I had the opportunity to chat with Gibran on the podcast, “Life, and Jiu Jitsu” a few weeks ago. Thank you for having me! In the podcast we talked about:

• ADCC trials & Championships
• EDH Jiu Jitsu
• Entrepreneurship in martial arts
• Wrestling / Judo
• Sumo wrestling
• Mongolian Wrestling
• My grappling journey

It was a fun and casual talk about my life as it relates to jiujitsu, wrestling, and grappling.

In our conversation we talk about the idea of winning and redefining those terms. I think winning in the art of jiujitsu comes down to a consistent practice of challenge and improvement that ultimately leads to self awareness.

Recently, sidelined by a nerve related injury, I’ve been sidelined from training and competitions. It’s been different being present on the mat as a coach but not necessarily training two or three times a day. As a result though, I’ve found that I was beginning to lose my sense of self awareness, passionately training for the next big competition.

Taking a step back, I am reminded that training should lead to a deeper sense of understanding and awareness. That process though is a delicate balance of consuming yourself in learning while being mindful of the interplay, not allowing one to obstruct from the other.

This is true not just in my training at jiujitsu but with friendships, work, family, and all other things I choose to spend time doing. Ultimately when your activities are channeled to a better awareness of self, I believe we become better at the things we do. Consequently, our trainings, relationships, career, and lifestyle choices also improve.