It's been a year since I was promoted to Black Belt by Fabio Clemente and Kevin Sheridan. As cliche as it sounds I’ve learn more in the last year than I did in years prior to the big promotion. I moved to the North Philadelphia area shortly after being promoted, and for the first time since I was purple belt, I got to be a student again. Big thank you to Jared Weiner, Emily Kwok, Phil Migliarese,Jason Frawley and Alex Britto for letting me and my wife Hillary to train at your schools. We really appreciate it. Here are the biggest things that I’ve learned over the last year. I think a lot of the applied to many BJJ players...

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  People in BJJ often find themselves asking how much the best spend training each day.  The answer is obviously very different for different people, but the quick and easy answer is usually a lot.  Most of the best (world champions and highly respected competitors) spend in the range of 3-6 hours per day 5-7 days per week in order to reach that high level.  I’d like to run through some examples, and talk about what this type of training usually consists of. I recently read an article on Gianni Grippo’s website where he talks about drilling and why he feels it is such an integral part of anyone’s training.  In the article Gianni states that he trains 2 classes...

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  Have you ever picked up a book or watched a documentary and became fascinated with a subject (could be history, human relations, sports, or anything else), and this very same subject was one you studied in school or were previously exposed to, yet you had zero to little interest in the first time?  If this has ever happened to you, then you most likely experienced the spirit of learning, the passion of learning something that is relevant to you. I think the big switch that occurs in these situations is two fold.  First, when you initially came in contact with the subject you decided for some reason or another, that this subject or information was not relevant to you....

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Willpower is a vital ingredient in the recipe of success.  No matter what your goals are, you are going to have to have guts to make your dreams a reality.  Willpower is basically just a daily commitment toward your goals, it means that you are in it for the long haul and that you can say no to instant gratification in order to protect your long term visions.  So we all know dedication and willpower are important but how do you develop it?  Why do some people unwaveringly decline fun, food, and friends for their priorities while others struggle to turn down seconds on desert? Know what you want, why you want it, and what it will take to get...

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  Plateaus are a normal part of development.  No matter what craft you are trying to master it is normal to experience times of rapid growth, times of stand still, or even times where you feel regression of skill.  Though these tough times can be hard to handle, there are some things you need to know to help look to light at the end of the tunnel.   Don’t be anorexic   In an excellent book called The art of learning, the author Josh Waitzkin speaks of several different principles, the first being to invest in loss.  The idea of investing in loss seems counterproductive, but when you take a look at the bigger picture you will see that often...

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  Today I would like to talk about teamwork and how a spirit of unity can create an environment of growth for all of those involved.  Having a great team around you will lift you up, but you don’t have to wait for one to pop up around you if you don’t have one already. There is an old saying that there is no “I” in team, I personally believe this is completely false.  First, of course people are internally motivated, our motivation comes from desires that are unique and exist in all of us.  You are an individual, but you must recognize that you are not greater on your own then you are as a part of the team....

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  There is an old adage that the end is just the beginning, while this is true in the sense that life exists in frequently opposing forms (night and day, joy and sorrow, sickness and health), it also has a radically different and profound meaning.  I want you to consider that its possible that every person who has ever achieved happiness or success had to start with the end in mind to achieve it.  While it's true that the happiness is achieved more from the journey than reaching the destination, its the idea of being on a set course, the idea of living a life with purpose that is truly fulfilling to us on a deeper level.   This leads...

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  To a dedicated Jiu Jitsu goer an injury can feel like a death sentence.  BJJ is more than just a hobby for many of us, it becomes a way of life, an extended family, a source of potent inner happiness and peace.  Sometimes though, an injury will sideline us, even in the times we feel the best we are still vulnerable to this possibility.   Injuries can vary greatly in severity, amount of time off, and interventions for the injury.  Outside of the normal medical interventions (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, physical To a dedicated Jiu Jitsu goer an injury can feel like a death sentence.  BJJ is more than just a hobby for many of us, it becomes a...

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  No matter what way you look at it and no matter how seasoned a competitor you may be, competition is stressful.  Many times we spend weeks, months, even years, all training for a single competition.  When you spend all this time preparing for a single event, you motivate yourself each day by reminding yourself of the approaching competition.  It’s no wonder why its so stressful when you finally arrive on the day of the tournament. Many people claim to have the perfect routine or plan to combat the anxiety of competition, but I believe the right answer for you will be unique and different than anyone else’s.  Some people have a hard time staying too calm when they compete,...

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  After you suffer a loss in competition it’s easy to feel like your loss on the mat extends into every aspect of your life. Making yourself vulnerable and putting yourself out there sometimes inevitably leads to disappointment and failure, but there are some things that can help you get back on the mat in a positive state of mind. Know that every failure brings with it a seed of equivalent opportunity. The great writer Napoleon Hill, writer of Think and Grow Rich, repeated this theme over and over again in his book about successful people.  He showed countless stories where successful people met failure head on, and saw those failures as stepping stones towards success. Every time you lose...

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