In a recent appearance on the JRE UFC Companion podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Gordon Ryan shared his perspectives on the often overlooked importance of mental effort compared to physical exertion.
“Everybody always talks about hard work, but the hardest work is mental work,” Ryan stated during the conversation. “There’s a reason why guys on Wall Street make more money than guys who dig ditches, because they work harder. It’s not just physical.”
The multiple-time ADCC champion, known for his technical proficiency and strategic approach to the sport, emphasized the reluctance many practitioners have toward intellectual aspects of training compared to physical sessions.
“Everyone has no problem coming in, getting a sweat, going home, being sore, stuff like that,” Ryan observed. “But if you ask them to sit down and watch an hour’s worth of instruction every night from a Gordon Ryan instructional, which is proven to work in competition, nobody wants to do that.”
Ryan’s comments highlight a disconnect he sees between available resources and athletes’ willingness to utilize them for improvement. With characteristic directness, he concluded, “You can’t do it. Isn’t that interesting? You can give them the tools, but they won’t build the house.”
This is an interesting take from a person who just called Basketbball gay, due to lack of perceived manliness from Lebron James. While Ryan is undoubtedly a hard worker both in terms of physicality and technique it’s interesting to see him place mental work above the physical considering how much athleticism Jiu-jitsu demands.
