I'm ready

For me it has been self care. I weighted 387lbs when I started and jiu-jitsu exposed so many unhealthy things about the way I was living. I had no mobility, knees hurt, etc. I have since lost a lot weight (40lbs), although I am not moving like some of the guys, I was able to see some results right away, and how I was moving on the mat.

Now I am making a concerted effort to really fix my life off the mats, so I can be healthy enough to get back on the mats

For me the biggest thing I figured out is awareness. I have rolled many times and got submitted many times and didn't know how it happened. Over time I learned to see the submission before it happened, the moment I made a mistake. Of course I am far from having good awareness, but it is comforting to know that I can now potentially make less mistakes since I can see what could happen.

For me it has been "winning by inches" mindset. Just like passing someone's guard, getting to side control, mount,  submit, there are many steps to take to reach my destination. I have learned to acknowledge and celebrate my milestones as I pursue my goals.

I concur with Gary. Poor training habits and diet is what I need to master.

On the mats, definitely guard retention.

For me it's getting into top or bottom half guard. I'm there 90% of time. Now I just need to build from that.

I agree with you. I used to panick and spaz as soon as someone grabbed my collar, or had their arms around my neck. Now I can tell whether they have the choke or not, and stay calm.

This is from my mother, when she found out I trained. "If you train, why are you still fat?" 

Other people think it's like Taekwondo 😅

The short answer is Yes. At least 10 years earlier. I didnt have a lot of responsibilities then like i have now, which affects my training. 

Starting two years ago was great too, the journey is different, but life and schedule is worse now than before.

The short answer is Yes. Jiu-jitsu should be an olympics sport. Personally i would love to see Gi Only Jiu-jitsu in the olympics because it will provide more options, for attacks, making the matches more interesting.

I just don't know how popular it would be since the current sports aspect of Jiu-jitsu has diluted the art. CJI format made it exciting, and hopefully they can adopt something similar with Gi.

But as others have said, creating a governing body, defining the rules...etc, will be the most difficult part to ensure the sport is safe and yet competitive.