I watched as she left her group and stood facing her back to them. Arms crossed, and unresponsive to her name, she was clearly upset. Being 10 is hard work. Working among other 8-10’s can sometime exacerbate that difficulty.  “I didn’t like that my partners corrected my grip. They’re younger than me and a lower belt than me.” “Hmm…that’s an interesting problem to have, isn’t it?” “It’s just embarrassing. I…

“The word ‘should’ always invites the question ‘according to whom?’” -Gavin deBecker “I should be better than I am.” “According to whom?” “You should have this style of Jiu Jitsu.” “According to whom?” “You should be working on such and such.” “According to whom?” “You should be such-and-such belt.” “According to whom?” “You should roll with so-and-so.” “According to whom?” Maybe it’s according to your coach. Listen. Maybe it’s according…

Most people are easily able to find their excuses. You know, the ones that help write off why something-some move, technique, or concept doesn’t or won’t work for them. Unless you find a way to move past those excuses, you’ll never find your true potential for using something. I tend to process my brain on the outside, not in. I think that’s partly why I’ve always loved writing. Sometimes my…