The Mental Battles We Face
Battling PTSD, depression, divorce, addiction, anxiety, and grief. Stuck in an office cubicle, basement, construction site, or trapped in a prison of indecision.
Going through a breakup, bankruptcy, business losses, layoff, drug or alcohol withdrawals, or getting ‘canceled’ by an increasingly soft and fractured society.
Trying to fill the void in a peacetime society where purpose, struggle, and conflict are manufactured digitally with little regard to our human need for a visceral manifestation of these concepts in the physical world.
Our Modern World Is Becoming Soft
Against this backdrop, we are encouraged to channel our ‘aggression’ into degeneracy. Alcohol, video games, TV, food, scrolling social media, incessant online stimulation, and other forms of hedonism lack purpose and tangible growth or progression in the physical world.
Combined, these activities leave us in a wake of even worse depression or despair. This cycle continues and is encouraged by our culture of mindless consumption.
Competition is Crucial
As we age we often lose touch with our competitive nature in the physical world. Former D1 talent and casual athletes enter the corporate and business world and lose their edge. They forget what true competition is like.
You need to Endure true competition, physical struggle, and pressure in order to expend energy in the physical world.
Otherwise, that energy wreaks havoc in your consciousness and makes you a prisoner in your own mind.
Martial Arts are the Solution
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, Judo, Krav Maga, Wrestling, and other forms of combat sports or Martial Arts are the only long-term ways to satisfy the innately human need to expend our competitive energy in the physical world.
Some people grew up practicing these disciplines and go on to compete in UFC, Bellator, ONE Championship, and other major promotions.
Others transition to BJJ or MMA in their adult life and enter the amateur competition circuit. The most dedicated go on to compete professionally at ADCC and IBJJF competitions, or promotional fights in the MMA world.
But many people embrace combat sports and Martial Arts as a hobby that brings purpose to their lives, as they stagnate physically in the corporate or hospitality world or as they find a new purpose while between paths.
What Martial Arts Teach Us
Martial Arts teach us how to be confident enough to step on the mat and face a strong and able opponent. Yet we are humble enough to learn from our coaches, training partners, and opponents in competition.
We learn how to Endure Under Pressure placed upon us from our opponents. And how to apply pressure to our opponent using strategy, strength, and efficient use of our energy.
History of OSS
As an expression long used in Martial Arts culture, OSS is more than a greeting, invitation, or salutation given before and after BJJ training.
It is a culture of facing our suffering head-on in the physical world, and transmuting our mental battles into material battles with a worthy adversary.
Endure Under Pressure
We do not quit when training gets tough. We Endure Under Pressure until the clock hits zero.
We continue to Endure throughout our training, lifting, cardio, and other physical activities we pursue.
We continue to Endure through the daily pressure faced running a business, exceeding the demands of our jobs, and providing for our families.
We continue to Endure as we build a legacy that will last beyond us.
Built, not born.
We are not born into it. We are Built as Martial Artists.
Jiu Jitsu and other Martial Arts have Built us into better business owners, parents, partners, athletes, employees, and leaders.
We step on the mat to battle our mental issues in the physical world.
Step on the mat. Keep training. Never quit.
OSS