I competed at the IBJJF Boston Open 2018. It was an exciting event, and by that I mean nerve racking. I always have nerves before competition. This is my seventh victory in a row, but I still don’t feel at ease.
I think the moment I feel at ease is the moment I will lose. I respect every opponent I face. I don’t sleep on anyone. They all showed up for the same prize that I came for. We all came for gold. Nobody is shooting for silver or bronze. Silver and bronze are equally respectable. Hell, even showing up is totally respectable. It takes a lot to put yourself out there, and show your guts to the world. I feel a deep connection to all of my opponents. We are not enemies. We are brothers fighting for the same thing. We’ve all trained for about the same amount of time. We’ve all worked our bodies hard. We’ve all potentially watched our diets, and meditated on getting the prize. Who prevails? I believe the one who prevails is the one who wants it the most. It’s that simple. If you want it more then you’ll do the necessary work to get after it.
The opponents I faced brought it, and I am grateful for the work they put in. The prize means nothing if I didn’t have to work for it. Handouts mean nothing. When we work hard for something the reward becomes valuable. Nobody cherishes freebies. Nobody respects freebies. I didn’t earn the gold by myself. It took a whole team to do it. I may have been the one to step out there into the fray, but it was my team who got me there. The gold doesn’t really belong to me. It belongs to the whole of North Shore Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. I wish I could take credit for it. It would be cool to say that I trained by myself in a basement in complete isolation. It would be very impressive if I developed my skillset, heart and mind in an isolation chamber. The truth is that I am nothing without my team. We earned that prize as a unit. I also need to thank, Williamsburg Mixed Martial Arts Academy. I trained with them for years. They gave me the support I needed while living in the Big Apple. It was a volatile time of being a young man in the concrete jungle. If I didn’t have WMMA then I may have been a complete disaster. Again, I’m nothing without the people around me.
I don’t exclusively represent myself when I step out onto the mat. I represent North Shore, Williamsburg, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, my family and friends. The prize is nice. I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again: It’s about the meat and potatoes, not the gravy! The gold is the gravy. I probably spend about 99.9% of my time not competing. The majority of the time I spend is the process. This is where the growth happens. This is where we become better people. I’m a flawed worthless snail, but my team rebuilds me anew.
My little buddy, Andrew (the Tenderizer), a white belt, let me work my back control on him. I choked him for nearly an hour and a half. My black belt professor, Keith worked strategy with me. Travis (also a black belt) lightened my mood when I became too introspective. Danny Morera (the head professor) always has my back, and made sure I was ready. Danny, Keith and Travis are the three black belts I have in my corner. I refer to them as “The Tribunal”. These are the guys that I have to steer me, push me, support me and get me to the next place.
Everybody from white belt to black belt is an invaluable part of my progress. It’s a team effort. You have to give credit where credit is due. I have an abundance mindset. How can one man be so lucky? I’m beyond blessed to have trained with brilliant people. I didn’t emerge from isolation. I flourished from the support of many.
The growth I experience isn’t just how to implement technique. It also is about pushing towards being a better person. The “dad’s class” has been a huge help. I’m not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I know how to listen. The wisdom I get from the seasoned men in class is gold. If there is something that BJJ can teach us, it’s how to listen. This is the hidden treasure of Jiu-Jitsu. The real gold is not material. The real gold is hidden in the lessons beyond technique. If we dig deeper into the practice then we can earn gold beyond the tournament. I congratulate all of you (my teammates), on this gold. Thank you for showing me that gold is really a state of mind.