Continue reading]]> A few days ago, Unbroken became another of the few movies that I would enthusiastically watch more than once.

It’s the story of Louie Zamperini, who was a US Olympian who later became a bombardier in World War II. And while searching for a missing B-24 over open water, several hundreds miles from Oahu, Hawaii, his plane suffered severe mechanical failures and crashed into the sea.

Of the 11 crew members, only three survived, and Louie was one of them.

But they were stranded.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing…. but ocean.

They only had a few chocolate bars (which didn’t last one night), a few half-pints of water, a flare gun, sea dye, fishhooks, and a fishing line.

Imagine that.

No food. Little water. And no hope of rescue.

Many would give up.

And in fact, one of them started panicking right away. Another had a significant head injury.

Louie realized that he had to be one to keep the morale high, and he started telling stories of how great it would be back home, with their families, slowly savoring warm home cooked meals.

It was a constant mental battle.

One day passed, two days, three days, and on…

All they had was hope.

It was so bad that they had to depend on rain to survive. And they lucked out when it came to food too.

One day, a bird landed on their raft, and they were able to catch it and kill it. They had no way to cook it though and the flesh was just rancid. It made them all throw up, but they were able to use it as a bait to catch a fish.

They kept them going for a bit longer.

Thirty days in though, they lost one to starvation and dehydration.

The grim reaper was hovering over their shoulders. But they still had believe and endure their own slow, painful demise.

And then they were “rescued”.

But enough on that.

This wasn’t some random story.

There’s a reason I shared it.

Throughout the movie, there was a maxim that Louie repeated more than once. It’s something that his brother told him when he was a young buck, and it served to inflame his desire to live even at his lowest points.

It was simply:

“If you can take it, you can make it.”

It calls to mind that great speech in another movie I like a lot, when Rocky Balboa told his son that it’s not about how hard you can hit but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Louie could have said fugk it after 40 days of feeling his life ebb away with no hope of survival, but he chose to desperately cling to life until the very last moment.

And while the stakes are much, much lower on the mat, that’s same kind of determination I want for myself.

It doesn’t matter if I’m down by 30 going into the last minute.

It doesn’t matter if I got taken down and passed in the first minute.

And it doesn’t matter if everyone expects me to lose to the guy standing across from me.

For every moment, every second, and every minute of the match, I can still win.

And that principle applies to far more than just competition (obviously).

Use it as you will.

On to some business (uh oh I spelled it right) stuff.

I’m still in Vegas, and later today, the Grand Prix will be going down. I’ll be live streaming some of the matches up on the book of faces, and the OLDMAN coupon will stay active until tomorrow.

Once it’s gone though, who knows if it will ever come back.

Just a word of advice though, it works on every last one of my courses, but while I’ve been out here, the one that I have gotten the absolute positive feedback on has been the “Half Guard Trickery” course.

It’s filled with more than just techniques. In fact, even if you think no one can touch your Half Guardian card, there is still something that you can learn about the little micro battles and positions that exist in the game.

Reach out and grasp desperately for half gyardian life here:

[btnsx id=”6774″]

Continue reading]]> There’s an incredible scene in the movie, Facing the Giants.

It takes place on a football field, after practice. The coach catches his star athlete, the leader of his team, talking pessimistically about their upcoming match against one of the better teams in the league.

This was the STAR athlete. His words, his feelings and his beliefs were being transmitted to the rest of the team, and it could not be allowed to stand if they were to have any hope of victory.

So the coach did something about it.

He called the kid out and challenged him to the death crawl. One of his teammates strapped himself to his back, his eyes were blindfolded, and he started to crawl up the field.

Now this drill wasn’t new to practice. They had all done it before, many times. And the athlete had a sense of what he was capable of. But without sight, he had no idea where that point was.

He started moving forward. And his coach was in his ear.

“Let’s go, Brock. Show me good effort.”

He kept moving forward. His coach was in his ear.

“You gotta keep moving. You gotta keep moving. Let’s go. Don’t quit.”

His legs started to hurt. The spotlight was on him. The whole team was watching. But his coach was in his ear. And he kept moving forward.

“Keep driving! Don’t quit until you got nothing left!”

Fatigue was coursing through his body but his coach was still in his ear. And he kept moving forward.

“DON’T QUIT! KEEP GOING! I WANT EVERYTHING YOU GOT!”

The whole team stood up in amazement but he kept moving. One hand forward, one foot forward over and over again. And his coach was in his ear, driving him the whole way, until he finally had no more to give.

He collapsed, and when he took off the blindfold, he was shocked. He made it all the way to the in-zone, much further than he had ever gone before.

And in that moment, he truly knew that he was capable of far more than he once believed.

I thought about that scene last night because I saw someone quit in class.

We were finishing up the night with a little plank work. Pretty light work, but about 40 seconds in, I saw someone completely quit. He abandoned the position and sat down on his butt.

I tried to bring him back and after a long moment he got back in position.

It didn’t last though.

Not long after, he quit again, but this time he did something even worst. He got up, walked off the mat and started getting changed.

Wow.

I came up in an environment where such behavior was unacceptable. And what’s worst is that he was in better shape than several people who stuck with it to the end.

I have no sympathy because quitting easily becomes a habit. If you do it on the mat, you’ll do it elsewhere.

But if you build up a resistance by smashing through obstacles over and over again on the mat, you will also reap benefits when it matters outside.

Don’t quit.

Continue reading]]> At a certain time, and in a place far from here, a man stood in front of a massive pillar of concrete. It towered high into the sky. Immense. Heavy. Immovable.

But he had to do the impossible. The tower had to fall, and he had to be the one to do it, no assistance allowed. There was a gun to his head. Do or die. But how?

With his current strength, there was no way to even budge that much weight. Straining against it would have accomplished nothing, but there were variables in the situation that weren’t apparent at first glance.

In addition to the pillar of concrete that towered into the sky, there was another one right next to it. It was different though. Smaller. Lighter. And then next to that, there was yet another and another and another. Each smaller and lighter than the one before it.

Once he noticed that, a small seed of an idea starting to form in his mind and he ran until he found smallest and lightest of the pillars. He pushed against it, and it MOVED. Whoa! What if? His eyes drifted back to the largest pillar, the immovable object, with a smile on his face.

There was now a possibility of success.

And he seized it by pushing the smallest pillar with all his might. As it toppled over, it crashed into the pillar next to it, toppling that one over as well, which crashed into the next one. And so it went. Each time more force was generated, until a pillar finally struck the last one. The sound was loud, and the force was enormous.

And as the largest pillar toppled over, it was like watching a giant fall in slow motion. And when it hit the ground, dust flew, the earth shook, and tremors were felt far and wide.

What’s the Significance of the Story

This story is a dramatic way of telling you about a physics experiment. And when I saw it, I immediately thought of the power of the smallest step forward in achieving any goal.

Of all the massive goals that exist in Jiu-jitsu, reaching black belt is the most universal desire. And it’s not something that can be achieved easily or effortlessly. Thousands upon thousands of small almost insignificant steps are required to achieve that goal, and many fail along the way for numerous reasons.

Black belt is that massive pillar.

And in order to topple it, you have to start with one step and then build momentum until one day you look back and can’t believe all that you’ve achieved.

The Smallest Step Forward

The first step is effortless. It’s something that you’ve already accomplished. You went out. You found a reputable gym. You contacted them. You visited. And you tried a class.

It was easy. Not everyone takes that step though even if they desire to learn. They hesitate. They have excuses. I know because I once did. I trained at Evolve Academy for almost a year before I finally convinced myself to try Jiu-jitsu. Now I wish that I had started earlier.

Momentum Builds

In that first class, you learned a bit, and then promptly forgot most of it. No worries though. At that moment you started the journey towards mastery, and you’ve already completed the most important step. Starting.

Once you’ve begun, it becomes easier to take the next step and the next after that. The momentum you build by continuing to take small steps forward like showing up to class, drilling technique, and taking notes starts to create a domino effect. And consistent effort is what determines how far you will go in the journey.

Other Applications

There are also specific ways that you can use that focus to develop aspects of your game.

Imagine this.

One day, you walk into class, and your instructor is showing a technique that blows your mind. It seems like something far outside of your ability. You try anyway though. It just doesn’t turn out pretty. You’re forgetting steps. Some movements are hard to do. All kinds of problems.

In that case, there is a method you can use to ensure that you’re still improving. Take the technique and break it down into its individual components. Pick one that is easy for you to do, and then just drill that for a moment. Once you have a firm grasp of it, try another step and another and another.

You still may not get the technique perfect that day, but progress has been made. If you continue to work on it, you’ll master it. That’s a certainty because…

Momentum is powerful.

Continue reading]]> At my job, I had an opportunity to speak to the owner of the company, and the best thing I took away from that conversation was a philosophy. I’ll share it with you because it’s quite simple, and I understood right away why the company made an effort to instill it at the cultural level. So I hope that you will too.

The philosophy consists of just three general guidelines:

1. Do the right thing.
2. Do it to the best of your ability.
3. Care about what you do.

I look at those guidelines, and I believe that they can be applied to far more than just work. In fact, I want to give some insight on how they can be applied to BJJ to improve the learning process.

Do the Right Thing

At a basic level, doing the right thing in BJJ consists of showing up for class on time, paying attention while in class, and reviewing what you learned after class. It’s that simple really. It’s easy to do, but it’s also easy not to do, and I know that because I’ve failed at times.

You have to also always be aware of the fact that when you step onto the mat, you’re not guaranteed anything. The gym just offers you an opportunity to learn. It’s up to each of us to take full advantage of that opportunity. That means that you have to take personal responsibility for your own development.

The seed of that lesson was planted for me when I started training at Evolve. After that first class, I was physically exhausted because I was massively out of shape. I went up to my coach, Mike Moses, and I told him that I really want to do this but I didn’t know if I could. His response was blunt. He just said that if I seriously wanted it, I should put in work outside in order to improve my condition.

That made an instant connection between personal responsibility and martial arts for me.

Do it to the Best of your Ability

I’ve been teaching classes for a few years now, and one thing I consistently notice is the different levels of aptitude that people start with. Some pick up things fast and others don’t, but I don’t look at that as a sign of potential.

The beauty of Jiu-jitsu is that you can take the concepts and find unique ways to apply them that are consistent with your own physical attributes. It all starts though with learning the technique as it is taught to the best of your ability because you can’t effectively create until you understand the concept of it all.

Here’s a little story for you.

This week, I noticed a new student at Evolve. He was in a motorcycle accident which damaged his leg to such a degree that it had to be amputated at the knee. I’ve seen him in two classes but what I’ve noticed is that he has a passion to learn the art.

For example, I was teaching Thursday, and we were going over knee-on-belly transitions. On one side, he could perform the technique relatively well, but on the other side, he was having a lot of difficulty. He still tried a few times before asking for possible modifications. I like that, and I believe that more of us should have the same mindset when it comes to training.

As Henry Ford once said, “There is no man living that cannot do more than he thinks he can.”

Care about What You Do

In a way, this is the most important part. Every opportunity you get to train or compete is precious. Treasure it and try to get the most bang for your buck possible.  Go into class with specific goals and objectives. Think about how every effort contributes to your long term goals.

I once heard it said that greatness is the result of little actions compounded daily. The consistent effort we put in daily in the gym matters more than all the big accomplishments, and those accomplishments are the result of the consistent effort.

Continue reading]]>

Source

Take a moment and look at this picture.

Do you see how the sun’s light just breaks through the clouds? Or maybe the contrast between light and shadow reflected off of hundreds upon hundreds of hills?

Perhaps you even see something that I simply can’t. That’s quite likely actually.

The key thing is that you can see everything in the picture. You may focus on different things, but there’s nothing stopping you from experiencing a sense of wonder at what nature is capable of.

Now what if you were at that location, but there was no light? It was pitch black, and you could barely see anything in front of you.

Would you be able to appreciate it then?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. It depends, right? The main factor would be whether or not you’ve already been there or you’ve already seen what’s possible.

The Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Connection

On the first day, when a person steps into a gym with the slightest inclination of training, it can often be like that pitch black environment.  Wondrous sights and possibilities exist around them, but they can’t see it.

It’s too dark.

Often that initial period is difficult. They’re introduced to countless new movements, and some of those may feel quite unnatural initially.

It’s that period where most people quit.

The shame is that they often do it right before dawn. Right before the light of the sun breaks through the clouds. Right before they hit their first breakthrough and received a true sense of what they could possibly achieve.

A shame, indeed.

The beauty of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu lies in the possibility of creating your own expression of it. It’s when you make that shift from simply trying to memorize to attempting to innovate. It’s when you bring your own insight and mix it with tried-and-true concepts and movements in order to create something that is truly unique.

But the only way to get there is grind through all the obstacles thrown in your path.

Continue reading]]>

Source: MSN

Take a moment to think about just one thing that you can do now that you never imagined yourself capable of years ago. I’m sure that you can probably think of at least one. It’s even quite probable that you can think of far more than that.

The point of that exercise was to highlight how difficult it is to accurately perceive what our limits are. Just because something seems impossible now doesn’t mean that it will be in the future.

That’s where challenging goals come into the picture.

They are goals that require you to expand your ability in order to achieve success. It doesn’t even matter what the goal is, All that matters is that it is difficult enough that success will require that you change for the better.

I’ll give you a quick example.

Sometime ago, I decided to challenge myself. The goal was to compete at the No-Gi Pan at a lower weight. It worked out to be a good challenging goal because it had certain components.

There was a firm deadline because I had to make weight before competing. Also the definition of the success and failure was clear and unambiguous.

I succeeded in that goal, but if I had failed, it still would have been beneficial. It was my first time cutting weight. The lessons I learned from the process were invaluable.

Also the mere fact that I was willing to take that risk and take it that far shows me that I can do it again.

It simply goes to show that challenging goals that motivate you to act in the present can take you further than you ever thought.

What You Can Do

For Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, some of the best challenging goals are physical in nature. For example, increasing your range of motion in certain muscles or mastering specific techniques or movements.

Those are two quick examples, but if you notice, they have a common link. Success or failure with those two goals are entirely within your control.

You control whether you succeed or fail, and you’ll reap benefit from the effort you put towards success.

Even with challenging goals that you can’t entirely control like winning tournaments or belt promotions, the effort is the most important thing. The effort you put in day in and day out are improving you in ways that you may not realize.

Remember that.

]]> https://www.bjjcanvas.com/the-power-of-challenging-goals/feed/ 2