Fighting to the top: The entire pattern of human existence is based upon competition. Combat sports are an excellent means of preparing our minds and character for that reality. In jiu jitsu, as in life, nothing comes for free. In order to get people to take notice of you, you must achieve something. As time passes and your achievements grow, you will gain recognition from your peers. This simple vision is the basis of our progress within the sport. I always love to see the apprentice students (kohai) working hard to make their mark. Young Nick Ronan, who splits time between the squad at RGA and my team mate Matt Serra's school in Long Island has been making waves on the local grappling scene. Today he won a local eight man tournament in which he had to take on EBI veterans. He won every match by submission, using some advanced elements of our leg and back attack systems. Just a few weeks ago he won another tournament, again every match by submission and again against black belt EBI veterans ( he was a purple belt at the time and just received a brown belt) Amazing to see a young student who has not been training long at all show very clearly he is already at EBI level performance. I find daily inspiration in the hard work of my students as they grapple with much more than just jiu jitsu, but with the eternal human struggle to make their way in a competitive world where hard, intelligently directed work combined with self belief are required to make us stand out from the crowd. Work your goals one step at a time – start small and grow over time. Every hurdle jumped takes you closer to your final goal. In truth we are all apprentices, so their struggle to advance is close to our own heart.
