“Bust Yours......Kick Theirs!”,
Professor Larry Shealy

Now that we are part of Team Roberto Traven, my affiliates also fall under Master Traven.  That is not only great news for our current affiliates, but it is also GREAT for JaxBJJ & MMA, and future affiliates.

This now allows us to immediately expand our Affiliate base in the Jacksonville Area.  We are beginning to interview to add 3 more facilities in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.  Areas we will
be looking into are:  Tinseltown, Mandarin, and Orange Park.

If you are looking to open a BJJ or MMA school, or have a traditional martial arts program and would like to implement a BJJ or MMA Program, please call 1-888-9JAXBJJ.

Losers let it happen.....Winners MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!  Let’s make it happen together.

“Competition Jiu-Jitsu represents only 30% of real Jiu-Jitsu” http://bit.ly/9t1APk
Article by Rickson Gracie: from Gracie Mag

Welcome to Team JaxBJJ, a Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Training Academy. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was perfected by Grand Masters Carlos Gracie, and Helio Gracie, who developed techniques using leverage and timing, rather than strong, explosive techniques found in traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. Grandmaster Carlos’ son and my Instructor in my lineage, Master Carlos Gracie, Jr., has further contributed to the growth of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu by applying the techniques on the mat as well as in life. Master Carlos strives for self-perfection, which has led to a successful stable of students and champions.

We believe that training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu should be practiced in the same way that the Gracie’s have trained: with consistent and intelligent practice, with instruction that comes directly from the Gracie source, with impeccable technique, with constant repetition and with excellent use of leverage and timing versus strength and explosiveness.

We believe in training hard and training smart. Our philosophy is to “train for 30 years, not 30 minutes.” Thus, safety and knowing when to “tap” is paramount. Senseless injuries have never made anyone a better Jiu-Jitsu Player! We are a family oriented Academy, welcoming men, women and children. We treat everyone equally; those who have trained 10 years, or 10 minutes will be treated the same: with honor and respect. That is the JaxBJJ way.

We believe that you should check your ego at the door when training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It’s not if you win, or if you submit the most people in a given training session; it’s if you have learned anything and improved on your own abilities in every training session. Training is for learning and improving your game while helping your training partners get better as well. Fighting is for competition. Please know the difference and be a good training partner! We are more concerned with our students developing self confidence and a great self defense plan versus training to fight tournaments or MMA. (though we do prepare those who wish to head in that direction)

We believe that in training Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you will get out of it in direct proportion to what you put in to it. Commit to training and put the hours in on the mat and you will indeed improve and you will carry yourself accordingly.

We believe that Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the most complete and effective martial art available. We believe you have come to the right place to learn and train and we believe that you, too, can be a CHAMPION, in all aspects of your life.

“Train Hard....Train Smart!”

Professor Larry Shealy.
Owner and Head Instructor
Jacksonville Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Inc.
http://www.jaxbjj.com

We are almost two weeks into our “choke series.” It’s great to be back on the mats with you guys full time, and sharing some fun stuff, with gi and no-gi.

As we discussed, in my opinion the choke is like a jab in boxing.  A lot of times you keep your opponent/partner off balance with it, it’s great to set up other submissions, but a lot of times you can finish with it. 

As I’ve thrown a ton of information at you in the past two weeks, I urge you to take the pieces that work for you and put it into your game. Also, anytime we have some open mat time, use that time to perfect some of the new techniques I have been sharing.  We will be doing more no-gi chokes thru next week, in addition to our usual curriculum.  I hope you guys like the Darce set-ups I shared along with the Darce from side tonight.  I know Crumz fell in love with the walk around from side.....Rockabye!!

Bust yours......Kick Theirs!
LS

Quote of the Week:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, or a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. “
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have a theory........ I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  The psychology of “more” can derail good jiu-jitsu training. There is a law of diminishing returns when we try to do too much of anything, too fast, and without a solid fundamental base.
--Try learning Trig, without solid math skills
--Try flying a plane solo without many, many hours of study, ground training and in-flight instruction from your instructor.
--Try going to your senior year in college........having just completed 7th grade.

It just doesn’t work that way. And it doesn’t work that way in Jiu-Jitsu either.  Guys with less than a year, wanting to take on too much technique too early.  Guys with 2-3 years thinking they are actually better than their technique supports. 

I would rather my students be absolutely, perfectly proficient in 10 techniques, than to know 1000, all of which they suck at.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard:
“show me something new”......from a guy who can’t fundamentally pass a decent guard
“how come you don’t teach...x, y, z technique?” From a person with a limited or sub-par fundamental base.

These types of comments come from a few very standardized groups of people:
--They are in it more for the short term, rush of something new, and will never commit to learning thoroughly.
--They are not willing to train, and work their tail off to be as good as they possibly can be, with the techniques they do have.

That’s why I love Roger Gracie, Kron Gracie, Ryron, and Rener Gracie.  Perfect fundamental Jiu-Jitsu, from Masters Carlos and Helio.  Not flashy, just great technique. 

Yes I’m old school.  I don’t teach for tournaments, I teach for self defense, exactly the way I was taught. I don’t condemn or condone tournaments.  However, I do believe there can become a false sense of security with certain tournament technique.  That’s why we ‘put the gloves on’ in class periodically.  Some of the more talented Jiu-Jitsu students have had trouble transferring their tournament jiu-jitsu to a ‘street fight’ scenario. The tide changes when you get smacked in the mouth.  That sweep that was so inviting loses its flavor when you get blasted in the face.

Don’t worry so much about what you don’t know.  Become proficient with what you DO know.  Practice for worst case scenarios in self defense.  Be patient.  Train consistently, over time, to be able to defend yourself and your family in an extreme situation.  I truly believe this is how Masters Carlos and Helio wanted it to be.

The psychology of more.  Drive thru lifestyles.  Get it all and get it now.  Always look for the ‘latest and greatest’.

This may work for some people in life, and even in Jiu-Jitsu.  But for most folks, we’v got to go about it the old fashioned way:  with alot of hard work, a system to follow, training partners you trust, and the patience to let the system work for you.

Good training.

LS

“Bust Yours.......Kick Theirs”
Larry Shealy

Don’t make assumptions.
Don’t take anything personally.
Be impeccable with your word.
Always do your best.
Don’t judge other people.
Treat all beings with kindness.
You are what you eat & drink.
Stop trying to do it & just do it.
Forgive-Love- Laugh

Author Unknown (but borrowed from a friend)

The long weekend was incredible, but as usual, not quite long enough.

It’s always nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy uninterrupted time with my best friends: my family. Recharge the batteries, recharge our relationships. It’s Tuesday and “real life” will be settling in again. It’s times like I had this weekend that allow me to reflect on the many blessings I indeed do have in my life.....God, family, friends, a nice career, health, fitness............the list goes on and on and on.

This time off also allowed me to step back and see where God is in my life. Have I been spending quiet* time with our creator? No. Have I put God first 100% of the time? Not even close. Have I allowed “real life” to creep in between what is truly important? Yes I have.

It is abuntantly clear that when I’m spending quality time with my God and my family.....life is GREAT. It’s not that I don’t have problems, but my attitude and ability to deal with these problems are much better. I am just more effective in all parts of my life.

The flip side is that when I don’t......IT ISN"T. I know this, as I’ve lived on both sides of this ‘fence’ and always have the same results. Why do I do this? Why do I take an “I can handle it” approach, when I’ve made this mistake time and again? A case could made for my intelligence (or lack of). I think it’s probably a combination of EGO, Arrogance, the sinful nature of being human and a myriad of other flaws that I so proudly display in my life. That’s the excuse I use.......and it’s probably not too far off track.

It’s crazy, I repeat these mistakes over and over again. I know it is detrimental to me and my life, yet I still “take my eye off the ball.” I’m not a resolution type of guy. I’m not going to ‘resolve’ to do better. However, I did ask God for his love and guidance in this area of my life.

It’s gonna be a great week my friends.

LS

Here’s an article a student of mine passed on to me.  Great article by Stephan Kesting from Grapple Arts.  I had written a blog, along the same lines just yesterday on http://www.kid-jitsu.net, so thought this would be nice to share.  Enjoy!

Hi there,

Some people think that they can only learn from World Champions. And then, when they finally study with a competition legend, they’re often disappointed that he won’t (or can’t) teach them very much.

It’s easy to confuse teaching ability and competition success, but these are in fact very, very different things. There are lots of good fighters, fewer good teachers, and very few people who are both good fighters and good teachers. And you DON’T need a 400-0 record to be a great coach.

Consider one of the very best MMA coaches in the business: Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• He’s never held the the title belt in the UFC.
• He’s never been the champion of any MMA organization.
• And he’s never - as far as I know - fought in MMA himself.
So he’s a chump, right?

Not so much! Despite his lack of competition pedigree he’s highly regarded by TONS of great fighters, including GSP, Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, Andrei Arlovski, etc.

These guys travel across the country to train with him, or fly him out to orchestrate their training camps. I am told that he has an amazing ability to put together a gameplan for his fighters.

Maybe there’s more to teaching than simply being the toughest guy in the room…

An Australian reader recently wrote me about teaching skills vs. fighting skills. Here’s a little bit of what he said:

“John B. Will teaches teaches seminars at our school 3 times a year and he has discussed the idea that there are black belts in technique and rolling but not as many in teaching.”

I think that this idea of a “black belt in teaching” is 100% correct. One of my teachers and role models - Dan Inosanto - has said that he’d rather train with a good teacher than a good fighter.

That’s because some great fighters can’t articulate the details of even their bread and butter moves, nor teach you about the timing of the movess.

Being a good teacher isn’t only about performance. It’s about being aware of the technical details and knowing how to share them with others. It’s about being able to find the best way to teach someone, even if they have a different learning style than yourself. It’s about finding variations and modifications of techniques that work for different body types and temperaments.

I think you’re getting my point by now, but in case you’re still unsure, let me ask you a question.
Who would you rather have as a boxing instructor:
1. ‘Iron Mike’ Tyson (40 KO’s in 58 fights), or
2. Cuss D’Amato (who only had one amateur fight - which he lost - but then became Tyson’s coach and mentor)
Hmmm, I thought so…

Stephan Kesting
http://www.grapplearts.com

“If you play with turds, you’re gonna smell like $hit”. Quote from my mentor Coach Jack Taylor

Lesson: Be very careful who you associate with..... This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my life. I will be blogging on this subject on http://www.JaxBJJ.com and http://www.kid-jitsu.net this week.

UFC Fighter Alan Belcher is the latest school owner to License his school in MIssissippi with the Kid-Jitsu Program.  A tough as nails Muay Thai fighter and a Brown Belt in BJJ, Alan is the epitome of tough......but he and his wife understand that what works for a UFC fighter, is not necessarily what is introduced to kids in a family setting.  Check Alan out this weekend as he goes to war with Patrick Cote.......Best wishes Alan, and welcome to Kid-Jitsu.

“I rant....therefore I am”.  Dennis Miller, Comedian

If you ever saw Dennis Miller on SNL or in his old show, you’d know about his rantings.  They were provocative, very funny, and in my view, the rantings were typically right on the mark.  For those who follow this blog know I cover just about anything that comes to mind in the school, business, people, family, difficult people, BJJ items, quotes etc.  The last blog I dealt with gossipers................the comments and views do not reflect the views of JaxBJJ....only the owner!

Rantings of the week;

**Gossiping, (continued) : it still sucks!  Run faster!

**Boundaries:  do you have any people in your life who just don’t know their boundaries while dealing with you, your family, etc?  Dealing with these people is tricky because when you try to set the boundaries that work better for YOU.......it ticks THEM off, because you are “changing” the paradigm of what they like, and what they are comfortable with.  Family members can be some of the biggest offenders.....especially inlaws.... , Not fun, but set the boundaries, ride the waves, and stick to your guns.  Eventually your wife will come home, and you will have the in-law problem solved!  lol

**There are some negative minded, miserable people on this earth, and their numbers in our own personal worlds vary, based on our own personal “GACQ”...give a crap quotient........If you don’t allow their poisonous attitudes to creep into your life, they will find elsewhere to share their twisted selves.  So the number of these people in our lives.......is our choice.  Feed their misery factor by buying into the crap.....and the crap will multiply. My theory on dealing with the Negatives (a noun), keep a very low “GACQ”.  You will be happier, and they will eventually go away....

Larry Shealy

“Believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear”

I’m not sure where I heard this line, but tend to agree with it in some parts of my life.

Bottom line is this:

If you keep company with “gossipers”........run! 

They are miserable people,
who deal in lies and bad information,
trying to make themselves feel better,
by trying to pull other people down.

RUN!!!

Larry Shealy

PS:  Again, in the words of my high school football coach:

“When you play with turds......you’re gonna smell like sh*t.”

Keep close watch on the company you keep.

It’s been a great year so far in 2010.  Here are a few of the highlights:

--The tournament we hosted at Fletcher was a great success.....with almost 150 competitors and 250 spectators
--JaxBJJ South Jax opened and is under the leadership of Prof. Roberto Cuartero.
--Prof. Kayron Gracie did a great seminar at JaxBJJ South and was well attended by both Gracie Barra schools
--Prof. Flavio Almeida will be at JaxBJJ on April 29
--JaxBJJ’s Muay Thai program is exploding with the Leadership of Brian Tyle.  Brian’s extensive teaching experience as well as his personal abilities have been a great addition to JaxBJJ"s Instructors Roster.
--I’ve been reunited with many of my old friends in BJJ....and some very good friends outside of BJJ: KB Pouermove, John L, and others
--JaxBJJ’s MMA program is also blowing up.  A large number of our experienced BJJ guys have made the MMA program and addition to their training.
--Testing in all of the programs has proved successful.
--Many new students has increased the student base substantially........who says there is a recession?
--We are having our in-house tournament in mid-May.....stay tuned for the date, times and brackets
--Kid-Jitsu continues to grow on a national level and will be highlighted at the NAPMA convention in May, in Orlando Florida.....
--LIfe is good, family is good, and the school is good........very blessed

Stay tuned....many BIG things in the works for Q2 and beyond in 2010........Larry Shealy- JaxBJJ

Great quote by Bill Cosby:

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody”

Truer words were never spoken!!!

Prof. Larry Shealy

Heading into the New Year, I’d like to do some various items heading into the New Year.

1.  The school has done extremely well.  We have over 170 students and, off and on, have to run a waiting list.  Good people!  The KId-Jitsu program is a homerun locally and across the country.
2.  Our schedule will be changing a little going into the new year.....adding 2 kids fundamentals classes, we are going to co-op the Haganah Program for some dual marketing purposes, blending MT into our MMA classes.....offereng a few additional classes as well.. 
3.  Full schedule offers 20+ classes per week, with semi-private and private lessons also available.
4.  GB is opening a Southside Location on Phillips HIghway....heading toward the Avenues Mall.  Professor Roberto Cuartero is the main instructor and is a friend of the family.  Wiith well over 1 million residents BJJ is growing by leaps and bounds and it is good for all......
5.  We will be having an open tournament on FEB 13.  It is charity event that will be held at Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach......We are working in conjunction with International Grappling Association, the same guys who put on the Disney event each year.
6.  We will also be assisting the USAJJ with a tournament late in Q1 or early Q2.....check for our website or theirs for specific dates.  USAJJ has Rigan Machado as their US Representative and Johnny Ramierez heading up Instruction.  Word also has it that Royce Gracie will be the International Spokesman.  Check their website for more details.  I am the State Rep for USAJJ and am on their Black Belt Council.
7. I went into an in-depth goal setting program for you all last year.......look back and check your progress, and build on it this year.

LIfe is good with Jiu-Jitsu!!

LS

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”

I wish I had followed the wisdom of this Bible verse my entire life.  I can’t even count the times I have put trust in others and have only been screwed, let down, fooled, lied to, or down right betrayed.  Why does this happen?  It’s human nature.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t trust people.  I’m saying that we shouldn’t be surprised when these types of things happen. In my ignorance I have let it happen time and time again.....and it still surprises me when it happens again. 

I like what Ronald Reagan said about trusting the Soviet Union: “Trust but verify.” Trust what they say, but research for certainty.  In business this is a necessity.  When using your own money, investments, etc. it can be financial suicide if you don’t.

I am blessed beyond belief with a great family, some very close friends.  I trust them.  I trust the Lord.  Who can you trust?

What is it that:
-- really motivates you?
--invigorates you?
--makes your life worth living?
--makes you strive for improvement?
--makes you wake up and get after it?
----------------day in and day out? 

In other words, WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

When you determine your WHY, it will allow you to put your life into perspective, with purpose and a roadmap.  When you start with the end in mind, and formulate a plan to get there......then it’s just a matter of waking up and getting busy.  Simple but not easy.

My Why has several dimensions.  God, Family, Health, Church, Friends, Business Interests, BJJ, KJ........

I have found that when I have my God and Family life in order, everything else tends to take care of itself......given that I work the plans I have set in place in each area of my life.  In my 52 years on this earth, I have made more mistakes in my life than I care to remember or even admit.  But I try to improve on something in my life everyday. Over time I have worked hard to find my WHY?  And once I found it, I have to work daily to work toward executing the best that I can be in each area of my Why. I cannot try to be “ somebody else”, I can only be me.  I can only use the God given talents that were given me, and try to do it in the best way I can.

Ask yourself: What is My Why?  Then:  Act on it!

Why not???

I love teaching BJJ, but more that that I love teaching the kids BJJ.  I enjoy it because they are sponges, they have very little ego to hold them back, they are pure in heart, and haven’t developed the insecurities that can untrack them in their Jiu-Jitsu or in their lives.

Think about it.  Next time you see a group of young kids playing, observe their actions.  They make fun out of having fun.  They are laughing, falling, giggling, crying, running, jumping and a million other things.  If they get hurt or get their feelings hurt or get frustrated, they may run to mom or dad for some support, and moments later they are back at it.  They don’t let the unsavory moment stay in their memory bank very long.  They deal with it, and they move on.  They don’t hold grudges, they don’t harp on it or complain for days, they don’t replay it in their minds over and over until they make themselves miserable. They don’t get depressed for days on end.

When it comes to their Jiu-Jitsu, they “play” Jiu-Jitsu because it’s fun to them.  Win or lose they are having fun.  Our emphasis is on good technique and over time, their wins outweigh their losses anyway.  The fact that they are training and staying with it makes them winners to begin with.

As adults we would be better suited to developing more of a “childlike” approach to our Jiu-Jitsu, and the rest of our lives.  Make our mistakes.....learn from them.....move on.  Get caught.....learn from it.......move on.  Don’t cry foul.  Don’t belittle someone else because you are falling short in your life.  Don’t shift the blame. Identify it......learn from it......move on.

I love teaching kids BJJ.

The Man In The Glass
Anonymous

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in you life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

My high school football coach had a way with people, a way with coaching the best out of people, and an incredible way with words.

In relaying to us the importance of having a good peer group he use to say something that is a bit rough, is quite thought provoking, and above all, it’s TRUE.

“When you play with turds.......you’re gonna smell like sh*t!!!

Be careful with who you surround yourself with......as you become part of what you are around.

Best,
LS

What we can or cannot do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capability.” Tony Robbins

We’ve all heard the phrase a million times growing up: “Keep your eye on the ball!” I can still hear my dad’s voice when he would lob baseballs my way as a child: “keep you eye on the ball.” What he was saying is: to hit the ball you’ve got to see it.

The same holds true in the business world.  To hit your goals, you must see them.....begin with the end result in mind.

My goal for several years has been to try to grow traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in North Florida.  With just under 180 students currently in our Main Academy....we have done a fairly good job, but we aren’t even near capacity.  We have kept our eye on the ball, by not listening to our critics.  We have added affiliates in Lake Butler, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, and we are going live at JaxBJJ-Mandarin next week. We are also finishing up the details on our Kingsland location. 

Back to keeping your eye on the ball.  If I had listened to the distractions, the detractors and the keyboard blackbelts......JaxBJJ would still be in a storage facility on Atlantic Blvd. 

If we had listened to the “you can’t do this” or “you can’t do that” people, Professor Charles dos Anjos and I would not have the 300+ Instructors and over 25,000 students (that is NOT a typo) in almost 150 schools who are training in our trademark registered Kid-Jitsu/Team Wolfpack BJJ program across the U.S. 

Hear your critics, Hear the distractions..............but don’t “listen” to them. Keep your eye on the ball, swing the bat....and knock the ball out of the park!

I heard a cool quote this week that I really like:  “For the conductor to direct the orchestra.....he must turn his back to the crowd”

Don’t run with the pack, don’t lose yourself in the masses of mediocrity.  Step out, do what others won’t do. Go against the flow.  Do things your way, whether your competition likes it or not. Turn your back to the crowd. Color outside of the lines.  Give them something to talk about!! 

If they are talking about you and worrying about what you are doing........., they are not keeping THEIR eye on the ball............and while you are “touching all the bases”, they are walking back to the dugout after yet another “K”.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL!

Train Hard, Train Smart!  LS

I typically like to look at issues in black and white.  I’m not a grey area type of guy.  Ask my wife, ask my friends.  I don’t play in the grey.

As this issue relates to people, and the fact that I do like to deal in “black and white”; I like to think that the world is made up of two kinds of people: victims and warriors.

How can you say that you ask?  There are hundreds, thousands, millions of different types of people.  Sure there are, but situationally I think you can narrow it down to two types: Victims and Warriors!

For example: 
In this economy, let’s say you happen to be laid off work. 
How would you respond to this unfortunate circumstance? 
Would you chalk it up to the bad economy? 
Would you have the attitude that “bad things always happen to me?
Would you fall into a deep funk and not do anything about finding a new job?
Would you blame it on your boss?
Would you just roll over and accept the worst?
........Essentially taking on the mindset of a victim!

Or

Would you tackle the circumstance with a warrior spirit? 
Would you begin networking with everybody you know to get your foot in the door somewhere?
Would you update your resume’ and hit the streets?
Would you take a part time job to bridge the gap until you can secure something better?
Would you look at this as an opportunity to improve above and beyond what you had before?
Essentially taking the mindset of a Warrior!

During my career in medical device sales, I was in management with a company who was bought out by a larger company, and I was displaced.  Displaced is a fancy corporate term which means, my job was eliminated.  I was no longer needed at this company.  They didn’t need me anymore, but I sure needed the money and security that their job provided.  This was not good news.....and to make it even worse, the very next job I secured, the exact same thing happened!  Two companies in a row........two times being displaced!  Fortune 500 did not play softball.......they are warriors, and to survive you’d better be a warrior!

I’ve got to admit, the victim mindset tried to creep into my psyche many times, and some days were better than others.  However, I had a family to feed, a mortgage to pay, and a career to tend to......so I had to take a warrior mindset whether I wanted to or not.  It was a choice....and in this particular situation I only had one choice and that was to fight for my family, my career, and my personal well being. 

Ironically enough, both times this happened, I was able to secure a more lucrative job, with more upward mobility.  However it came with alot of work, alot of interviews, alot of networking, and even alot of luck!  But I believe we can create our own luck by being ready for any opportunity that may cross our paths.

I have read that the symbol in Chinese is the same for these two words:  crisis and opportunity.  I have also heard it phrased that “crisis is opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” In my work situations this certainly rang true.  I was in a crisis.......and each time the crisis became a golden opportunity. 

As I’ve quoted Denis Waitley before: “It is not what is happening in your life, it is how you take it.” How you respond to it.  How you deal with it.  Do you roll over and give up?  Or do you come out swinging for the fences?

It’s our choice in every situation that we face, every day of our lives.  Are we going to be a victim in any given circumstance?  Or will be stand tall and be a Warrior? 

Think about it!

Remember:  “The lion doesn’t roar while he hunts.”

“When you make a mistake there are only 3 things you should ever do about it:
--Admit it
--Learn from it, and
--Don’t repeat it”

Paul “Bear” Bryant

Have you ever noticed how trusting we can be of a complete stranger, when we are asking for directions?  But, we will argue with a friend who might offer the same directions?  A complete stranger can tell us something, and we immediately believe it, but we won’t listen to a friend.  We ask a waitress, what is good on the menu?  But we wouldn’t trust our spouse to answer the same question!!  Wouldn’t it make sense to be just a little more ‘picky’ about who we take our counsel from?  Who we take our stock tips from?  Who we get our “lifes directions” from?

Who would you listen to relative to the following topics?

On marriage?  A couple who has been happily married 20 years; or someone who has been married and divorced multiple times, and is still looking for Mr.or Ms. Right?
On career?  A person who has proven themselves in many endeavors; or someone who has a poor track record in being able to hold a job?
On friends?  Someone who has proven trustworthy; or someone who is talking negative about something or somebody most of the time?
On working?  Someone who is gainfully employed or owns a thriving business; or someone who is broke?
On changing jobs?  Someone who loves their job, or someone who hates theirs?
On religion?  A trusted ordained minister; or someone who’s life is in shambles?
On finances?  A professional who has made the grade; or someone you barely know with a ‘hot stock tip’?
On character?  A productive member of our society; or a common criminal?
On BJJ?  a white belt who’s trained less than a year, or a purple belt who’s been training for 6-8 years?

Do you see what I’m talking about?  Sometimes our ambition tends to outrun our intuition.  We want answers...and we want them now!  We seek counsel....which is smart.  But we often times listen to the wrong person(s) who are offering the counsel.  We are in a hurry for answers....but often times do not receive the answers that would best suit us at that time in our lives.  Remember when we were kids, just learning to cross the street?  Stop, Look and Listen were the key words that we all remember.  These words still hold true in many areas of our lives to this day.

Stop: Get your bearings and listen to your ‘intuition’, listen to your gut.
Look:  Do your homework by studying a subject thoroughly, and not by listening to the office or classroom gossip or “know it all.”
Listen: Take counsel from people who’ve ‘been there and done that’.  Not from people who have sat on the sidelines their entire lives.  Take counsel from professionals, not from the “spectators” in the game of life. 

Stop, Look and Listen, and I firmly believe you can then allow your ‘ambition’ to stay on the course that you have thoughtfully mapped out in your life. 

Who do YOU listen to?

Have a fantastic weekend!

“The way you feel about yourself will be influenced by WHO you allow to define you.”

This quote is what, my spiritual mentor....Joby Martin, shared with us all today in our Eleven 22 service.  Joby is a Man’s Man.  He is a husband, a father, a powerful weight lifter, a body builder, a phenomenal speaker, and he is a pastor at our church.  He is also an absolute beast on the mat!  He is not what you would call your “normal” preacher.........by any stretch of the imagination.......but, he is wise beyond his years Though I am many years older than Joby.....I learn something from him EVERY time I am around him or anytime that I hear him speak.

The quote above certainly struck a chord in me:

As men, alot of times we define ourselves by our jobs, our successes, the money we make, the car we drive, the size of our house, the watch we wear, the ‘important’ people we know......and a zillion other things.  Alot of us hang our self-worth on some pretty silly things.........and I believe that our Ego can play a large role in defining us as the person we are, day in and day out.....if we let it.  I’ve said many times that the word EGO should be considered a 4 letter word....it can very damaging and destructive to our over all well being and the development of our own self-worth....if we let it. 

Who (or what) defines us?  That is a question we should all ask ourselves.  Is it the media, is it the ‘rules’ of our society, is it the group of friends that we hang out with?  Is it some of the other silly stuff I mentioned above?  Is it our circumstances in life, good and/or bad, that define us.  Is it our fans?  Is it our critics.? 

WHO or WHAT defines us?  We have choices in everything that we do in life, and WHO we are is a critical choice that we should consciously make, and should not be left to the whims and currents of our media and society.  Who we are is, in alot of ways, our choice.......

In closing:  Who do you allow to define you?

Have a great week you all.

LS

“Wise men speak because they have something to say....fools because they have to say something.” Plato

This blog is more on a personal note, and is a little more reflective than my typically looking forward approach. 

I had the opportunity, this weekend, to attend the son of my baby’s God Mother’s wedding in Orlando. (did you get that?) It was an incredible event held at the Grand Floridian and it was quite a large and extravagent event.  Having worn a suit and tie on a daily basis for over 20 years......I simply don’t like to attend these types of events anymore, and I made it clear to all that I wasn’t very happy about having to attend....but I bit the bullet and actually had a great time. 

With the families and friends in attendance there were several generations of people there.  It is so much fun to “people watch” at these events, and one thing struck me.....everybody appeared to be happy.  It was the first time in a long time that I have seen this; no worries or discussions of: the economy, family problems, aging parents, sick children, loss of a job, bills to pay, the new president, the old president.......none of that.  Just a bunch of people having a good time, celebrating the marriage of a young couple that we all care about.

Of course the couple was extremely happy, as were the parents, grandparents etc.., but the person who had the most fun of all seemed to be our 2 year old baby..Joshua.  In an environment where I had no responsibility, and plenty of time to enjoy it.....I was able to watch (and chase) my son for several hours.  He was totally in the moment.  Everything was new and fun for him, and he did not have a care in the world.  From chasing a bug, to running across the dance floor at the reception, to squeezing the toothpase out of the tube back in the hotel.....he had a blast!!!  I learned alot from just watching him, I really did.

What did I learn?

Well, this year has been a tough year so far.  The loss of my brother-in-law, a very sick son, disabled, aging parents who are in poor health, among other things.......it has been a rough few months.  And watching Joshua yesterday, put it all in perspective for me.  As I said before, he was totally in the moment.  He was in awe of everything he saw, every second of the day......and enjoying it all at full speed!  And a 2 year old at full speed.......tends to stumble with great frequency!  But, all he did was get up, do a quick inventory of any pain he may feel, and he’d take off running..... again, and again, and again.  He never let the “fall”, distract the fun he was having or the next “new thing” he was about to discover.

You see, he had no worries and no ego to deal with; where as adults we all have issues to deal with and concerns on how we are perceived.  However, it’s not really the problems that we deal with that causes the pain....it is HOW WE DEAL WITH THEM!  Do we let the problems “get us down?” or do we “get up” and move on?

I have been guilty this year, more than anytime I can remember, of concentrating more on the problems that I am experiencing, than the solutions in dealing with the problems themselves.  Worrying about anything will not make it better, and it will not make it go away.......it actually robs us of energy that we need to deal with the actual problem. Period.  It is wasted energy.

Denis Waitley once said: “Its not the problem that is the problem......it’s how we take it”

How, you may ask, does this apply to Jiu-Jitsu?  I believe alot of us “beat ourselves up” if we have a bad day on the mat, if we ‘get caught’ by someone we have more experience than, or we ‘just don’t have it’ on that particular day. We tend to dwell on it, and it can make us miserable.  Why?  Because we are looking back at something we have no control over and we just cannot change it.  It’s history.....why do we dwell on it? 

Wouldn’t it make more sense to learn from the bad experience; access the situation and work toward improving, instead of looking back at what we did wrong?  I’m not saying to ignore it.  I’m saying to look at it, evaluate it, work to improve it and MOVE ON!  Like the Chinese Proverb says: “Knocked down eight times.....get up nine!” By over-analyzing it, we are knocked down, and we are choosing to stay down.  We need to get up......and get over it!!

As this applies to me, my brother-in-law is gone forever, my son is still sick, my parents are still disabled and in bad health, and they are another day older....but it’s time for me to “get up” and get busy at the things that I can change.  I’ve wasted alot of needless energy this year thus far, worrying about crap, (and I mean ALOT if it has been just that: crap!) that I can’t change.  No more.......I’m going to try to be just a little more like little Joshie!  He certainly has used his time alot more wisely than his dad has this year!

Have a great week......we all have alot to be thankful for!

Good Training!

LS

Nothing is impossible...........the impossible just takes a little longer!

Okay guys, we are two months into the year.  For those of you who set “resolutions”, I would bet that the “resolve” has slowly drifted away! 

Why?  Because resolutions don’t work.  Your mind just doesn’t understand the reverse of an idea.  It understands “do this” or “do that”..........but not “don’t do this”, etc..  Think about it:
Do you think that a MLB pitcher says to himself: “don’t throw a ball”......I would think he is more concerned with throwing strikes...than not throwing balls.  How about a PGA golfer?  Do you think he is saying to himself: “don’t miss this putt?” Or “I’m going to drain this one?”

The same holds true to us mere mortals.  We must concentrate on what is going right in our world, not what is not going so well.  We must look at the opportunities in front of us, and not the failures of the past.

In your resolution.........had you set it as a goal (specific, measurable, attainable, relevent and trackable), in the first person, and form a postitive point of view....I truly believe thatyou would have had better success in whatever your resolution might be. (If you have done well with your resolutions, very good for you!  This isn’t for you!)

We still have ten months left in the year.  Take time to set or re-set your goals for the remainder of 2009.  Make them relative to:  your career, your family, your physical fitness......all areas of your life.  You’ll be glad you did.

If you want more information on this, please contact me or check at the blogs that I had earlier in the year.

Good Luck!,

Larry Shealy

It amazes me how I hear people talking about things that don’t really pertain to their life.  “So and so said........about you.”, “So and so thinks.......” They get all twisted up thinking and concerning themselves about what other people are saying or doing.  They let it affect their lives.....and it really bothers them.  I believe this is a complete waste of time and energy.

I personally don’t care what people, who don’t even know me, have to say about me or anything else.  My goal is to keep my “eye on the ball” in order to accomplish the goals I have set for myself in all areas of my life.  People who don’t have anything better to talk about than me and my life (or you and your life), are misdirected to begin with.  Shouldn’t they be focusing on themselves??  They should be but they aren’t.....they are so busy trying to drag someone else down, they don’t put time into lifting themselves up. 

Don’t get sucked into the “he said, she said” mentality.  Ignore it, rise above it and...........KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL!

We often talk about Tournament Jiu-Jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu with no time limits and the current MMA rules.  Grandmaster Helio Gracie was a big proponent of no time limits in Vale Tudo, Master Rorion Gracie left the UFC because of the rules and time limits.  Is there a place for tournament Jiu-Jitsu, and the ‘old school’ fight until somebody wins philosophy?  I think yes, of course.

I believe that the contrasts within one Martial Art/Sport can only be good for the sport itself.

The way we have trained at JaxBJJ, and always will train, is to train and fight as if there are no time limits.  If something happens to us on the streets, an attack, a fight......there will be no rules, and there will be no time limits.  You won’t be able to tap........as it can be do or die.  You fight to win, no matter how long it takes.

I like training this way. I like to train in preparation for the worst case scenario that we could possibly face outside of the Academy..... Take the tops off, put the gloves on, and ‘test your jiu-jitsu’.  Mike Tyson said that “everybody has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” There can be a false sense of security if you train only BJJ without the gloves on.  Alot of tournament techniques can get your head ripped off if you applied them in an MMA fight or a fight in the streets.  If you depend solely on tournament Jiu-Jitsu in a street fight......your gameplan will fly out the window upon the first punch to the face.

The contrasting ‘styles’ of training with gi, without gi, and then with gloves on, are also very complementary to each other.  Train with the Gi to learn the many dynamics and technical aspects of having the Gi.  Get your Jiu-Jitsu to a high level, and take the Kimono tops off, and you feel like superman. After you have a better feel for training with the gi, then without the gi..............then add the gloves to the mix.  This will keep you ‘honest’ with your jiu-jitsu and your abilities to perform under the stress of getting hit. 

In our March 7 tournament, the adult divisions will be no time limits.  This will be “as real as it gets”, without use of the gloves. Get registered now to test your limits with your sport Jiu-Jitsu.

Our new No-Gi/MMA classes allow you to train long, without time limits and the option of fighting with the gloves on.  I am looking at expanding the No-Gi/MMA program with additonal hours during the week.  I am also looking at having some “In House” MMA fights sometime in May/June time frame.  Stay tuned and talk to me for details.

In the meantime, work on all aspects of your training.  Get proficient with the gi, without the gi, and in fighting situations.  It just makes good sense to do so!

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Rigan Machado.  He was giving a seminar in Washington, DC and was talking about his childhood, his growth in BJJ, his family, and many of the greats in the Gracie Family.  One person that he spent alot of time on is Rolls Gracie.  As we have all read Rolls, was very innovative, practiced in other disciplines like wrestling, judo, etc.., and was “the man”.  Rigan only re-emphasised this as he spoke.  He mentioned how Rolls was a great person, great leader and motivator as well. 

He had a saying in training:  “To become the hammer, you must first be the nail”

We’ve all been the nail, and it is up to each of us to improve, keep the ego in check, tap fast and often to the hammer, and eventually over a long period of time, become the hammer.  The funny thing is that by the time you become the hammer......the ego is gone.  Pretty cool how that works.

Train hard, train smart......and be the nail who has no ego, and be the hammer that mentors the nails.

Good training,
LS

“The Jiu-Jitsu that I created was designed to give the weak ones a chance to face the heavy and strong. It was so successful that they decided to create a sportive version of it. I would like to make it clear that of course I am in favor of the sportive practice and technical refinement of all athletes, whatever their specialty may be, as well as good nutrition, sexual control, avoidance of addictions and unhealthy habits. The problem lies in the creation of a sport-oriented Jiu-Jitsu, based on rules and time limits, which benefits the heavier, stronger, and more athletic individuals. The primary objective of Jiu-Jitsu is to empower the weak who, for not having the physical attributes, are often intimidated. My Jiu-Jitsu is an art of self-defense in which rules and time limits are unacceptable. These are the reasons for which I can’t support events that reflect an anti Jiu-Jitsu.”

-Grand Master Helio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009)

Those of you who have trained with me know.............I agree 1000% with Grandmaster Helio on the tournament issue.  Gracie JIu-Jitsu, the way we train at JaxBJJ, is for all people, and it is a complete self-defense system.  That is the system that I trained in under Master Royce and it is the system I train in today under Master Carlos.  It is also the reason that when we do have tournaments at my school...........there are ‘no time limits’ for the adults. 

Train Hard, Train Smart...........Train for Life!

Professor Larry Shealy

P.S.: I just wonder what Grandmaster Helio had to say about the incredibly rapid pace of belts being given out these days by some Instructors.  Purple Belts in 2 years, Brown in 3-4 years...........I may be wrong, but I don’t believe that is how he and Grandmaster Carlos had envisioned Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. 

I was very fortunate to meet Grandmaster Helio while visiting California for the Gracie Open Tournament several years ago.  Master Royce introduced me and I was able to spend a few minutes with the living Legend. (with Master Royce interpreting).  Grandmaster Helio was very gracious in allowing me to have pictures made with him and Royce.  Looking back, that was a very special day in my life.  Rest in Peace Grandmaster Helio.  You have helped many people simply by living the life you have lived.  Professor Larry Shealy

Attached is an article written by a friend of mine, Carlos Machado, about his uncle Grandmaster Helio Gracie. 

Martial Arts is an activity that often reflects the real challenges individuals face in real life, and allows them to forge traits of character awfully needed to succeed in any area. The self-discipline, the commitment to grow despite setbacks, the overcoming of challenges on the physical and mental arena, the lessons learned on a daily basis, that always tell us we still have room for growth, more space to improve the warrior and the man.

Uncle Helio Gracie was definitely someone who challenged himself at every aspect, despite many obstacles which would severely limit any other human being, like his fragile body and precarious health at the time he was a teen, just starting to get into the art of Jiu-Jitsu, more as a way to grow healthier than anything else.

As it often happens, the ones people expect the least end up surpassing everyone’s wildest expectations. Nobody could foresee that that young and fragile teenager would become the legendary Master who adjusted a martial art to his needs, and in doing so created a whole new system of fighting and self defense that swept the world of martial arts like a hurricane. By building the foundation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a dynasty on his own right, with a prolific family, Uncle Helio went further into the pages of history than many would ever dream of.

It is common place to read about Eastern tales of Masters and Gurus, who instill knowledge and almost magical powers into their disciples. Uncle Helio was not a work of fiction, but a real life Legend. For the ones fortunate enough to get to know and share some time with him, consider that a blessing, for the ones who could only learn from him through his family and successive generations, consider that a blessing as well. Jiu-Jitsu has changed the lives of myself and everyone in my family, and also of all the students we were able to reach. Each of us is indebted to the knowledge and example learned from this Great Master. To that extent we are also thankful to all the generations of the Gracie Family who followed Uncle Helio. They took the torch and carried it on from the beaches of Rio to everywhere in the World. What a revolution!

I mourn the loss of such a human being. I send my deepest condolences to all his children, and to the entire Gracie Family.

The comfort I have is to know that among many things in his life, Uncle Helio was able to fulfill his mission to the last breath. The legacy is now spread among his many children and relatives, who in their own way will honor the memory of a Master who made history in his 95 years of existence.

THANK YOU, UNCLE HELIO, FOR YOUR SELFLESS GIVING AND COMMITMENT TO MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE. YOUR INDOMITABLE SPIRIT WILL LIVE IN OUR MEMORIES AND HEARTS!

REST IN PEACE!

CARLOS MACHADO

“What you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying.” Emerson

How does this apply to our lives?  Our families?  Our careers? Our Jiu-Jitsu?

Do we Talk the Talk, with little or no follow thru?  It’s easy to do, but speaks volumes of who we are.  I have a friend who lives in Texas who has a saying: “All hat, no cattle!” You’ve seen these types: they are the people who ‘start’ a running program: they have the shoes, the warmups, the magazines, but they don’t run. They have the ‘stuff’ but not the follow-thru.  Like the Cowboy in Texas......all dressed up with the jeans and the boots and the big hat......but no cattle.  It’s all a facade.

We see it just after the New Year, every year, in a variety of new ‘resolutions”..........people have got the ‘stuff’, but soon thereafter the excitement fades and the resolution is broken.  Why?  No follow-thru, no discipline, no burning desire..

We see it now with the MMA craze. People everywhere are wearing the Tap-Out gear, “talking the talk” but alot of them are not “walking the walk”.  They have the interest, and the ‘stuff’, but not the work ethic.  These dudes who actually fight MMA, locally and on a national level, are incredibly dedicated, and work on every aspect of their fighting game.  They understand that to “gloss over” any area of their fight game will be exposed in the ring.  The good ones are about being the best they can be and are totally dedicated to getting there. They dedicate their lives to being the best THEY CAN BE.  I really admire these guys.  They are dedicated.......and they Walk the Talk!

Let’s not Talk the Talk, lets decide to Walk the Talk, letting our actions speak for themselves, in all areas of our lives.  Let the others do the talking, and the bragging and the posturing, and the criticising and the B.S.-ing.  Let’s stay focused on who we are and continue working hard on the person that we want to be.  Let’s discipline ourselves and stick to it and do something every day to take us toward our various goals, as there just are no short cuts to our being a success in anything they we wish to accomplish..

Train Hard, Train Smart,

LS

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” Vince Lombardi

Train Hard!  LS

I had the opportunity to teach a private lesson today.  It is always fun for me to work with students on their “specific” questions and to troubleshoot any problems that they may be having.

Everybody knows that I am a huge proponent of keeping a ‘notebook’ of techniques learned in class, seminars and in private lessons.  Each format gives you good information that you can immediately take and implement into your game.  However they are ‘different’ in what is presented to you.

1.  Class:  a typical class is structured for one hour to include, warm-up, cardio, drills, a few techniques and some sparring.  It is timed and kind of fast paced.  The technques are taught so that everyone will understand the technique so they can begin to implement them into their game.  Another benefit of classes is that you train with a variety of people in different shapes and sizes.  Due to lack of time, we do not get into the intricate details of the techniques, but they will be covered eventually over time.  In Class, time is of the essence.

2.  Seminar:  a typical seminar is about 2-3 hours.  The techniques are the “go to” moves of the Professor who is giving the seminar.  Some techniques may work for you, some may not.  But we all take what is good for us and we try to implement the techniques immediately.  The seminar format is another good way to learn, but again time is of the essence.  The techniques are rolled out, but then it’s up to us to practice them and master them during open mat time or as they are reintroduced in our classes.

3..Private Lessons:  a private lesson lasts between an hour and an hour and 15 minutes.  It is time devoted to developing your own specific game.  We troubleshoot things that are specific for YOU and the development of your Jiu-Jitsu.  It was fun for me today to share the little intricacies with my student, who truly seemed like a “kid in a candy store”, as he took notes and discussed how he plans to begin using the new techniques (or variations of known technques) in his game.  Private lessons are good to “tighten up” your individual Jiu-Jitsu.

I believe a combination of consistently coming to classes, attending an occasional seminar and taking an occasional private lesson is a good recipe for developing your Jiu-Jitsu game.  This way you get the Macro approach with the classes and seminars...........and the Micro approach with the Private Lessons.

If you would like to “tighten up” your game, please let me know, and we will schdeule a private lesson.

Good Training!

LS

I did something today that I haven’t done in a long time, and that was to get in the Academy with one of my trusted students, and work on my own techniques.  And I’ve got to admit it was quite a refreshing experience for me.  It was good to take some time to be more the student, than to be the Instructor, and to be able ask for and receive feedback on the techniques that I was specifically working on.  I plan on doing this much more in 2009.

I also had a fun time this past year in how I worked on my own BJJ game.  I enjoyed picking a particular position, or set of submissions and worked on them for a month or two at a time.
For example:

--After tweaking my back a while ago, I began working the half-guard, I worked on it for months and it became almost second nature to give up the full guard and work to half guard.  I’m not saying that is the thing to do, but with the fear of additonally straining my back, I worked on an alternative and it essentially improved the scope of my jiu-jitsu.  Working sweeps and taking the back from half guard became a very comfortable position for me to be in and to work from. 

--Later in the year I really started working on various chokes.  For a few months, all I worked on was varios chokes.  From guard, from side control, in transitions........and a variety of lapel chokes that I like to play with. 

--Then it was near and far side arm bars and shoulder locks from side control/knee belly. 

The point I am making is that none of these positions or submissions were ‘new’ to me..........however, the blade had become dull for various reasons, so I decided to change things up a little bit in my own training, to try to sharpen it up. 

I begain to come into class, with a goal in mind of specifically working on a particular position or string of submissions, over time, to where it forced me to ‘set up’ what I wanted to accomplish, and it also forced me to complete repetition upon repetition, to a point where what I was working on began to feel better and better.  In practically every class, somewhere along the line, we discuss the importance of repetition of the techniques.  We work on it in class on specific techniques, but it is also good to challange yourself to do the reps on your own.  It also forces you to plan in your sparring to set up and advancing yourself to the position that you wish to work on.  Talk about a game plan!  This is basically what I was doing with the examples above.

I worked on some various postions, transitions and set-ups today. During training next week, try to see if you can figure out what I am personally working on this month.  It won’t be hidden very well!! 

What do YOU plan to improve in your jiu-jitsu game this week, this month, this year?  Select something and work on it for weeks or even months at a time.  It’s well worth the effort, and it will indeed keep the knife sharp.

Good Training,
Prof. Larry Shealy

Happy New Year to all the friends of JaxBJJ.  I have had a fantastic time away from the Academy...........alot of rest, relaxation, time with family, and many, many hours chasing the Little Man.  I’ve caught up on some reading, sleeping and planning for the New Year.  I’ve actually stayed off the Christmas cookies...........so we won’t kill the cardio when we get back, quite as bad as in previous years!!  Thats not to say we won’t work hard though.  I did receive a few new decks of cards for Christimas. (some of you just love the pain! lol)

Shegog, Koojitsu and I spent this morning on the beach, just down from the JaxBeach Lifeguard Station.......We were there for the WaveMasters Society annual Polar Plunge.  Rules are simple:  wear a bathing suit, run into the water, go under, get out, and go home.  Well it’s not that easy, as it was rather cold and windy to begin with, and add a brief dip into the Atlantic Ocean and you’ve got a recipe for a ‘big chill’.  There were a few hundred folks, some clowns (real clowns, not just the clowns like us who were there for the event), and a cast of characters who apparently just finished their New Years Party in time to refresh themselves with a cool dip in the Atlantic.  Anyway, the Wave Masters Society did a good job, and the “Three Amigos” had a good time together.  See you there next year!

Now on to all you Jiu-Jitsu junkies who have contacted me over the holidays, and also those who have not......  It seems like absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder!  It appears that you guys are missing some time on the mats.  However, I hope that this time away has given everybody time to relax and heal up some of the nicks that we carried into the last part of the year.  I’ve also heard from a few guys who haven’t trained in a while and who will be back training with us in the New Year......it will be fun to see you guys again. 

And then there are those who are thinking about possibly trying out Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai or Haganah FIGHT, or even Kid-Jitsu for the kids............all I can say is:  come check us out and see for yourself.  Take a few free classes and you will get a feel for who we are and what we do.  Dress like you are going to workout at the gym or play basketball.  I will assign an assistant instructor to you who will assist you during the entire class.

For all of you who are contemplating taking a martial art...........remember the old Chinese axiom: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago...........the next best time is NOW.”

Is now the time for you?  Think of any excuse you may have and run it thru the questions below:

--I can’t train because I am too old!............I was 37 when I began BJJ.  That was 14 years ago.........you do the math. 
--But I’m “out of shape” or “overweight”.........our Assistant Head Instructor came to us 3.5 years ago, weighed 230 lbs and didn’t even know how to spell Jiu-Jitsu.......he is now 170 lbs and is a very good and technical player and has developed into a very good teacher as well.
--I just don’t have the time..........  We have doctors, lawyers, small business owners, military, police, teachers, computer dudes, etc.. who work all kinds of wierd hours..........who train.  Check our schedule, there is a time in there for you, I promise! 
--I have family...........  So do a large percentage of our student base.  We have programs for men, women and children.  Give your family the gift of a sport that you can all be involved in.
--I don’t have a family:  What kind of excuse is that?  Get busy and start training.............you’ll have enough time for BJJ, Muay Thai and MMA!
--I don’t have the money...............  How much is your health and well being worth to you and your family?  Quit the Starbucks everyday, and you can afford this.  Skip a fast food lunch per day, and you and your spouse can train.
--I’m not athletic, or strong, or whatever..............good, you don’t need to be.  BJJ was developed by Carlos and Helio Gracie and their brothers, who were about 140 lbs, as a complete self defense system for the average person to defend themselves in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  It is about leverage, timing and technique.
--The sun got in my eyes (one of my all time best excuses in baseball, when I’d misjudge a pop fly)......................come inside and train jiu-jitsu!!

For those JaxBJJ students who have completed your Goal Setting and Action plans, and wish to discuss them with me.............please email me and we will set some time aside over the next few weeks to discuss your plans. 

Just a few more days left until we get back after it.  Enjoy your weekend.

Boomer Sooner!

LS

The article below is written by John Will.  He is well known in BJJ circles as a good practioner and teacher.  The curriculums he has published are very good.  I’ve met him at many Trade Shows and he’s a great guy.  Good guy, good reading, good advice.  Enjoy. LS

John Will’s personal log ...

Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Super Squirrel

For myself, life has always been about LIVING. I have never been one to put too much thought, focus or effort into financial security and such. That being said though, it is important that even though we should live fully for TODAY - there is no doubt that we should plan for TOMORROW. Now, there’s no need to be obsessive about it, but by turning say 10% of our thoughts and focus onto putting away for tomorrow, we greatly increase the scope of our options for the future.
Recently, I have caught up with some old martial arts friends from the past, and have been saddened to see them struggling financially. A big part of the martial arts is about the understanding of leverage - and so not to apply those self-same principles to our lives off the mat or outside of the ring, seems a great pity. it takes work, that’s true - but to fully live our lives in the ways that we want to live them, usually requires money. Even squirrels store nuts for the winter - and they have brains the size of .... well, squirrels!
So when making those new years resolutions next week - or when buying yourself or someone close to you a gift - perhaps include a book or two on ‘planning for tomorrow. ‘The Richest man in Babylon’ for example, is great small book on the power and leverage of savings - an easy read - and it can make a huge and positive difference in your or someone else’s financial health.
Don’t become fanatical about it - but don’t bury your head in the sand either. Gather a few nuts BEFORE the winter hits. Be the Super Squirrel ...
Happy Christmas to everyone,
JBW

The Richest Man in Babylon (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Richest-Man-Babylon-George-Clason/dp/1438243561/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229914881&sr=8-2

In yesterday’s blog, I failed to mention perhaps the single most important benefit of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  And that is that it was developed by people of small stature and average athletic abilities, to be used by the average person.  Their premise was that your opponent would always be bigger, faster and stronger than you.  Carlos and Helio Gracie are well known for tweaking Japanese Jiu-Jitsu to work best for them, and their slight builds, in protecting themselves in the mean streets of Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  Leverage, good conditioning and flawless technique was paramount.  To even hint that strength was an absolute necessity, I believe, would make these great Grand Masters.........uh........., at the very least, not very happy! 

Train Hard, Train Smart!

LS

In the past few months I have had 2 of my students at Jacksonville Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu come to me with the exact same story.  If I had only heard this once, I would have let it go.........but I heard it twice. in a short period of time, so I want to address it.  They had spoken to another Martial Arts Instructor, who does not specifically specialize in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and he had, what I thought was an interesting, but misguided theory. This Instructor said that in Jiu-Jitsu “strength always wins.” I could not disagree more.  If there was a way to disagree more than I do...........then I would!  lol

Jiu-Jitsu is known as “the gentle art” and for someone to say strength is the only key to winning in a jiu-jitsu match, I believe, is one or more of the following: naive, not very smart or they must flat out suck at Jiu-Jitsu.  Does leverage, knowledge, cardio, technique not come into play at all?  What about athleticism, heart, desire, competitiveness, will, quickness, etc…

I am going to make my point, using examples of guys who no longer train at my school.  With this said, I believe this will be a totally unbiased viewpoint, other that a bias for good Jiu-Jitsu.  I may be wrong, but it is my viewpoint.

I know some very good BJJ players who are incredibly technical and not very strong, and they fare very, very well against the stronger guys.  I also know some extremely strong guys who do very well in BJJ, but they ALSO have good technique in BJJ.  We have had some talented guys train in our Academy.  One who comes to mind is a guy who was an Instructor at JaxBJJ, who moved to Georgia.  He was known for his strength.  Pound for pound he is the strongest person I have ever met.  He competes in tournaments and wins quite frequently, but he has never been given credit where credit is due.  People acknowledge him as being very strong..........however, what they invariably fail to mention is that he also has incredibly good jiu-jitsu technique, heart, dedication, cardio and athleticism, and many other intangibles to go along with it.  When he starts his MMA career, I have no doubts that he will do very well.

I had a wrestler who was big, strong, fast and athletic, but when he came to us, he was kind of raw.  He benched about 500 lbs at the time.  But he humbled himself and learned the techniques the “Gracie Way”, and quickly became a force to recon with, and I mean a REAL force.  He came in with the athleticism, quickness, strength and wrestling, and, in the beginning, was getting caught, by some training partners who were not as big or strong as he was. He soon thereafter used his size, strength, quickness, wrestling and athletic abilities to fight guys his size and win in the tournament circuit........and oh yeah, he used his BJJ technique too!

The last examples I will use, are two brothers.  Great guys.  The older was perhaps 185, came in the Academy tough, but with limited BJJ, and from what I recall good standup.  He busted his butt, and over the years has continued to work the cardio, the technique, the stand-up, etc..and has gone on to successfully compete in the MMA and Tournament Circles.  I’ve heard that his technical abilities have won many matches and fights for him....not to mention his competive nature and his heart.  His brother, was about the same height, but didn’t weigh as much.....I’m guessing 165 or so.  He is alot like his brother, but not as big and strong as his brother. However he became very technical in BJJ.  I have heard that he has fought guys who are much stronger than him, but the technical abilities that he has developed has helped him become a good fighter.

These few examples, I believe, are great examples that the extremely strong guy does not always win in Jiu-Jitsu. I’ve given examples of guys of varying sizes, and strengths.  They all have developed into good fighters, and they all have a few things in common, and it’s not strength.  How about:  Desire, Dedication, Determination, Cardio, a strong work ethic, heart,...............and very good Jiu-Jitsu.  They have varying degrees of strength.........but they ALL have good Jiu-Jitsu.

If strength is what it’s all about, then why do these guys and other guys who fight even bother to train in Jiu-Jitsu?  If strength is the main ingredient, then they should just pump the weights and start the steroids and go fight!  I truly believe that Jiu-Jitsu is an integral piece of the fighting and self-defense equation.  It’s not the only thing, but is a big piece of the puzzle.  MMA fighters understand that they have to be multi-faceted in their game: punching, kicking, wrestling, knees, elbows, cardio, a good ground game.  They also need the intangibles: heart, dedication, determination, a will to win, etc.. And yes, they also better be strong.

Unless someone has lived in a hole for the last 15 years or more, they would understand that “strength alone does NOT always win” in Jiu-Jitsu,........and they certainly know the difference between BJJ and MMA.  I would bet a drink that the guys I referenced above would probably agree with me on this. 

Good training guys!

Professor Larry Shealy
Jacksonville Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Inc.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but sail we must”. - Oliver Wendell Holmes

What do you believe?  I have some beliefs that are not necessarily politically correct........but I’m not “politically correct” anyway.  Here are some of my beliefs:

--Christmas is not about the toys, gadgets, and a fat dude in a red suit
--Christmas is about Jesus Christ
--Political correctness has spawned a generation of some overly sensitive people
--It’s also clouded our vision between true and false, right and wrong
--I believe in Merry Christmas...........not Happy Holidays. 
--Your beliefs are yours, mine are mine.  If we differ, thats okay.
--Spinning is a politically correct way of saying “Lying”
--Second hand information is generally incorrect, Third hand information is a lie.
--Our parents did their best, get over it
--Old people should be honored, not ignored
--If you want to be miserable you should:
--Complain alot
--Complain about things you cannot change
--Complain to everyone you come in contact with
--And if you insist on being miserable, please stay away from me
--Whiners are annoying
--Winners are never whiners
--There is a difference between welfare and charity
--The one where the government is involved.....doesn’t work!
--Qutting is easier than following thru on anything
--I love people who follow thru on their dreams
--Losers let it happen.....Winners make it happen! (Denis Waitley)
--Negative people can suck the life out of you......avoid them at all cost.
--Loyalty, Honesty and Integrity have lost their traction in our “what about me” society
--Our troops are heroes and should be treated as such
--Military, Law Enforcement and Teachers should be paid more
--Kids are gifts from God
--There is nothing sweeter than the innocence and laughter of a child....my Little Man is a reminder of that!
--I am third.
--God is First, My family and friends are second, I am third. (Gayle Sayers quote)
--We are the sum total of the choices we have made
--It’s never too late to make better choices in our lives (it ain’t over till it’s over!)
--We should forgive more and judge less
--True friends, who are with you through good and bad, right or wrong, are blessings.  I am very blessed!
--The United States is still the best country in the world.
--People from other countries who don’t like the U.S. should go home
--Success means bearing the criticisms of envy.  I’d rather be criticised than be a failure.
--If you don’t want to be criticised......do nothing.
--We should believe in ourselves
--Different is not bad, or wrong............just different.
--God is Good!

Merry Christmas!

How many times have you heard the term: “practice makes perfect?” Do you agree with this statement.  I certainly don’t.

You see if “practice makes perfect”, then what happens if you are practicing something completely wrong?  In this case your practice would be making whatever it is you are practicing “perfectly wrong!” I see this alot in guys who just want to “roll”.  Guys who don’t take the necessary time to fine tune their game and the technques that make up their individual Jiu-Jitsu game.  They just want to spar, doing the same things today that they did yesterday.  This habit is not good, because doing it this way is trying to take a short cut to success.  Short cuts tend to take more time than the ‘long road’.  There are no short cuts to success in any endeavor worth achieveing.

It’s easy to want to take shortcuts in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  But when we do this, we are developing and practicing bad habits, that when practiced incorrectly will become our way of doing the technique..... and this technique will be wrong!  Please remember that Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is grappling efficiently, it is an art that uses leverage, timing and technique.  Constantly depending on your strength and athleticism to dominate an opponent is not Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  It is grappling inefficiently.  The problem here is if you find someone who is bigger or stronger than you, or is quite good in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.......you could be in for a world of hurt.

Question:  How do you practice to make your techniques perfect, over time?  Answer:  You practice the techniques correctly, with hundreds of repetitions, slowly implementing them into your Jiu-Jitsu game.  Period.

Practice doe not make perfect.............................."Perfect practice makes Perfect!”

“Train Hard, Train Smart!”

Professor Shealy

“The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention.”
----Duguet

Q: Is there a difference between Gracie Jiu-Jitsu sport competition and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense?

A: Yes! When training to enter sport competitions, you prepare differently then you would if you were training to defend yourself on the street. In sport competitions there are rules, time limits, judges, points, weight classes and fan/team support. Because of this, students must train to learn how to play according to those rules and how to use those rules to their advantage. None of that exists on the street so you had better be prepared for no rules, no time, no weight class, no judges, no fans and no teammates cheering you on.

This is an awsome question/answer that I ran across the other day and thought it to be very timely for our school.  The roots of our school is Gracie Jiu-Jitsu for Self Defense.  As many of our students love to compete, we conduct our competitions for the adults with no time limits, with wins coming by submission only.  We will take this a step further in the new year in some of our training classes.  What we will be doing in the new year (in addition to the MMA classes), will be to train more often without the kimono top, with mma gloves, and train as we typically do, with more emphasis on “keeping each other honest” with the need to defend punches, in a controlled environment.  I believe there is a tendancy to get a “false sense of security” with our BJJ, and the need to defend punches will keep us all honest.

Please understand that we are a Traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu School and, though we use the Kimono and the timer in class............the Kimono forces us to be more technical in our execution of GJJ technique, while the purpose of the timer is just to keep the class moving.  Emphasis should, and will always be on “being prepared” in a street fight scenario....no clock, no rules, no weight classes..................NO PROBLEM! 

Mike Tyson use to say “everybody has a plan, until they get hit in the mouth.” Let’s have our plan in place.......that will work in the streets, even if the punches are flowing! 

Good Training Guys.
L

Whether you think you can .......or that you can’t.......you are right!

Can you believe that it’s already December?  The year 2008 is almost “in the books”, but we still have a great month ahead of us.  It’s a great time to reflect on the previous year, and to begin getting prepared for the upcoming year..... 2009!  It’s a time to share with others, and to give thanks for our many blessings.  It’s a time to connect with our family and friends, and meet new ones at Christmas festivities and at Church events.  It’s a time to refresh ourselves thru the holidays and re-charge the batteries for the upcoming year.  December is a great time of the year. 

We’ve discussed the goals vs. resolutions thing, and I highly recommend running with the goal setting and goal achieveing mentality.  The beginning of the new year is a great time to re-tool our whole attitude and success structure, moving forward.  Take the time over these holidays to set your game plan for 2009.

“Losers Let it Happen, Winners Make it Happen” Denis Waitley-Psychology of Winning

Let’s make it happen in 2009.

LS

I have approached this subject in a very ‘simplistic’ form, but hopefully it will give you a format from which you can work from.  Once you set you goals in all areas of your life, and put together action plans to reach each of these goals, then it is time to put your plans in place.  Some important things to do at this time:

--DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE.  There is a big difference between activity and accomplishment.  Your activities should revolve around your goals, which should always be “fresh” in your mind, and your currently dominant thoughts, day in and day out.

--Believe in yourself and believe in your goals.

--Picture yourself as already accomplishing your goals.

--Surround yourself with positive, like minded people.  Many people, who may have good intentions, will tend to “pull you down” versus lift you up.

--Think BIG and go out and do it.

--Share your goals only with someone you totally trust.

The Psychology of Winning, (Waitley) discusses these thoughts in great detail.  In closing, define what success is to you in your life.  Not comparing ourselves to someone else, but in becoming the best we can be in our lives. 
In Jiu-Jitsu, there can only be a certain number of “World Champions”, “MMA Champions”, etc..  These are the elite.  Most are professionals.........do this for a living.  That doesn’t mean that we can’t reach our highest potential given our various stations in life.  In our school we have some folks who compete and do very well, we have those who train for self defense, those who train to stay in shape, and some who are simply “addicted” to Jiu-Jitsu!!!

We have doctors, lawyers, policemen, military, businessmen, painters, pastors, etc..  All walking a different path in their respective lives.  All can reach as high as they want in life.  The key is knowing what we want, defining it, writing it down, set a plan, believe it, make it our dominant thought, and then, as the Nike commercials say: “Just Do It”

If you have any questions on this material, or would like assistance in working up your Goal Setting and Action Plans, please either call me, or talk to me at the Academy.  I was taught this information back in the mid-1980’s, by my mentor, Evans Wisner.  It has been a very helpful roadmap for me in many areas over the years.  I hope this shared information will also help you in some way.

Good Training,
LS

Now it’s time to devise our action plans toward reaching our goals.  Goals that are set, without actions, are only dreams or wishes.  So, as we use the example of attaining your blue belt lets continue the process.

Your SMART Goal:  I, ___________, will attain the blue belt by August 2009.

Your actions plans could look something like this:

--I will attend classes at JaxBJJ a minimum of 3x per week until I reach my goal of Blue Belt.
--I will take notes after classes and seminars and review them on a daily basis
--I will try to perfect my fundamentals as I add on advanced techniques on a weekly basis
--I will ask higher level belts for constructive assistance, as needed, on a weekly basis

As you can see, the action plans are a call to.....you guessed it.......action on your part.  Obviously progress is based on time on the mat, technical abilities, execution, etc..  Your action plans are a reflection of this, spoken in the 1st person, as a positive, “I will” statement, and with a general timeline attached to it.

Just like your major goals, your action plans for each goal should be written down and reviewed frequently.  If you carry a daytimer or calendar, you keep them in this location for quick reference.  These types of “quick references” will be the “good food” for your mind that can carry you toward any goals that you set, to attain successes that you might never have thought possible.

Next time we will briefly discuss the mindset of Goal Setting and the “Psychology of Winning”, that I have referred to from Denis Waitley’s writings.

Until next time.......L

Yesterday I mentioned setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals....................Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevent and Trackable.  A few thoughts as we build on this idea.  When building your goals, you must always:
--Put them in writing--once you’ve put it in writing, your brain automatically begins ‘taking you’ toward the goal.
--Speak in the 1st Person--"I, Larry Shealy, will ..................by June, 1, 2009.
--Make the goal your dominant thought--think about it to a point where it becomes part of your life.  Think it, see it, touch it, smell it...........implement all of your senses to bring the goal to life.
--Visualize the goal as if you have already attained it----just like a basketball player, while standing at the free throw line, visualizes making the shot..........you too must ‘visualize’ yourself already attaining your goal. 

An example of a SMART goal would be written like this:

I, ___________, will attain my blue belt in BJJ by August 1, 2009.

From here you plug in the SMART principle and see if it fits
. 
Specific?  Yes you want to attain the blue belt and have attached a time frame to it.
Measurable?  Yes, again the belt is the measurement in this example
Attainable?  This depends on, how long you have trained, and the action plans that you put in place and work toward daily (we will discuss this in the next blog)
Relevent?  If you are training BJJ...........yes it’s relevent
Trackable?  Yes, count your classes, count your time on the mat, count the extra hours you put in for your cardio and reviewing material and then record the day you attain the blue belt.

Setting the actual goal is just the beginning of the process.  Tomorrow we will discuss your action plans toward taking you to your goal.  Goal setting is like the road map of your life.  Action Plans will identify the “roads” that you will take toward reaching your destination..........the goals you have set.

Good Training.  L

Okay gang, it’s time to get ready for 2009 in all areas of our lives:  business, physical fitness, family, financial, community service, spiritual, mental/education, etc..

If you don’t already do so, instead of setting “resolutions” that rarely work, begin to set goals and objectives for the new year and beyond.  Begin to think about some ‘areas of improvement’ that you may have (also known as weaknesses--lol), and we will set goals and begin a plan of action to reach these goals.

An acronym I have used for many years has been to be S.M.A.R.T. when setting goals.  Goals that are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevent
Trackable

Think of a few things that you would like to accomplish in 2009 and thereafter, and tomorrow we will “build on it” with some specific thoughts and actions.

Good Training!
L

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
Confucius

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard

“If size mattered, the elephant would be the king of the jungle.”
Rickson Gracie

A few more thoughts as we move into the holiday season.

“The worst wheel of a cart makes the most noise.”
Ben Franklin

“Don’t expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong”
Calvin Coolidge

“A nail is driven out by another nail.  Habit is overcome by habit.”
Desiderius Erasmus

“He who believes is strong, he who doubts is weak.  Strong convictions precede great actions.”
Louisa May Alcott

“There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.”
Michel de Montaigne

“Tis the only comfort of the miserable to have partners in their woes.”
Cervantes

“Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.”
Plato

“Respect the burden.”
Napoleon Bonaparte

“A man lives by believeing something: not by debating and arguing about many things.”
Thomas Carlyle

“No pressure.....No diamonds!”
Thomas Carlyle

“Better to be alone than in bad company.”
Thomas Fuller

Let’s chew on some of these thoughts for a while.  If something strikes us, that can help us on the mat or in our personal lives........great.  If not, we’ve only lost about a minute reading it.  As Waitley says, our minds are like computers......"garbage in, garbage out.” Let’s feed our minds some good food over the holidays.

JaxBJJ’ers, don’t forget, we will be closed for 4 days, beginning Thanksgiving Day.  We will re-open on Monday with regular Academy Hours.

As most of you know, I’m a quote hound.  Thru the holidays I will be sharing some of my favorites with you.  Have a great Thanksgiving Weekend.

“Nothing in the world can take place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge

“If you can’t teach it, you don’t know it.” Rorion Gracie

Hall of Fame NFL Football Coach, Vince Lombardi, has been quoted as saying:  “Winning is Everything”.  However, that is not what he actually said.  He really said: “The WILL to win is everything.” The phrase takes on significant changes with the addition of a few small words.

The former quote is a ‘win at all cost attitude’ which will leave you empty, because you can’t win at everything.  However, the latter quote, places a spotlight on our character.  Our will.  One’s will is composed of a blend of many different aspects of our character: persistence, discipline, determination, courage.  Going against the flow of what “everybody’s” doing.  It’s a never say die attitude.  And it’s heavy!

Qutting is easy. We do it every day.  We quit high school, college, jobs, friendships, marriages, studying, growing. We quit trying.  We give up on our goals, our dreams, our aspirations. We get discouraged by our failures, and we fail more, we quit more. Quitting is easy, we do it everyday.

Winning is heavy.....it takes alot of work.  It takes alot of blood, sweat, tears, sacrifices.  It comes with large doses of criticisms from friends and foes.  It’s heavy.  It’s not a drive thru, instant gratification mindset that we all want in today’s society.  Winning is heavy......but it makes for much lighter work if one has a rock solid, strong will to win (ie: become the best person we can be in ALL areas of their lives), along with lofty goals and a gameplan to get us there.  Winning is heavy!

OUR WILL can define us.  I agree with Coach Lombardi’s words, with a twist: “The WILL to win, at life, is everything!”

Have a great weekend!

The pain of discipline is short lived.
The pain of regret lasts a lifetime.
Author unknown.

One of the most memorable speeches in the past Century was only 7 words long.  It was delivered by one of the world leader’s at the time. In the speech’s simplicity it conveyed so many subjects: attitude, persistence, courage, hope........and a way of living that can take us all to new heights.  The 7 word speech is below:

“Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Never, Quit” Sir Winston Churchill

Have a great week.  L

As I write this, I’m about 30000 feet over Charlotte, NC heading toward Nashville, TN for another Tradeshow for the Kid-Jitsu program.  Earlier on the trip, I was reading a book by the great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden.  In his book, like so many others, parallels can be drawn between sports and life.  Coach Wooden was talking about initiative and the need to take assertive actions to reach toward successes on the basketball court as well as in our lives.  What he actually said is that we should take “assertive actions based on proper assessment of risk.”

This quote struck me instantly as something we can certainly apply in BJJ.  How many times have you been training, and really want to try something new and just couldn’t pull the trigger, or have gotten to a position and have ‘frozen’ in fear of losing that position.  Of course that happens to us all.  The problem here is that we miss opportunities to learn by not ‘going for it.’

Why don’t we ‘go for it’ more often.  I think it is a fear of failure, fear of losing, fear of being embarrassed. Fear is a four letter word that has the ability to kill great ideas and great actions.  I can say that……..because those are certainly feelings I’ve had and continue to have in various areas of my life.  The problem with this type of thinking, and action, (or lack of action) is that by not acting instantly, we miss many opportunities. 

I look back on the investments I should have made, decisions in business I could have made for the better.  I did the due diligence, I knew what I wanted to do, but was fearful to take that next step.  In BJJ, we all sometimes have the tendency to play it TOO safe.  I’m not saying not to be smart and stay within our abilities……..but if we want to learn, and succeed in life and on the mats, after all the prepping and practice, we’ve got to take the initiative to DO SOMETHING.  As it’s been said, it’s impossible to get to second base, with one foot still on first base.

Another quote from Coach Wooden was “failure to act is the biggest failure of all.” My thoughts here is that with proper education, training, practice, etc., we must step out and take some risks.  Not careless actions, but carefully calculated risks.  If we lose, we learn, which will prevent future losses.
Lord knows I’ve lost a thousand more times than I’ve won in my life and on the mats.  But I’ve learned from my experiences, I’m losing less and accumulating some wins in the process.

In closing, let’s try not to be so afraid of making mistakes……….that’s how we learn, and that’s how we get better in all that we do.
Got for it!
LS

It is so cool to see so many people enjoying the many, many benefits of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at my school in Neptune Beach, as well as the many Kid-Jitsu/Wolfpack affilated schools that Professor Charles and I work with.  We joke around about how BJJ helps us “tame our demons”, how it can be an “addictive” sport, and for some it has become “a way of life” You know you have been bitten by the “BJJ bug” when you plan your days, and weeks around your training.  I have had people mention that they have become bored and decided to cut back on running, and/or the weight room to add BJJ into their busy schedules. 

What is it that people like about BJJ? 

A few thoughts about that are:

--They can get a great workout
--It only takes about an hour to get a tremendous workout
--They are challenged mentally and physically
--They are learning something valuable in the way of self defense in the process.
--They simply have a blast training and enjoy the competitive nature of our art.
--They like the camaraderie of other students
--Some people have changed their entire being with weight loss, quitting drinking and/or smoking

The reasons for embracing BJJ differ from person to person, but the list above respresents a large number of our students. 

BJJ can become a way of life.  Training hard, eating better, sleeping better.  Replacing some poor habits with some good habits. 

Like attitude, when one changes their actions, they can change their lives. Think it. Do it. Live it!

Good Training.
Prof. Larry

“The price of success means enduring the criticisms of envy!” Denis Waitley

For a very long time I have been preaching, lecturing and sometimes begging for people to “relax”, “smooth it out”, “breathe” or “don’t work so hard”..  In a seminar today with Professor Flavio Almeida from Gracie Barra America, he succinctly put into words exactly what I have been wanting to say, but have not had the right words to articulate it.

Professor Flavio was talking about grappling versus Jiu-Jitsu and this is what he had to say:

“Jiu-Jitsu is grappling with efficiency.  If you are using your opponents weight to your advantage........you are doing Jiu-Jitsu.  If you are going against your opponents strength and his weight with your strength.....you are grappling”.

Think about this for a minute.  If you are training and are trying to continually force the pace with your strength....you are not using the efficiency of Jiu-Jitsu.  Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is an art, and it behooves all to develop ourselves within the art.  Next time you are training, take a look at what you are doing and ask yourself:  Am I grappling?  Or, am I grappling with efficiency?  When you can answer the latter question in the affirmative.....you are well on your way to developing yourself in the gentle art.

Good Training!!

Earlier in the week I was discussing attitude.  I’ve had some great conversations about Tuesday’s election results.  We have a President elect that we are all pretty much unfamiliar with........BUT.........he will be our next President.  The sky has not fallen, the world is still rotating......and by and large as Americans, our life is good!  Again, it’s not what is happening outside.......it’s what’s happening “inside” of us that matters.  We control our thoughts and we change our lives for the better.

To end the week, I’d like to share something from Rudyard Kipling.  As a school we are a very tight knit group.  We have kids, adults, parents teaching their kids in the kid’s classes, and alot of folks who have become friends through the relationships they have developed at JaxBJJ, etc.  Although we are all from different walks of life, we have a few things in common.......we are striving to be better in our BJJ and also in our lives.  I share with many people how impressed I am personally with the people who make JaxBJJ the awesome school that it has become.  The analogy of the school that I draw from Kipling is:  “The strength of our school is our people!”

The Law of the Jungle
(From The Jungle Book)
by Rudyard Kipling

Now this is the Law of the Jungle—
as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper,
but the Wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk
the Law runneth forward and back—
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.

Have a great weekend!!!

LS

“It is the journey that makes us happy, not the destination”.
~ The Peaceful Warrior