What motivates Champions?

What is motivation?

Research abounds on motivation and theories of motivation. It has been shown in myriad ways that without motivation we do not learn, we do not perform, and we do not achieve. So coming in to the end of a hard year of training, it is time to reflect upon what keeps us motivated to train BJJ. In this post, we asked some of our ROOTS team members to share their thoughts on what keeps them motivated. However, before we hear their stories, what is motivation?

Intrinsic Motivation – the holy grail of motivation
When we look at motivation, we seek to explain an individual’s goal-directed behaviour. There are three main factors that influence motivation:

1. Achieving competence. Competence is defined by a perceived self-belief in one’s ability to perform well in an activity, e.g. BJJ
2. Autonomy or freedom of choice. Perceived autonomy is high when individuals feel they are engaging in sport because they choose to do so, not because they feel pressured by other people (parents, coaches) or external factors (expectations)
3. Psychological relatedness. Psychological relatedness is defined by a sense of shared experience and meaningful relationships. Therefore, people are motivated by activities which allow them to form and enjoy good relationships. E.g. training with a team

So, people feel motivated by activities that allow them to satisfy these three needs. Those activities are enjoyable and driven by intrinsic motivation. In the past, we separated extrinsic (external) motivation from intrinsic (internal) motivation, but now we see motivation as a continuum. Extrinsic motivation is doing an activity to obtain a certain outcome, such as a reward or avoided punishments, and the perceived autonomy may be low and the motivation may not last long. Here we see that reward charts quickly lose value or training BJJ to impress a friend or partner will not be sustainable. So, intrinsic motivation represents the most autonomous behaviour regulation by inherent interest, enjoyment and satisfaction. Intrinsic motivation is driven by three factors:

1. General satisfaction of learning or understanding something
2. General satisfaction of accomplishing or creating something
3. General satisfaction from the process or experience

In this sense, one of the main features of intrinsic motivation is that the perceived autonomy in choosing to do the activity, such as BJJ, can last for years. So let’s hear from Aleks, Alice, and Walid about what keeps or ROOTS champions training and competing long after the gold stars have run out.

Aleks Stojkovski

Alice Lam

Walid Kouatly

Aleks Stojkovski (ROOTS Instructor Milperra)

Why do you train BJJ? Growing up I was always involved in many different sports but I always found martial arts interesting and it was only a matter of time till I was going to try it. Growing up watching Rocky, Rambo, Conan, Bloodsport and Enter The Dragon movies everyday and with a little encouragement from Robert Naumoski that’s all it took for me to train BJJ. As a little kid, I remember one of my cousins was friends with Rob and I always looked up to them because they looked fit, strong, won medals and always fought in kickboxing, boxing and just anything to do with fighting.
How long have you been training BJJ? I have trained BJJ for 8 years.
Home gym? Milperra Roots
Why do you compete? I see competition as part of the martial arts and I enjoy fighting. Also as a coach I like to lead by example and test my skills against other competitors and be a role model that other people can look up to. Competitions motivate me to train more and improve for next time no matter the result; I also enjoy collecting medals which is a bonus that comes when competing.   
What keeps you motivated? Motivation comes in many different forms for me. One of them is competing the other can vary from learning new skills, staying fit or just being on the mats and rolling. Being a part of the Roots Milperra gym is really important for me, because we all work together for the common goal, to improve our jiu-jitsu and motivate each other on and off the mat.        
Favourite part of training? Favourite part of training would have to be coaching and rolling with all the guys at the gym. That moment when I look up and see everyone is training hard and they are thinking about their next move, this is what I see as a team.
Anything else? Looking forward to see what my Brown belt journey brings and I always encourage people to try jiu-jitsu at least once in their life. It will make you a humble, respectful and confident person that is a guarantee!!!!! 

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Alice Lam (ROOTS Botany)

Why do you train BJJ? I have always had an interest with martial arts. I had been training Shotokan Karate for over 15 years and really wanted to add something to my training, a whole new challenge. I tried BJJ and fell in love from day one. It complemented the 5 principles of combat; Evade, Enter, Close Quarter, Take Down, Complete. Karate touches on the first 2.5 principles and BJJ completed the last 2.5 principles. BJJ also helps me build confidence, reboots my mind when I step onto the mats, keeps me fit and active, and overall makes me happy.
How long have you been training BJJ? I started in February 2016, so just under 3 years now.
Home gym? I train at Roots Botany under Professor James Hampton.
Why do you compete? I started competing in karate too late in the game when I was already a brown belt. This made the competition world very difficult to grasp and I didn’t want this happening with my jiu-jitsu so I made sure I started competing pretty much since the beginning. It has been challenging dealing with the nerves of competition but it has bettered me each time. Being able to get out there and test myself against the other competitors really helps develop my jiu-jitsu. You learn from both your losses and your wins. Stepping up to the challenge is part of training on its own in the sense that you're putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation and fighting your way out of it. I compete to test myself, learn and improve my jiu-jitsu. Of course winning is a very a rewarding feeling also :)
What keeps you motivated? In life, I am constantly striving to do better, to learn more, to experience more and this motivates me with my jiu-jitsu. I am motivated by constantly wanting to improve my techniques, learn new techniques, better myself and look forward to all the experiences that can come with my training such as seminars with world champions and travelling for competition. A major motivating factor is my team at Botany. We are always pushing each other to excel and our instructor Professor James is constantly pushing us forward and challenging us.
Favourite part of training? The fitness and discipline aspect. The challenge. The friendships made, the Roots Botany team are almost like my second family.
Anything else?  This year has been an amazing year for me. Coming back from a broken leg for pretty much the whole second half of the competition session last year, I really wanted to knuckle down with my training and competing. The Pan Pacific Championships were the goal for the year and being able to come home with the gold was an incredible feeling. However the highlight this year had to be winning the double gold at the NSW State Championships in Gi and NoGi. I am really looking forward to next year's challenges. Martial arts isn’t for everyone, BJJ even for a lessor few, but it is such a rewarding art form and beneficial to all. It is fun yet tough at the same time. It develops your mind as much as your body. BJJ is also one of the most effective martial arts for self-defence so it is definitely a skill set everyone should have. I highly recommend BJJ to everyone and anyone who wants to build confidence, learn self-defence, or wants to learn an effective and traditional martial art.

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Walid Kouatly (ROOTS Chinatown)

Why do you train BJJ? To keep fit, learn self-defence, improve problem-solving skills, compete, learn the art of jiu-jitsu, improve discipline and continue to evolve as a person.
How long have you been training BJJ? I have been training with Roots since July 2017. Before that I did a lot of weights in the past and a bit of grapping-style conditioning exercises as well as ‘youtube’ BJJ which is no way near comparison when coached in real-life by experienced and qualified BJJ coaches.
Home gym? Roots Chinatown, under Professor Paulo Guimaraes. I also visit Root Rockdale on weekends close to comps, and occasionally Roots Botany.
Why do you compete? To apply what I have learned, learn from my mistakes, experience the rush, and put myself out of my comfort zone and of course enjoy the victories for me and Team Roots. 
What keeps you motivated? I enjoying being challenged and I enjoy the sense of achievement and growth. I am motivated by small goals I set to myself, from tapping less or barely surviving when rolling with senior belts, to winning tournaments and championships. I also motivated by overcoming difficulties.
Favourite part of training?

1. pulling off a new technique while rolling for the first time or,
2. pulling off an existing technique I know against someone I wasn’t able to before.
3. Training with a diverse number of people at different Roots gyms
4. And very rarely actually understanding and executing a new technique in a drill quicker and better than expected.

 Anything else? The art of jiu-jitsu, like any martial arts has a strong personal development aspect where you need to be honest and true to yourself, face your fears, address your weakness, harness your strength and continue to evolve physically and mentally, with real impacts on personal and professional life. Roots BJJ is the perfect environment to do all and have a great time doing with a fantastic bunch of people under very qualified and capable coaches.