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12 Rules For White Belt Life
12 RULES FOR WHITE BELT LIFE
An Antidote For BJJ Chaos
By: Joe Hannan
Most grapplers with some experience likely have their own set of rules for survival as a white belt. These are mine, codified on the receiving end of the shoulder of justice and other less-than-desirable positions. May they serve you well.1. Admit You Know Nothing. Anyone looking […]
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Dear White Belt, I Promise You, We All Suck…
Dear white belt, I promise you, we all suck…
By: Emily KwokIt’s not uncommon after I finish teaching a class to see a short queue of students waiting to ask a question or express their frustration.
Last week a student stopped me to tell me that they didn’t think they were cut out for BJJ. They felt […]
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Getting Comfortable With Discomfort
Getting Comfortable with Discomfort
By: Joe HannanIt’s enough to make some panic: the first time a much larger partner has you in mount, their chest driving into your face. You cock your head to the side and gasp for air like you’re doing your 12th lap in an olympic pool. You can’t maintain your cool. You […]
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You Are How You Train
You are how you train
By: Emily KwokIt’s very common for even the best of us to get locked up when it comes to personal expression. This is true of life in general, but the mats give us the rare opportunity to see where we are literally challenged and liberated.
At the beginning of our BJJ career, […]
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You Will Alienate Some
You will alienate some.
By: Joe Hannan
Your dedication might alienate those closest to you. Some people will never appreciate Jiu Jitsu. They’re probably not reading this post. But should someone close to you need convincing that your newfound practice is worthwhile, this entry is a good place to start.
Family, friends and significant others, for the most part, […]
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The Sound of Sweeping
The Sound of Sweeping
By: Val WorthingtonTeaching jiu-jitsu is a complex task, and the necessary skills extend beyond the actual exchange of information and assessment of performance, each of which is complex in and of itself. There are interpersonal interactions, which involve making people feel comfortable and welcome. There is logistics, which includes planning a good […]
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Dedicated, not Obsessed
Dedicated, not obsessed.
By: Joe HannanI see Jiu Jitsu everywhere I go, especially in the movements and play of animals. I think about Jiu Jitsu all day, a constant narrative of if he does this, then I do that, running through my head. Sometimes, I mix it up, and the narrative gets switched to, if I […]
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Remembering David Jacobs
“Words fail, and the mind reels.” That’s what my mother said the last time my family lost a member. That sentence says it all, and it says not nearly enough. That’s what I’m thinking and feeling now, about David Jacobs.
The world lost David Jacobs last week. He was a professor, friend, colleague, brother, confidante, attorney, […]
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The Best of Us – For Casey Van Brookhoven
The Best of Us – For Casey Van Brookhoven
‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard’ – A. A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)
The shocking and untimely passing of a friend over the holidays has caused me to reflect very deeply on what presence this individual had in my life. It […]
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Countering BJJ Frustration with Stoicism
Countering BJJ Frustration with Stoicism.
Bye: Joe HannanI let my sweaty head fall with a thud against the ocean blue mats that lined the walls of Performance Jiu Jitsu. I don’t remember the roll, but I’m sure it had been savage and swift, with multiple tapouts and lots of flailing around. I might have even let […]
