning of desire, or lack of motivation.

What motivates you? Is it the desire to look better for swimsuit season? Is it the dream of a first place victory in the ADCC Submission Wrestling Finals? Is it the prospect of a pain-free lower back?

To help keep my clients focused on their results, I’ve always turned to one of Tony Robbins’ key concepts - Knowing Your Outcome (or in other words, setting specific goals):

1. “State your outcome in positive terms.”
Robbins says that it’s important to identify what you want, as opposed to what you don’t want, for the simple reason that it doesn’t give you an actual goal to shoot for. In other words, say “I want to lose 25 lbs of body fat and look and feel great” as opposed to “I don’t want to be overfat.”

2. “Be as specific as possible.”
Create a sensory experience out of your goalsetting: When defining your goal, see yourself in the situation, feel the clothes you’re wearing, hear what’s going on around you, etc. By defining our goal as specifically as possible, we’re doing two things. One; we’re firmly fixing in our minds a clear vision of what exactly it is we want to achieve. Two; by clearly seeing and experiencing the end result of our efforts, we give ourselves the drive and motivation to accomplish that goal.

3. “Have an evidence procedure.”
Know that your efforts are moving you in the right direction. As Robbins says, “If your goal is to win the game, make sure you remember to keep score.” Monitor your efforts closely and keep yourself honest by periodically assessing how much closer to your goals you’ve gone.

4. “Be in control.”
Simply, you can’t have a goal that depends on the actions of others, or on things you cannot change. If you’re built like Keira Knightley, it’s no use to lament that you’ll never look like Monica Belluci and curse your genetics. A more useful goal would be to shoot for the best condition you can make your own body into (see Pirates of the Caribbean).

5. “Verify that your outcome is ecologically sound and desirable.”
Is your goal actually good? If you’re determined to lose 30 pounds of scale weight no matter what, is it helpful if you drop 15 pounds of muscle to do it? Or if you’re required to adopt unhealthy behaviors to achieve it?

A simple exercise that works great is to write your specific outcome on a sheet (or sheets) of paper and post it prominently, where you’ll be sure to see it throughout the day. For example, one may choose to write, “Dress size 6 by the end of summer.” (Yes, be sure to set a deadline!) and post it on the side of your computer monitor, on the fridge, and over your bathroom mirror.

Seeing your goal continuously will help to keep it in the forefront of your mind, allowing you to make choices that serve you, rather than hurt you.

Constantly remind yourself what motivated you to start your workout program. You’ll need the added motivation when it’s 11pm and you’re tempted to cheat on your diet, or when you’re tired and thinking of skipping that trip to the gym.

I’m visualizing flying triangle chokes for tomorrow’s class as we speak. Abu Dhabi, here I come!