#149 Simple Joys

As time passes, you find that some things which gave feelings of discomfort are rather enjoyable. Such as the feeling of a burning muscle on an arm that was previously injured and unable to perform exercise. Curious is the mind.. How can something at one moment provide us with satisfaction and at another moment disdain?Continue reading "#149 Simple Joys"

#147 The Will to Win

Arguably man’s most precious resource is his will. The will to survive has brought us to this modern civilization we are a part of. It was will which put the Wright brothers in the air, built Henry Ford’s V8 engine and Thomas Edison’s lightbulb. The highest degree of skill and mastery of technique in MartialContinue reading "#147 The Will to Win"

#146 Problems present opportunity

Last week I dislocated my big toe (or at least that’s my best description of what it feels like), it potentially may even be Turf Toe but short of an MRI I won’t know, which may not be for some time. When it first happened, my thoughts immediately shifted to my tournament on November 14Continue reading "#146 Problems present opportunity"

#145 The need for violence

In the natural world, fighting, pain and struggle will always exist. Whether or not you like violence it is a part of life that you must learn to accept. In the animal kingdom it is a part of every day life. In previous civilizations, men were judged by their ability to fight and hunt. ThisContinue reading "#145 The need for violence"

#144 Missed my flight…

This morning I woke up at 5:15 to catch a 6am flight from Boston to Austin... Not gonna work. Luckily I was able to snatch a 12pm flight the same day which got me thinking. Accidents happen, and it’s easy to dwell on why it sucks, what it means and yada yada.. But, you canContinue reading "#144 Missed my flight…"

#143 Diamonds are forever

We’ve all heard the saying “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”, but are they everyone’s best friend? Today was spent shooting content with my sensei Xande Ribeiro while learning all about his “Diamond Guard and Diamond Concept” for his upcoming instructional on BJJ Fanatics. Something that stood out to me was not only his deepContinue reading "#143 Diamonds are forever"

#142 Pieces of the BJJ puzzle

Sometimes in Jiu Jitsu, and this may be true for most athletic endeavors, we forget about the most important aspect. Our mind. Although there are great arguments for having a great team, a great coach and the right environment, we know that there are too many variables beyond the x’s and o’s. There is however,Continue reading "#142 Pieces of the BJJ puzzle"

#141 Stick to it.

Sometimes one of the hardest things we face in life is to remain steadfast. That means staying strong in your core beliefs, your values or moving towards your purpose. Life is hard, even for those who seem to have everything. We will all face moments where we want to give up. Moments where summoning everyContinue reading "#141 Stick to it."

#140 The Gain of Pain

The adage of “no pain, no gain” might be tried and true. But it is also misunderstood. First, pain is a signal. It’s that check engine light that comes on. A sign that something is wrong and should be investigated. Hiding from it certainly won’t fix your car and neither will ignoring it but sometimesContinue reading "#140 The Gain of Pain"