The young man and the old man can say the same thing or things.

The difference is that the old man has lived it.

It’s not an age thing. It’s a life experience thing.

As well, the young man thinks he will grow old slowly but as all old men know, it happens suddenly. Seemingly overnight.

One day, as you look out into the sea of people, everyone looks older than you.

Then suddenly,

One day, as you look out into the sea of people, everyone looks younger than you.

It happened to me suddenly and not slowly.

I’ve met young men who were old men and I’ve met old men who were young men.

Life.

It’s about submission and surrender.

It’s about Love, so we can only hope.

Jiu-Jitsu was a passion of mine. It is a passion of mine again today. Be thankful for your passions, you aren’t promised them tomorrow.

Recently, I was rolling with a white belt. Big, strong, maybe in his late 30s or early 40s, quite possibly with many life experiences outside of the gym but on the mats of life, he’s a novice.

I am not sure if he knew he was a novice or not but I’m sure he didn’t know what he didn’t know.

I know this because I was a white belt and will always be a white belt now that I know what I do not know.

As we started the “roll” and I got grips on him, I could feel his entire body trembling with anxiety and uncertainty. White belts are incredibly dangerous because they don’t know what they don’t know. They can hurt themselves and they can hurt you because of their “fear” or because of their ”lack of fear.” I could feel him try to assert himself but to no avail. I could feel him try to escape but to no avail. At that point, the panic sets in and they fight harder.

I know this and I know what he was feeling because I was once him and from a skill level I am still him with more experienced practitioners. The main difference between me and the white belt I rolled with is simply, I know that I don’t know.

Jiu~Jitsu and life are art. Jiu~Jitsu teaches you much about life and life teaches you much about Jiu~Jitsu.

Fighting life instead of surrendering and rolling with it will get you hurt.

The white belt didn’t know that I knew he was in a bad place and that the entire time I was keeping him safe and keeping myself safe. Toward the end of our roll, I could feel him surrendering to what I knew the entire time and I could feel him trusting that I wasn’t going to hurt him or let him hurt me.

Again, trying in my own weak way to share what God has put upon my heart this morning and mean no disrespect or to claim to be a good practitioner of the art. I have submitted to young men, old men, and women on the mats thousands of times but I have learned to surrender, to learn, to grow from each role.

Life. Life. Life.

Roll with it. Don’t fight against it. Life happens to us all and the real Blackbelt learns to go with the flow and that losing isn’t losing, it’s learning. Trust that even when life has you down and it seems that its grip is too strong that it has the best intentions.

This morning am thankful for all of the young men, old men, and women that I’ve shared the mats with. You’ve taught me so much. Mostly you’ve taught me how much I don’t know and still have to learn.

I suspect, that the true Blackbelt in Jiu~Jitsu and in life knows deeply what I’m about to say…..

The Blackbelt is a Blackbelt because he or she has learned just how much they don’t know and how much they still have to learn and that growth in Jiu~Jitsu and in life is never ending.

The Blackbelt has learned how to not kick against the pricks because life always wins.

The Blackbelt has learned to just roll with it and to have a thankful heart. The true Blackbelt knows it’s not about winning. It’s about how you handle loss and never quit.

Yours truly,

Travis Whitebelt