Sometimes I am asked, "How long have you trained Brazilian Jiu-Jistu?" Because it is a simple answer I say about a decade. But honestly my journey in began in 1999 when I met John Castillo. Prior to our meeting I had trained a little Judo and a little Muay Thai. I have always been interested in the martial arts, but nothing traditional like Karate or Tae Kwon Do. Growing up in the midwest limits the choices of study for exotic martial arts. Usually the schools lacked the commercial viability to stay open very long.
It had been a few years since the first UFC and I was out of high school, had a 3rd shift job, and was looking for a hobby. One of my friends had a younger brother who had just started training BJJ. The mysticism of the Royce Gracie beating up guys 40-50 pounds heavier than himself intrigued me. I enjoyed Judo the short time I got to train in it was a natural transition.
I started training with John. His martial arts background was extensive and he was a blue belt in BJJ but more importantly he was the only guy in town who taught jits. His gym was a nice space in an older strip mall. He shared mat space with some Escrima and Akido guys. It was exactly what I was looking for.My first BJJ memory is training with guys far more athletic than myself that concluded with being on a receiving end of a flying armbar. Much like college, my first attempt at studying BJJ was wrought with financial difficulties and I had to suspend training for a while.
After a wild period or my 4-year "semester off," that included a year of professional wrestling, I returned to the mats. Thanks to a friend who was interested in trying jiu-jitsu I realized how much I missed BJJ. And since 2004, I have been training consistently. No more excuses.
Along the way, I have cross-trained in Muay Thai with Andy Zerger, trained with Eric Payne for MMA fights, and most recently met Andre "Tim" Monteiro in 2009. Andre is a great instructor, my mentor in BJJ and business, and a good friend. He is what I strive to become as an instructor.
Why give this long personal history? Because I feel it is important for my students to know. This is a hard road. It is not simply the hobby I was looking for, it is a lifestyle. If it were easy, I would have been a black belt in 6 simple lessons. But it is not this. I have trained in nice places, bad places, on dirty mats, warehouses, and in garages. I have trained through two bad knees, cauliflowered ears, a dislocated rib, separated shoulders, broken toes, countless sprains, and a permanently strained neck. But these are small things to the experience. Because regardless of the situation, I still trained. When jiu-jitsu became the priority, the excuses stopped, and I still found a way to train.
I want to offer students new to training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu some advice:
1. Jiu-Jitsu will be here. If you have to take some time to tend to your family, or your responsibilities, it is okay. Any instructor who says otherwise is not very good. Some may even try to accommodate your situation if they can. When jiu-jitsu becomes a priority, you will find a way. I am fortunate to have a wife that understands my commitment to BJJ. But I also know plenty of guys who have been successful balancing training/fighting with a wife, work, and kids.
2. Commit to the long, slow road. You must decide early on, what you want from jiu-jitsu? Is it self-defense, sport, exercise, hobby, knowledge, etc.? There are so many individual goals. If it is simply for the black belt then you should understand that many quit after earning their blue belt, even less make it to their purple belt. So if the black belt is the ultimate goal, commit to the long slow road, and enjoy the journey.
3. You are not alone! Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has exploded in popularity since I started. There is a planet of grapplers out there with very similar but very different stories. Each of our journeys is different but the camaraderie among grapplers is amazing and we are there to support each other in pursuit of growing the art. Oss!
