There is a common phrase used in sports, and I’m sure you’ve heard it, “It’s harder to stay on top than it is to get there.” This was first used in the context of team sports but is also absolutely true in combat and other individual sports. People work so hard to reach the top of whatever it is they aspire for, and then what? The same is true in life. Maybe you got that big promotion, graduated school, or something along those lines. Have you found yourself asking, “Now what?”

It's way more common than you think. Take martial arts into consideration. Any discipline that uses belts to signify experience is what’s called a tiered structure. While there are differences in the color schemes of different disciplines, some things are universal. Everyone starts as a white belt, and at the top is the black belt. In BJJ, that is one hell of a hill to climb, but once you get there, it’s still not over.

 

I’ve seen black belts of all kinds reach the top and sacrifice so much to get there, only to let the praise and respect get into their heads to the point they stop learning.

 

 

Everything evolves quickly. Mastering your craft and being rewarded with a black belt means you’ve reached the top…for the moment. As time passes, new techniques will be developed, training equipment will become more advanced, and let’s face it, young athletes today are simply getting bigger, faster, and stronger than past generations. You risk becoming irrelevant if you don’t keep up.

It’s mostly due to a lack of adversity. When you’re starting out and making your way up the ranks, there is always a challenge in front of you and a next level to look forward to. As humans, we try to avoid adversity, but it always seems to find us. At the same time, it’s that very adversity that allows us to grow through experience. If you have no adversity, or nothing to test you, then how do you grow? Truth is, you don’t.

 

Let’s consider Jon Jones for a minute. When it comes to his success in the octagon, no one disputes that he is the best light heavyweight in history and is in the conversation as one of the best of all time. He dominated his division for years and routinely did what we call, “cleaning out the division”. So, he left the division for good.

 

The reason why is simple and honest. He even said it himself; he moved up to heavyweight because he was getting complacent and not growing. He needed a challenge and needed to feel that same fear he had when he first started. It’s that mindset that I’m talking about.

If you are considered a master of your discipline, whether it’s a black belt, a championship, or even a PhD, you will be considered a subject matter expert and that never changes. But like I said earlier, everything changes and evolves, so use that opportunity to create some healthy adversity for yourself through the challenge of learning.

 

Being a subject matter expert from 25 years ago is not the same as being one today. How valuable is being an expert at MySpace in today’s social media world?

I’ll give you another example of complacency that affects a lot of people. Have you or someone you’ve known gone on a diet or exercise plan with a goal weight in mind? How many times have you seen people hit that goal, look and feel fantastic, only to go back to the way they were a few years earlier? All that time spent sweating, recovering from sore muscles and eating clean was for nothing. They hit their goal, achieved success, then gave up that very discipline that got them there in the first place. I know diets can get boring, but there is your adversity. It’s the point which you ask yourself, “How do I stay like this?” There are other ways to maintain your weight, but it’s on you to learn them.

In your training, as you graduate to higher belts, don’t think of the black belt as a final destination. To avoid having your success turn into complacency, you need to develop what I refer to as a white belt mentality. This mentality is that frame of mind you had when you first started. Yes, you obviously wanted to become a black belt, but that’s not why you join martial arts, you are there to learn. When you first start, maybe you remember that passion you had where you wanted to stay late, pick your coach’s brain, ask a million questions, and learn everything there was to know. That mindset should never change no matter the color of your belt.

 

Bruce Lee was quoted as saying, “Learning is never cumulative, it is a movement of knowing which has no beginning and no end.” That is where you can find inspiration to combat complacency…in perpetual learning. However much you think you know, there is always more out there. This is true in MMA and it’s true in life. The white belt mentality wants to learn everything and absorbs teaching like a sponge. Even if you have a third-degree black belt, there is always more to learn. Always.

If you find yourself at the top of whatever it is you do, find it in yourself to look for the next growth opportunity. I don’t mean changing everything, just learning more, and expanding your knowledge base. There is a reason you see so many of your favorite fighters changing up training camps and using multiple coaches during a training camp. They are getting new perspectives and fresh ideas on common training principles. They are growing through learning and staying hungry to become better. 

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