First Thoughts on Brazilian Jiujitsu

so a little about me my name is Justin and im a  blue belt in brazilian jiujitsu and i train under the Behring Jiujitsu Association in Salt Lake City, Utah.  When i first started training in martial arts i initially was interested in muay thai kickboxing and trained mostly in that art for several months.  Over time however i kept seeing these guys show up in their gis and training and i decided to try a class.  It took a few months for me to catch the jiujitsu bug but when it bit, it bit me hard.  I train anywhere from 4 to 5 times a week and i am always eyeballing the next jiujitsu tournament that is coming to my area.  I received my blue belt  in Jan. of 2012 from my head trainer Professor Rob Handly.  It was an awesome experience to have the acknowledgment that all the blood, sweat, and tears i had put in on the mats had not been in vain.  I will never forget one of the comments another black belt that was attending the seminar made to me.  He said "now the real work begins" and i couldnt agree with him more.  Aside from the obvious physical benefits of training in the gentle art, jiujitsu has taken on deeper meaning for me in my personal life as i am sure it has for many other practioners of this amazing art.  I think the first lesson jiujitsu teaches is humility, from the first day whitebelt to the ninth degree redbelt who has been training for 60+ years humility is key.  I believe this is b/c jiujitsu is all about learning and bettering yourself, your technique and your training partners.  If you take humility out of the equation it takes away from your internal learning environment and at the end of the day it really only hurts you.  Those who maintain that humble learning attitude are the ones who will have the most improved technique the better rolls and an all around better experience in the gentle art.  Not to mention the fact that those who aren't humble generally don't last long in this sport.  The take home lesson here then is humility and this is a lesson that can be applied to all facets of life.  Be humble when you put your gi on and tie your belt around your waste.  Understand that you will probably tap, also understand that's not a bad thing at all. In life be willing to learn from others who have more experience then you, be intelligent enough to take their advice rather then pridefully trying to blaze your own path.  While there is nothing wrong with individuality and being your own person a truly intelligent person will take advice given him and consider it carefully before choosing to act or not to act on it.