When the hard work is done: Nothing brings people together like shared adversity. Hard training and shared goals make some of the strongest friendships and make the punishing routine of championship training tolerable. If shared adversity is the best way to help build team unity, story telling after training is a close second! When you have a cast of characters like Jake Shields, Georges St-Pierre and the squad together – you know there will be no shortage of crazy stories to tell after class to bring a smile and laughter to everyone's face! The martial arts never had a shortage of crazy characters and events, so story time after training is always a highlight of the day. I always encourage this kind of thing – it's a great way to cement the camaraderie they will build a training program that forges elite athletes and forward progress for all. Training cannot be a joyless slogging match if it is to be sustained over time – there must be a release and sense of good times. Every gym has there their coaches and athletes who make training time intense and beneficial, but just as valuable are those characters who make it fun just to be there – I am lucky enough to be surrounded by people who are both!
