I had the opportunity to lead the class yesterday. It is always an honor and pleasure to help out. I'm a very lucky dude. I train with a compassionate, highly skilled, and dynamic team. North Shore Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy is the way it should be. These guys and gals have helped me to win, win, and win some more. I'm not talking about winning tournaments. Yes, they've helped me secure gold medals in those too. I'm talking about winning in the mindset sense. Did I also mention we're also the best looking team in the North East? Well, we're winning in that front too. How can a group of people win this much? It is pretty simple. I'll let you in on the secret.
Surround yourself with strong people. Real strength comes from within. You are the byproduct of who you spend your time with. Strength breeds strength. Weakness breeds weakness. I'm winning, because I'm surrounded by winners. Not too many of these folks compete. So, "how are they winning" you may ask. Again, I'm not talking about tournaments. I'm talking about life. It's about being a better person. Kano talked about this in his book, "Mind Over Muscle". There are three levels to the practice of martial arts. None of these levels talk about winning tournaments.
My friend, Lenny (seen on the upper right side), is a brown belt. He outranks me. He also happens to be more skilled, mature, and honorable than I am. I was asked to lead the class by our star professor, Danny Morera. Danny leads by example, and it all flows down from him. He sets the bar of real strength. I didn't know Lenny was going to show up to class. I immediately told him to instruct. I was happy to have Lenny lead the class. He outranks me, and is a great instructor. Lenny had no ego. He suggested that I take the reins, and lead the class. I was so impressed with my big buddie's heart, and dedication to seeing his team succeed. That's just one small example of how to win, in the truest sense.
The gold medals are just the gravy. It ain't the meat and potatoes. I'm grateful to train with outstanding people. If I were to write a manual on "How to Jiu-Jitsu", it wouldn't be long. It would almost entirely start and end with: surround yourself with good people. I'm surrounded by people who inspire me, push me, and always have my back. That's way better than any gold medal, any day of the week!