Leave Your Stress on the Mats
Ronin Athletics is a MMA school in New York, one of the greatest cities in the world, but often enough, also one of the most stressful. Because our students are training BJJ and kickboxing in NYC, we get that most of them have busy, stress-filled lives outside of the gym, and want to let off some steam. That’s why we have so many classes to offer and work on a day system. We give our students the chance to really throw themselves into training to work off all the frustrations of the day in a welcoming environment. It’s also why we always try to foster the friendly atmosphere here. We want folks to smile, to laugh and to have fun here, because sometimes that fun isn’t so easily available elsewhere.
Ronin Athletics is a MMA school in New York
There’s a saying in BJJ, ‘leave it all on the mat.’ Though the original meaning of the saying is about putting all your effort into a competitive match, I think it also applies when we’re talking about the daily grind of life. There’s lots of headaches and concerns that are inevitably a part of living here.
But when we enter the gym, we’re able to leave all that behind. We can forget about the expense report or the loan payment or the hundred million other worries that plague us daily. Often enough we throw all of ourselves into our work, and we get neither good results nor time for ourselves.
Ronin Athletics is an oasis from all of that. For the time that we’re on the mats, none of those countless concerns exist. We’re no longer part of the rat race, trying to make numbers and figures and a hundred other intangibles make sense.
Instead, we’re given the opportunity to participate in something that gives us an immediate feedback. When you throw a kick and it hits the pad perfectly, when you get that sweep that you’ve been working on or hit that submission for the first time, all those are tangible. You can measure your progress day by day with how well you’re doing, not by the opinion of some corporate higher up or client. Most importantly, there’s no one on your case except yourself. The coaches are always there to help you improve, but no one is yelling at you or badgering you.
All of the stresses of the day, all the anxiety and worry disappears in the face of a training session. There is an immediacy in what we do in our gym that trumps everything else. This is especially true when sparring or rolling, because those activities demand our full attention. The demands of work and life or whatever else might be weighing on your mind. You can work out all the negativity and bad energy that accrue, and let it all fade away. That’s why after a long week, I really enjoy going to the MMA conditioning session and the Friday night sparring.
Sometimes I feel disengaged from life, too caught up in all the things that I need to do today or tomorrow to really be fully present in my day to day. By stepping onto our mats, doing a little bit of kickboxing or MMA, I’m immediately brought back into the present. I’m fully engaged again, and it recharges me for the week ahead.
Sure, you’ll get some of that feeling from working out anywhere, but nothing beats training for really forcing you back into the present. You can’t daydream when you’re rolling like you can when you’re lifting or jogging. There is no autopilot when you’re dodging punches or learning how to do a kimura.
Our students know how much better it makes them feel to put aside their stress-filled lives for a little while. Don’t get me wrong, training won’t fix your problems for you. But it will give you a break from the headaches and give you the energy you need to tackle whatever obstacles are in your way.