Why do you keep showing up?

We all have different reasons for doing that free trial class. But why do you come back?

You’re beaten up constantly and physically exhausted, your knees hurt, your back is sore, and you can only turn your head so far depending on the day. It doesn’t take long to answer that question that brought you in. What’s driving you to be on the mats???

We all spend a lot of time sharing jiujitsu, but what other hobbies, interests, or activities would you share with your training partners?

Most of my free time revolves around my kids now, and we spend a lot of time at playgrounds,  splash pads, and six flags. I’ve found a lot of ways to have fun there… and I don’t even fight anyone! We recently went to a splash pad and the kids and parents had a blast. 

How do you have fun without armbars and chokes?

One day, you will have your last roll on the mats. If you could choose ANYONE for your final roll, who would that be????

What class would you create?

If you made a class, what would it be? What would the objective be? Who would want to go?

I think a “Combat Jiujitsu” class would be pretty cool. When you introduce the open palm strikes, you really have to focus on control and positioning before you can think about submissions. A wise man once told me, “if you’re doing jiujitsu correctly, your opponent won’t be able to strike you.” I also like the old school vibe of “You can’t do anything I don’t let you.” Plus it seems to be pretty traditional. I’ve heard stories of dojo storming in the old days where they would make the blue belt control the challenger and submit them by slaps because you had to pay for lessons to witness the submissions. 

What class would you want to attend

If you could travel back in time to your first Jiu-Jitsu class and give yourself one piece of advice, what would you say?

I’d tell myself that your ability to go slow demonstrates your level of control and overall mastery of the martial art. 

I spent a lot of time grappling before I was even aware of jiujitsu. Wrestling matches are structured so differently amongst duration, scoring, and objectives, that I always wanted to push the pace and would inevitably gas out. I spent several months attending open mats with the objective of rolling every round. Eventually, I was able to control my pace and roll every round. 

What have you figured out that you struggled with for longer than you have anticipated?