When you roll Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you’re engaged with another person in this physical way, but mentally you are alone with your mind and spirit. Your decisions and your reactions are all internalized. Your intellect mingles with your emotions, all tied together in this physical act.

In the end, you will reflect on the decisions you made. You will know if you were impatient, or you tried to force something that wasn’t possible, or if you gave in too frequently under pressure hoping for an easier path to victory..

This is where you learn about yourself and your demons on and off the mat. Your character and your consciousness permeates everything you do. The demons that haunt you in the real world might take on different forms, but they are with you on the mat as well.

Killing your demons requires finding the common thread . If you find the commonality among that which brings you darkness, you’ll know how to defeat it. Our inner demons gain the most strength by being amorphous. 

Mythological demons shapeshift, and manipulate, and cater to our most basic carnal instincts. They are elusive and dangerous in that way, so we must overcome them. 

Meditation helps us find the common threads running through our experiences by allowing for deep concentration. Our negative emotions and feelings manifest in our daily lives, but whatever darkness we have is part of a larger inner battle we must work hard to win.

Every day we fight our demons is better than the day before because there will be inner-reflection and growth.