Gabe Morales

Gabe Morales

How long have you been training?

9 years

Why did you begin training?

I was looking for something different and had a bunch of friends who trained various martial arts and decided to give BJJ a try.

What encourages you the most about your practice?

Something that encourages me in my practice is the fact that whenever I train, I feel an improvement, no mater how slight it may be. The fact that I took the time to step on the mats always results in improvement in myself and my practice. As I grow, my training partners grow, especially newer students who are learning to find their way through their own practice!

What challenges you the most?

Everyday life is my biggest challenge. Finding the time between work, kids and normal everyday life events poses the biggest challenge. I just keep telling myself to make the time and take advantage of opportunities to train when they present themselves.

How have you evolved as a result of it?

Confidence in myself has to be one of the biggest changes I have experienced. Being able to practice BJJ as an older individual and not be intimidated by the challenges it offers gives me a sense of accomplishment. Gaining the courage to compete on a high level is something I never thought I would have done!

What is something that you learned about BJJ that was unexpected?

Bigger isn’t always better. Technique is more important that strength and brawn. Getting choked out by a female half my size when I first started training was eye opening for me and as inspirational of an event as I have ever experienced

Any notable accomplishments, interests or facts you’d like to share?

I’ve published a fantasy novel and have written several technical articles on cybersecurity-related events for social publications.