Former Navy SEAL and leadership expert Jocko Willink believes Brazilian jiu-jitsu is an excellent way for men to challenge themselves and build humility. On a podcast appearance, Willink discussed how BJJ can be a humbling experience, especially for beginners.
“Jiu-jitsu makes you feel humble, especially when you start, because you’re just gonna get choked out,” Willink explained. “You’re gonna get tapped out by people that are smaller than you and by females that are smaller than you, and that stings.”
He emphasized that this humbling aspect is actually beneficial, as it forces practitioners to check their ego and embrace the learning process. Willink noted that in BJJ, there’s no hiding from your mistakes or shortcomings on the mat.
“In jiu-jitsu you make mistakes, everyone sees them,” he said. “You get tapped out, there’s no question about it. There’s no mystery in jiu-jitsu – you got tapped out by this guy, that’s it.”
Willink believes these lessons in humility carry over into other aspects of life. He draws parallels between the challenges of BJJ and the realities of combat, where mistakes are equally exposed and humbling.
For those looking to challenge themselves physically and mentally, Willink highly recommends giving BJJ a try. While it may sting the ego at first, he argues the long-term benefits of increased humility and self-awareness are well worth it.
