Keith Krikorian has recently shared insights into his mental transformation – that has boosted his confidence as he gears up for ADCC 2024.

Krikorian, a 10th Planet black belt, has been a significant figure in the no-gi grappling scene for over five years.
But, despite his impressive track record – including victories over notable ADCC veterans – he has yet to secure a win at the ADCC Championships.

In a conversation with Grappling Insider, Krikorian discussed the pivotal changes in his mindset that have left him feeling happier and more confident than ever before.

Specifically, he used to be overwhelmed with anxiety and the pressure to succeed in the past:

Now, I’m a lot more centered. I’d say I’m a lot more grounded.
I feel better. I feel better day to day. I feel more grateful and thankful for things.

I don’t feel stressed by responsibilities associated with being good at Jiu-Jitsu or being in the position I’m in within Jiu-Jitsu.
It used to really stress me out. Now it’s fun.

In other words, he doesn’t put as much pressure on himself to always be “about” BJJ:

 I thought you had to only care about Jiu-Jitsu to be good at Jiu-Jitsu.
I just don’t know if that’s true, not anymore.

That’s allowed me to take all the right steps to improve my game and skills and get better, stronger, faster.

So, in some ways, the key to getting better in BJJ is to, well, not care about it as much:

 I’ve pretty much kicked all that anxiety and depression in the a**, and that’s a pretty gratifying feeling.

When I put it in that perspective, Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t really matter to me.
Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t measure my self-worth…

Ironically I feel that helps me have success in Jiu-Jitsu.

Make sure to read the entire interview on the following link.