my Arte Suave

I was training with Tom Lawlor last Friday, and we were done. So I decided to stick around and watch my training partners teach a class. I end showing an armbar transition, into another armbar. I sit back down on the sideline watching again, this time with a mother and a kid, her son, just watching the class. The mom began to speak to me, in spanish, I speak spanish. So she was telling me how her was contemplating quitting Jiu-Jitsu, and that he had a rough stretch of tournaments as of late, losing in his first match the last 2 or 3 tournaments. She wanted me to speak to her son about not quitting because she had seen me on youtube associated with Tim Burrill, winning matches. So I told him… something like:

“I lost a lot when I first started, I didnt win an IBJJF title until at the very end of blue belt. I had competed in 2 or 3 Pan Ams and Worlds, and lost in all of them right before medal rounds” Then I said.. “but look at me now, this year alone, I won in Abu Dhabi, and I just won a Pan Am, FINALLY”

I then said something like..bjj is a little microcosm of life..your not always going to win, I didnt. But I stuck with it, “I trained everyday relentlessly” til I got it right, and made it right. Keep showing up to practice and listen to your coaches.

Then what does this little guy do?

He comes in today as Im sitting at the front desk, and tells me.. “Hey remember what you told me?” I said yeah man hows training?, and he tells me:

“I beat 5 guys this weekend at the local tournament (NAGA Rhode Island), and I won 2 swords”

Kid made my whole entire year. Kids just light me up!

I love the hell out of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!

Oct

2011

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