In BJJ there is an idea, met with wide agreement, that if you have tough training partners to beat you up, you will surely get better at Jiu Jitsu. It sounds good on the surface but fails to pass standard reasoning. Legendary Strength Coach Dan John once told me at a workshop “anyone can makeContinueContinue reading “#186 Getting beat up versus making progress in BJJ”
Tag Archives: jiu jitsu
#182 Stop wasting your time doing “cardio” for Jiu Jitsu
Let’s face it, we’ve all encountered a student who takes up running or biking to improve their “cardio” for Jiu Jitsu. Clearly they seek an improvement in their Jiu Jitsu performance and understandably so as Jiu Jitsu has intense physical requirements from strength, power, flexibility to endurance. While there are some benefits to raising one’sContinueContinue reading “#182 Stop wasting your time doing “cardio” for Jiu Jitsu”
#181 Is strength necessary for Jiu Jitsu?
Due to the technical nature of Jiu Jitsu and it’s proven effectiveness against a stronger opponent, there is an idea often circulated that strength is not needed for Jiu Jitsu. This of course couldn’t be farther from the truth. A characteristic of physical strength is the ability to hold a position in an isometric fashion.ContinueContinue reading “#181 Is strength necessary for Jiu Jitsu?”
#179 Jiu Jitsu is not for “big men” but big hearts and brains…
How I love this art which never ceases to rip the ego from the heart of small men hiding behind a large muscles and a mean scowl. Those who walk around the gym with their chests puffed high as their egos themselves. In their case ignorance certainly is bliss. Ignorance of the frightening ease withContinueContinue reading “#179 Jiu Jitsu is not for “big men” but big hearts and brains…”
#177 Martial Artists
We are those who dare to see things differently. Martial Arts is the perfect balance of beauty and grace alongside pragmatism and ruthlessness. Such harmony is not seen in nature, it is nature. Like a beautiful ocean that in the next moment is a devastating tsunami, so too is the way of life itself. WeContinueContinue reading “#177 Martial Artists”
#174 You never know
It’s 6:25AM in the Atlanta airport as I stand in a never ending line to go through the TSA checkpoint before boarding my flight to LAX where I’ll drive the two hours back to my home in the Coachella Valley. My flight just began boarding and at the rate this line is moving, I’m startingContinueContinue reading “#174 You never know”
#174 You never know
It’s 6:25AM in the Atlanta airport as I stand in a never ending line to go through the TSA checkpoint before boarding my flight to LAX. My flight just began boarding and at the rate this line is moving, I’m starting to worry I’ll miss my flight. I stop thinking about myself for a secondContinueContinue reading “#174 You never know”
#172 The Anniversary
One year ago today marked one of the most significant milestones of my life as an athlete, a teacher and as a person. A day that I would cry like a little girl in front of many of the people I admire and love. Roughly 12 years ago I began the journey of a lifetimeContinueContinue reading “#172 The Anniversary”
#171 Commitment
One of the most valuable skills that we can all learn and apply daily is commitment. There’s not a person you can name who has achieved great success without living and breathing what they do. We can learn from the average laborer who has dedicated his life to his craft as a metal worker orContinueContinue reading “#171 Commitment”
#164 Its not about fighting
Many of us, like myself, are drawn to the nature of fighting and being capable in a physical altercation. For as far back as the history books will take us, we have wrestled, boxed and found ways to fight each other. There is an allure to being “the knight in shining armor” who can beatContinueContinue reading “#164 Its not about fighting”
The Lifelong Professional 