It was promotion day at my jiu-jitsu gym this weekend, and as always, it reminded me why I love this sport so much.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but jiu-jitsu continues to teach me valuable mental lessons—on and off the mat. One of my favorites, and the one I find myself blogging about most often, is acceptance. Not the kind that means giving up, but the kind that grounds you in the present and gives you the power to move forward.
Let me be clear: when I talk about acceptance, I don’t mean admitting defeat. I mean having the courage to acknowledge your current reality—without sugarcoating it, running from it, or pretending it’s something it’s not.
In jiu-jitsu, especially as a lower belt like me, you often find yourself in bad positions. Side control. Mount. Your back taken. You name it. These aren’t moments you can ignore or say, “I’ll deal with this later.” The reality is: you’re stuck—and stuck now.
But here’s where the lesson comes in:
You have to accept the position before you can escape it.
If I deny that I’m in a bad spot, I’ll get submitted. Plain and simple. But if I acknowledge the position, I can defend, I can adjust, I can survive—and maybe even reverse it.
Life works the same way.
We all find ourselves in tough positions. Financial stress, relationship struggles, mental health battles, or—for me—living with blindness. Every day, I have to accept the fact that I can’t see. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. It means I’m starting from truth, not illusion.
And that’s the most solid foundation to build from.
With acceptance, I can analyze my situation honestly. I can figure out what my strengths are, where I’m weak, and how to move strategically. Without it? I’m just flailing around, wasting energy, getting choked out by reality.
One of my training partners said something that stuck with me:
“Face the problem. If you turn your back on it, it’ll only get worse. Ignore it, and you’ll get submitted.”
That hit hard—not just in sparring, but in life. When we ignore our problems or deny our circumstances, we stay stuck. We give our challenges the power to control us. But when we accept where we are, we can start to move—slowly, surely, and with intention.
So let me say it one more time for the people in the back:
Acceptance is not defeat. It’s awareness. It’s honesty. It’s the beginning of strength.
Pretending things are fine doesn’t make them better. But acknowledging the truth? That gives you the power to change it.
In jiu-jitsu, that means surviving the round. In life, it means breaking through—one breath, one move, one mindset shift at a time.
With a little acceptance and a whole lot of determination, I truly believe you can overcome any position—on the mat or in life.
Blind Can You Can 