Training with a purpose

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Just finished another interview for the podcast project I have coming up. I’m having so much fun and learning so much about these awesome people. I hope everyone has as much fun listening to these podcast episodes as I’m having making them. The launch date for the podcast is September 1st, 2013 in case you’re interested. Even though the podcast is still a little over a month out, I figured I would take a minute and share 1 little chunk of advice that seems to keep coming up during these interviews, and its something I’ve blogged about before. The reoccurring tip that these black belts talk about when it comes to improving at BJJ is . . .

“to train with a purpose”

I know sometimes its fun to roll and not focus on anything, but If you feel like you’re not growing on the mat or that you are hitting a plateau. Then take some advice from some high level guys and train with a purpose! Give yourself a goal to achieve during your training session, try to hit a new move you’re working on or try and improve the weak areas of your game. If you’re a good bottom guy, try and work your top game. If you’re a good sweeper, try and submit from the bottom. You get the idea. Hitting those goals will build some positive momentum mentally and improve your game by focusing on improving in a particular area.

Hope everyone’s training goes well and I hope you hit whatever goals you set for yourself!

Ask a black belt a question, ANY question!

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Hey guys, I need your help!

I am getting ready to start a very cool project that will be launched in the near future. The project will involve asking many different black belts a group of questions in hopes that they can share their journey in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu as well as provide insight, inspiration and motivation for our own paths in the art.

What I would like from you is to take a second and think of some questions. The questions should be related to BJJ in some way. Each time I interview one of the black belts I will pick one of the questions I received from you guys. I’ll also give a shout out to the person who sent the question. 

 

With that said, please send your questions to  chewjitsu@gmail.com with the subject of the email as “Blackbelt Questions”.  Also, please include some basic info about yourself (Name, Location, belt level, gym that you train in) so that I can give a shout out to you.

 

Thanks for your help guys!

A long list of reasons why people train BJJ

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Back in April I put up a post about why we train BJJ and I got a lot of positive feedback from the post. The idea popped in my head a couple of days ago to do a simple post on my Facebook and just ask a couple of questions, and see what kind of responses I received. What I love most about the responses are that they come from average people. I find it interesting to get responses from the people who make up the majority of practitioners in our sport. Hearing about world champs who have all day to train is great, but I also like hearing about people who’s lives don’t simply revolve around BJJ. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the responses.

The questions were. . .

  1. Why did you start training?
  2. Why do you continue to train?

The answers were really interesting and I figured some of them could serve as for others. I’ve removed the names of the posters but they consist of every rank from white to black belt, young and old, male and female.

Here are the answers I received. . .

1. I wanted to be able to defend myself.

2. I continue because it helps me improve as a human.

1.I was tired of getting in trouble and partying,

2.I want to stay fit and compete and addicted to the life style..

1. I sold my motorcycle and needed something to do.
2. I want to excel and teach others.

1. I wanted to stay in shape and be able to compete if I choose to.
2. It’s something after next year my whole family will be doing. It gives us all something we do together.

1. Wrestling was over and I still wanted to continue wrestling.
2. To see if I can be as good as everyone thinks I can be/ I’m a competitor I love knowing there is someone better than me out there pushing me to do better

. . . . Oh and to prove doctors wrong that I would never be able to train again , let alone compete after having kidney failure ..that should a been my first answer

1. My husband wanted me to try it
2. “Light bulb” moments, making new friends, constant challenge (mental and physical)

1. Lots of friends did it. So I wanted to share the excitement.
2. The friendships I’ve made while doing it.
3. I needed to be humbled!!!

1.To loose weight after my dr. Told me I couldn’t do it. I knew a conventional gym would be a waste of money.
2. I love to compete and would like to fight mma one day.

1. Kids are mean if you’re a fat ethnic kid with a funny name.
2. Gotta look good for my wife and I still have a funny name.

1) I wanted to learn how to choke people
2) I like choking people

1) it started out as a joke to my dad that I wanted to try jiu jitsu
2) after my first practice I loved it

1. My best friend invited me to watch him compete in a summer tournament. BJJ was the coolest thing I had ever seen and I said “I want to do THAT.”
2. I stopped about a year and a half ago, after training for three and a half years, because of time constraints and laziness. But I will be back someday! After I finish undergrad hopefully.

1. To learn how to defend myself with my friend, and to have common ground with my son
2. I continue to learn new things and challenge myself at new/different levels!

1.) I always liked watching jiu-jitsu, wanted to give it a whirl.
2.). Exercise, camaraderie, and just the drive to be better than the day before.

Therapy, fight, and compete

1. I started BJJ because I saw a highlight video of one of my future teammates arm barring people and I wanted to be able to do that!

2. I have gotten more back from BJJ than I will ever be able to put in! I have made incredible friends, found a place where truth rules (the mats never lie) and a place that I am at peace. But I continue to strive to reach my goal of being a black belt competitor that can give the best fits on any given day. Long but fun road!!

1) I got bored with lifting weights and needed a change.

2) I like the science behind the art

1) A friend (who trained BJJ) and I were working at the Lexington Athletic Club together and he thought I might like it for the self-defense/combat aspects. He was right.
2) I had never encountered something so humbling. Refused to quit until I got good at it. I still have a LONG way to go.

1. A couple of dudes I thought were cool did it.

2. Half of my friends are people I met at Derby City, getting beat up a few nights a week is great for stress relief

1. Found out I had no idea how to defend myself, so I wanted to learn.
2. It is both mentally and physically challenging. Nothing can compare to it. If you have done jiu-jitsu and didn’t become addicted to it, you are just crazy.

1. I was looking for the best martial art for my son. I started so we could do something together (I still miss those days of dominating the kids classes).
2. I still train because of fitness, competition, friends and I’m too stubborn to quite. Black Belt or bust (hopefully black belt happens first).

1.) Because I was getting bullied and I wanted to learn how to fight back
2.) I found a love for the sport and wanted to get better at it

1.After wrestling so just wanted to wrestle and watched a lot of the UFC
2.Its a way of life for me now

1 Mr. Kazushi Sakuraba
2 because it is challenging.

1.Curiosity around jiu jitsu, and my competitive nature.

2.It is addictively fun/competitive, you will meet the greatest people, and the most important reason now i think is to dedicate myself to the art so for enjoyment and so that i may help others grow and find joy through bjj the same way that I have!

1. I saw Bloodsport, Above the Law, and Fists of Fury when I was around 5 and and wanted to be a martial arts master one day lol. I did Kung Fu before MMA got big and came to Derby city because of my friend who trained there and said I wouldn’t ever go.

2. To push myself, defend myself, stay healthy, relieve stress, something to be proud of, to have continuous goals to meet, and its just fun.

1. to stay active and have goals to push towards at all times

2 to stay competitive and become a better martial artist

1) my dad taught me that men train their fitness and can fight even if they choose not to

2) it became the framework of my life and worldview. Now I feel like the day I stop trying to improve is the day I start accepting decay.

1. I was always a little weakling kid always afraid to standup to the bully!

2. Today i continue because the art and the competition has become one with me… oh, and it makes me look like i’m 28 as opposed to 36!!

1) I started cause I wrestled in high school and love competing. And Jiu jitsu is closest sport to wrestling.
2) I love this sport and love ppl I’m training with. First when I started I thought ppl here would be mean, douchebags but I was surprised how friendly they all were its like brotherhood there and how my instructor doesn’t mind to take some time and show u if u don’t get it from first time.

1. I started bjj to challenge myself and to do a different workout.

2. My ultimate goal is to achieve my black belt, however when that goal is met I will just be a white belt that never quit. Also my training partners are family, you don’t quit on family.

1. I started training BJJ bcuz i never did BJJ it was new mix martial art to me. Now that ive been practicing i LOVE it.

2. I would like to contiune alot more training to compete and fight in MMA. I feel that my heart tells me this is ur new chapter of ur life. I know it takes alot of work to be on top. But ill leave it to my two if im good enough to fight.

Why do we train BJJ? (Why do you train BJJ?)

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If you are reading this then I have a question to ask you, but first I want you to think about something for a minute.  I want you to think about . . . how many injuries you’ve sustained as a result of training, the money you’ve spent on gis, training gear and gym dues and the amount of time you’ve spent in the gym.

Now here’s the question.

Why do you train?

Why do you put your body in harm’s way and risk injury, spend your time and money and exhaust yourself on the mats day in and day out, week after week, month after month, year after year?

Do you have an answer? Surprisingly this is a question that until recently I hadn’t really put much thought towards. I’ve always trained because it makes me happy, because I enjoy the people I am around, because when I roll I don’t think about anything other than my jiu-jitsu, it keeps me in shape. .. I could go on for a while. The reason I began to think about this question was because I wanted to figure out why some students stay and why others don’t find BJJ as captivating as others. I still don’t have a definite answer as to why someone quits BJJ but I was able to ask many of my students and friends why they come into the gym consistently to train.  After taking in the answers I was given, I compiled them into five general categories.

Below I list the category with an idea to my student’s and friend’s responses followed by my view on it.  

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Community – Many of the students raved about the gym and how amazing the atmosphere is, and how it’s one of the big reasons they continue to train.

My view on it – The people that seem to become entrenched into Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are a special breed.  Most (certainly not all) seem to be amazingly friendly people. If the gym is done right and the instructor is in the right state of mind. A Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gym has the potential to be this amazing environment for friendship, brotherhood, support and a generally uplifting atmosphere.

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Challenge / Competition – Students in one way or another shared how the thrill of competition and challenge was a reason they trained.

My view on it – I feel like challenge is the zest of life. Challenge and adversity keeps us on our toes, keeps us from becoming complacent, keeps us searching for a better way to do things and helps push us into the unknown which can help bring us to new heights of accomplishment. In a life of mortgages, wives, family duties and full time jobs which can seem to run almost on auto pilot at times, BJJ gives someone the chance to have the thrill of facing and overcoming an obstacle.

 

Stress reliever – Students unanimously said that the stress relief from BJJ is amazing. More than one person described the gym as their “sanctuary”.

My view of it – When you step through the doors of your gym, all the stress you had stays outside. If you’re significant other ticked you off earlier, your boss came down on you or whatever problem you have. None of this matters anymore. Nor does your profession or career. Whether that be a lawyer, construction worker, burger flipper, accountant . . . none of this matters. All that matters is your training, how you perform during the drills, how well you execute your moves, how you roll.  You can rid yourself of the stressors of life through the physical and mental exertion required for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Then afterward, you can leave and relaxed and ready to face any stressful situations that may come your way.

 

Learning new techniques – Many of the people I talked to said that another reason was that they enjoyed learning new techniques and moves.

My view on it – Another factor that keeps many students coming, I believe, is the continuation of learning. You can never know everything. There is always someone coming out with something new to play around with, or you find a new variation of a move while training in the gym. The ability to continue learning, growing and being curious are always present in BJJ.

 

 

Health – Many of the students reported considerable weight loss and also a change in their overall diet because of training.

My view on it – I’ve had numerous students and friends lose anywhere from 15lbs – 100+lbs simply from adding BJJ training to their life. Then it seems to have an incentivizing effect. They began to eat healthier and exercise more to improve their performance on the mat. Practicing BJJ gives someone a purpose/reason to be healthier. I mean let’s face it, many people would do well if they simply cut out fast food from their diet and exercise a little, but they don’t. Some people don’t have it in them to be healthy simply for the sake of being healthy. BJJ gives them a reason and can act as a catalyst for improvement of someone’s eating habits and overall health.

 

Fun Video

Check out this video that I watched on the reason that Humans play games. Based on the classification of the video, BJJ is a game. The guy has some other really awesome videos that are worth checking out.  

http://youtu.be/e5jDspIC4hY

 

Thanks for reading and if you’ve never asked yourself the question, “Why do I train?”, then you should and see why aspects of training are most important to you.

A training weekend with an old friend

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A training weekend with an old friend

This weekend I was fortunate to train with my friend Tim Sledd at his gym in Bedford, In. Tim is a Atos black belt and is just one those really good guys you meet in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Anytime I am around him he just seems to spew out positive energy and encouragement. We first met one another in 2006 at a small tournament here in Louisville, Ky. He was actually my first match as a purple belt and I still remember how strong his grip felt the first time we locked up. When I pulled away to break the grip my gi gave before his grip did. I heard a ripping sound and looked down to see a tear in my lapel. After this we had a great match and have been friends since. Periodically we talk, and here and there we‘ve able to squeeze in a training session together. Although I have to admit, now that his gym is closer I will probably make the trip more often.

Jiu-jitsu in a small town

While my students and I were driving through Bedford we couldn’t help but notice that it is quite a small town. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but I find it awesome that nowadays you can find highly trained instructors even in rather small towns. Tim and I spoke about this and how it’s a far cry from the days when we began our Jiu-jitsu journey. Back when we started, if you would have told someone that there were going to be two accomplished black belts training in the area, well. . . it would have been a big event! Now you have two black belts meeting up with their students casually for a nice training session as if it was no big deal.

We eventually arrived at Tim’s gym which was situated in what I assume to be kind of the downtown district of the area. All the buildings were made of brick and had the “window store” style appearance from the outside. His gym was easy to spot as the Small Axe BJJ symbol was displayed on the gym door, oh and because the windows of the gym were fogged up from the activity inside. This is always a good sign in my book. Once inside I figured out why the windows were so foggy. . . it was a sauna inside! The heat belching out of the air vents combined with the heat of bodies in motion made for a nice muggy, steamy training session. He was a great host to me and my students and we all enjoyed the techniques he covered. I had never seen some of the details that he showed so I was sure to write them down in my BJJ journal. The rolling went really well and when it was time to step off the mat there were pools of sweat to remind us of the effort we had just put out.

After the training session when my students and I got a bite to eat, we all talked about the great experience we had. The rolling was good, Tim showed some very solid techniques, and we learned a lot from the training.

BJJ Guys

One of the things I love about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, is the people you meet. I’ve met so many awesome human beings over the years. Some of them didn’t even speak much English which posed a problem for holding conversation, but that didn’t stop us from forming a bond through training.

Tim is no exception and he is a person whom I have a good deal of admiration for. He seems to have a good balance in his life which is something I don’t possess quite yet. He is able to balance training, running a gym, having a demanding job and being a devoted father and husband to his family. This is no easy task!

Stay humble

Not all BJJ practitioners have such an endearing reputation though. Some tend to have a negative attitude fueled by their disrespect to others or arrogance, and this creates a less than favorable presence around others.

Now, if you are a seasoned BJJ practitioner then you are already aware of the great relationships you build through this sport. If you are a new comer to this sport then you will see as you continue your journey, the life changing relationships you will make along the way. That is of course, If you stay humble and respectful. The sport would be incomplete if you removed the amazing bond between its participants. But the only way to foster this bond and these relationships is to stay humble and respectful. To be blunt, no one wants to train with or be around an arrogant dick who is full of himself and rubs it in people’s face when he taps them out. Remember there is way more to this sport than being the bad ass on the mat ripping people’s limbs off.

So stay humble and respectful, this way you can get the full benefit of the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu experience. Remember, its more than just tapping people out.

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How Bloodsport shaped my BJJ journey (yeah I know. . . Bloodsport)

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The Martial Arts Movie Factor and rather amusing analogy

So before you start reading this post I want you to think back to all the different martial arts movies you may have watched over the course of your life. My favorite martial arts movie when I was a kid was Bloodsport. That movie probably had more impact on me than any other movie I’ve ever watched. I remember being so impressed with the martial arts skills of Jean Claude Van Damme and I would ohh and awe at the sight of Bolo Yeung’s massive physique.  Now when you are thinking about your martial art movie, I want you to think about the training montage that it inevitably had at some point.  The main character of the film more than likely had been beaten or wronged earlier in the movie and at the time their skills were not sufficient to tackle the obstacle. After this is when the montage typically started. The wronged martial artist then goes into training with a feverous pace, pushing their body and mind to the breaking point. Once the adequate skills were acquired they go to accomplish their goal and make themselves and their teacher proud. In the case of Bloodsport, Jean Claude Van Damme trains with his instructor in seclusion. When the montage begins he is beaten up and thrown all over the place. Over the course of the few minutes (accompanied by music from Stan Bush. . .hell yea) you see Jean Claude progress and he begins to slowly get the better of his teacher. Eventually he exceeds the skills of his master and is ready to take on anything that stands in front him. Whether it be a 80s arcade game or an evil muscle bound martial artist in the Kumite.

The Headhunter Mentality

Throughout my time in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu I have always sought to better myself and push my body and my skill to their limits. An effect of this ambition is that I became a sort of head hunter when I would rolled. I wanted to beat higher belts and my instructors, and I wanted to attack them all out in order to prove that I could push them.  Even if I couldn’t submit them I might be able to pass their guard or get a close sweep. When I was a white belt I would roll with a purple or brown belt with the same “I want to win” mindset. While I knew my attempts would be futile, if I could just make them adjust or scramble then in my mind, I had won. I believed that if I could catch them off balance or execute a move on them then I was progressing.  Just like in the martial art movie montages.

Passing the mentality on to my students

Recently I was asked from a few of my less experienced students if it was ok to go after the higher ranking belts when rolling. After reading the previous paragraph you should know my answer was yes.  I feel like the atmosphere of everyone pushing one another to new levels is the best.  Another student asked if he visited another gym if it was ok to roll hard with their students just like he does with his training partners at our gym. I told him that as long as everyone was in agreement that it would be a full on roll, then sure.  I personally would encourage students from other gyms who are visiting to go after my students and try to beat them so that they could learn from one another.

Recently I was told by one of my students who switched to our gym from another; that his old gym frowned upon hard rolling. I thought this to be silly and irrational. Then I have also recently seen an influx of talk recently about flowing more than hard training. When I read things denouncing the benefits of hard rolling I couldn’t help but sit back and shake my head.  I mean there is a time and a place for flowing and lighter rolling, like when you are injured, working a new position, drilling, rolling with newer students, etc.  Even when I roll easier with less experienced students I expect them to attack me with their full effort.  Flow rolling can never teach the practical application of a technique like hard rolling, or teach a student how to deal with the natural stresses that a physical engagement brings.

What is hard rolling in my opinion?

When I say “hard rolling”, understand I don’t mean being a spaz or recklessly aggressive. Instead I mean pushing yourself and your partner with the full brunt of your technique fueled by your body’s athletic threshold in relation to grappling. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is about technique first and foremost, and then the body enters the equation.

Is this mentality correct?

With all this said, I’m an open minded person and believe we can always improve, so I began to do a little introspection and see if my mentality was negative or disrespectful.  I thought pretty hard about this, talked to several of my students at all levels, and consulted my instructors as well as read interviews with successful BJJ practitioners.  The questions I was trying to answer for myself were. . .

1. Is the mentality of my training disrespectful?

2. Is this style of training productive and conducive to growth and skill?

3. Are my students happy?

4. Am I happy with what I have helped create?

Below are my answers and the thought process that went into them.

  • Is the mentality of my training disrespectful?

No, it is not disrespectful to train very hard and attempt to best your training partners and opponents. In the end this is a one on one sport and while we do belong to teams and affiliations, its all about personal growth.  How can you expect to push yourself and your friends if you never open up? I also looked around at my students after a hard training session where everyone had tried their best to submit one another and everyone is smiling, laughing and happy.  I also thought about my own journey. Did I ever attempt to beat my friends and training partners out of ill feelings or disrespect? Not even close, in fact it was the direct opposite! I respected their games so much that I felt forced to go hard and use my best techniques in order to best theirs.  Honestly I would find it disrespectful or out of place if the person did not roll hard with me, assuming this was that kind of training we engaged in at the time.  I was also always trying to show my instructors that I was a good student and that I was getting better, just like in the martial arts movies!

  • Is this style of training productive and conducive to growth and skill?

I believe the answer is an easy yes. By pushing one another we continually sharpen our skills and grow together. The old phrase “iron sharpens iron” would not be out of place to help explain my theory. We are also a competition school and have to continually test our game against other gyms and we consistently do very well.  Next , I read through interviews of well-respected and highly decorated BJJ players to see what they may have said on the subject of hard training. All the interviews revealed that they thought hard training was not an option but rather a necessity for Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to be effective and to learn how to apply it properly.  Lastly, training hard doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with your game. Mistakes and losing are necessary parts of growth and by having your techniques beaten you can see what sort of flaws are in your game.  Experimenting with new moves and techniques essentially allows you to plug holes in your game or to expose gaps that you may have not even noticed!

  • Are my students happy?

As stated earlier after hard training sessions my students all have smiles on their faces. Granted they are breathing heavily and pools of sweat lay at their feet, but they are all happy that they pushed themselves and their partners that day. Sure sometimes they will have ups and downs which are a common occurrence. Maybe a lower belt caught them in a submission or maybe they were just off that day or perhaps they’re hitting a plateau.  All this doesn’t matter because all in all the experience is positive. Also my competitors and fighters are happy with the results of their hard training when they return with medals, belts, prize money, bragging rights, etc.  My non competitors are happy with the weight loss, improvement of themselves and being a part of a successful team which they helped create.  Many of my students will train at other gyms from time to time, whether because of travel or because of curiosity. They always return very happy with the results and are excited to tell me how their styled fair against others. I would safely say that yes my students are happy.

  • Am I happy with what I have helped create?

I am incredibly happy with the gym and with my students. Our gym has produced champions and medalists in the Worlds, Pans, numerous IBJJF tournaments, Grapplers Quest, N.A.G.A, E.G.O, O.G.C, and the list goes on. Along with these impressive competition results we have help people of all walks of life achieve weight loss and fitness goals. More than this though, is the community we’ve built. When I see the brotherhood and unity between my students I can’t help but be ecstatic about the atmosphere we have created. A bond built with blood and sweat.

 Conclusion

After going through this and trying to examine the situation at all angles I have decided that for myself and my students that we will continue to train hard, push each other all in the confines of mutual respect and brotherhood for the betterment of ourselves. While some instructors may not agree or choose to take this approach I feel that it is the best way to train and the best way to build proper effectiveness in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Also, I believe my job as a BJJ teacher is to make my students better than I am. When I eventually have one my students submit me when I am giving them my all then I have achieved, in my eyes, one of the ultimate accomplishments as an instructor. The only way this accomplishment is possible is through hard training and pushing one another. My student has to become like Jean Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport (or the main character of any martial arts movie) and go after his instructor with their full effort.

P.S. Sorry for the silly movie analogy, but I figured it would be a good way to relate to all the martial arts geeks out there.

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BJJ . . .a vehicle for positive change

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-Making a difference

Since I started teaching full time in 2010 I have been able to help build up a large BJJ program. Our gym can boast 50+ students in a class, Pan-Am and World championship titles and one of the most amazing atmospheres I’ve ever experienced in a gym. We train incredibly hard and are incredibly supportive of one another day in and day out. With this positive atmosphere and hard training we have also been able to do something just as important as winning titles and recognition, and that is making a positive difference in people’s lives.

–A very cool moment as an instructor 

So the reason I decided to write this post is because at the end of our training tonight I had everyone circle up and share their story and why they started training. Each person answered the question about how they had stumbled upon the sport and they also began to share how the sport and the people they met had changed their lives. I didn’t ask them to do this but it just came out of each of them. They shared stories of how they lost weight, met new friends, became good at something, built confidence, stopped using drugs/alcohol and the list goes on. This was an incredibly uplifting moment, and the feeling to know that I get to be a part of that positive change was amazing! The whole time we were congratulating each other on our accomplishments and applauding one another, it was really awesome.

-Kids too!

I used to hate teaching kids. . . then as my kids got proficient at BJJ I was content with teaching them. I mean I loved the kids (partially because I am big one myself) but teaching them stressed me out. Then two things happened that completely flopped that feeling around. One day a student of mine who had been picked on in school came into the gym with a black eye. He was walking toward me with his mother leading the way and I started to think back to a few days before when I had told him a strategy for dealing with bullies. I was really nervous and just feared that maybe he had been hurt or perhaps his mother was mad at me for encouraging her son to fight in the necessary situation. I failed to see that he and his mother were both smiling from ear to ear. All I could see was the big bruise that seemed to swallow his eye whole. Once they were close enough they both hugged me and told him a story about how he stood up to his bully. His mother was so proud of him and my student felt liberated from the fear of the bully. Just for the record, the bully never messed with him again.

Then one day I had a student who had been on the larger side when he initially joined and had lost a considerable amount of weight, as well as getting very good at BJJ. Well, this student came up and hugged me after class was over. I asked him why he hugged me and he told me, “Thanks Mr Chewy for making me good at jiu-jitsu because I’ve never been good at anything before.” This moment really touched me.  These two moments happened very close to one another and made me realize the weight of what I was doing with the children. I wasn’t simply teaching a martial art to them, I was empowering these kids with confidence both physical and mental. I was building their physical fitness and improving their health. I was preparing them for an unfortunate reality of bullies and aggressive kids. Most importantly I was making a difference. This gave a new sense of purpose to my teaching and made me really love teaching kids BJJ.

–A most fortunate side effect

When I day dreamed about teaching/coaching BJJ I would often think about building champions and a tough competition school. I was able to help facilitate that with the help of my amazing students and its only getting better. What I was also able to do in the process is help make a positive impact in the lives of so many adults and children and I am so happy about that. However, it was a slight accident. I mean I am by nature a “glass is half full” kind of guy and I think that positivity rubbed off on my students, but I never really realized the impact I would have on others. Again this only possible because of a combined effort of myself and my amazing students.

-Side note to all higher belts

If you are a ranking belt in your gym and aren’t already doing so. . . be POSITIVE!! Lift up the lower belts and help make an incredible atmosphere for yourself and everyone that comes to your gym every single day you step foot onto the mats.Image