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Sep
30
Tomorrow is International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Day (IBJJD); it is also Master Helio Gracie’s Birthday. To me it’s a day to celebrate—to celebrate the art that has given me insight into myself as well as the skills to kick a lot of people’s butt, but of course that aspect is just a bonus. The funny thing [...]
Sep
30
Showing up is not Enough
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Some of the students in my English class never change. For sixteen years there has always been at least one kid who says, “Mr. Johnson why am I getting an F? I’m here every day,” and my answer is always the same. “If you go to the gym every day, but you never lift any [...]
Sep
28
I’d Choose the Dark Side
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The Yakuza are criminals, and I in no way want to glorify extortion, prostitution, drug trafficking and or murder, but the Yakuza body suits and the finger sacrifice are just fascinating to me. I remember watching the 1979 movie The Warriors, were a group of gang members tries to make it home after being accused [...]
Sep
28
The Mountain is in our Minds
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The mountain is in our minds. There, the secret’s out. People like to search for things; perfect health, beauty, happiness, enlightenment. They climb mountains and talk to enlightened monks. They search for experts and gurus. I think the mountain is in our minds. I’m okay with searching, but I think the secret is within. My [...]
Sep
27
Student Teacher
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. . . I was a student/teacher once—back in 1994—it was my last step before becoming a certified secondary teacher. It was a good experience. Sunday, during open-mat I had a couple of new students training with a couple of older students. It was very interesting to watch the interaction between the guys who had [...]
Sep
25
In my search to create a jiu-jitsu lifestyle for myself, I’m always looking for words of wisdom–some insight into life and jiu-jitsu, I borrowed this from Keith Owen via Curt Wimsatt on Facebook. My favorite things Saulo Ribeiro says are, “Little by little, if you stick with jiu-jitsu, it will mold you to the lifestyle,” [...]
Sep
24
Kru Padet
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. . I got a call this afternoon from a friend of mine–Kru Padet. He’s back from Afghanistan and ready to teach Muay Thai again at West Side. Padet is from Thailand, the nicest and most soft-spoken man you’ll ever meet and with a low kick that would make a grizzly bear cry. I’m glad [...]
Sep
22
I’m very happy now, so anymore happiness would be a bonus. I’ve always felt that we must create our own lives—our own worlds—so-to-speak. I think that comes with the lifestyle we live, so I’m on a journey to create my own lifestyle (of course I live one now, but I want to change some of [...]
Sep
22
Lifestyle
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Sep
20
Zombie Haiku and Jiu-Jitsu
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. . . I picked up a book yesterday called Zombie Haiku, by Ryan Mecum. Being an English teacher, of course I like Haiku–and who doesn’t love zombies–the combination is fantastic. You remember Japanese Haikus. Your eigthgrade teacher crammed them down your throat. You didn’t mind because they were only three lines long, almost as [...]
