John Will: BJJ Black Belt, MMA coach, Author & Life Coach: John's personal Blog

J-brown

2009-12-08T22:09:00.003+11:00

We had a great day today. After teaching a few private classes this morning, Marc Hebert, Dave Meyer and I headed into my school for a few more hours of Video work. A quick snack in the late afternoon back at home, then it was into the school once again for the evening classes. After a packed intro class (where we couldn't fit a single extra body on the mat) - we started our advanced BJJ class.
I had Dave take the advanced class through a series of mobility drills designed to improve 'BALANCE' - something that many people fail to put emphasis on. It was a fun thirty minutes. This was followed by thirty minutes of rolling before I finished up with the awarding of two new ranks. The first recipient was guest form Sydney, Fari Salievski, who received his Purple Belt. Fari is a renowned Australian martial artist, who runs a very strong school in Liverpool/Sydney. He has been working very hard of late - and has made great strides in his BJJ training. The second was awarded to our South African visitor Marc Hebert - who may well fall asleep wearing his shiny, new brown belt. Marc is a very positive force for BJJ in J-burg (Johannesburg), South Africa - I am sure his friends and students will celebrate with him upon his return. Congratulations both.
More filming tomorrow - another day, another Omoplata!

JBW

Dovetailing ...

2009-12-08T08:22:00.002+11:00

Dovetailing ... this is a basic coaching concept that I have used for a long time now. After I get a sense of a student's 'game' - either by rolling with him, watching him roll with a number of others (or a combination of both) I still need to decide what to teach him ...
Now, I could simply pick decide on a couple of techniques that he (or she) doesn't know and add them into his game ... but that would be far from the best approach. What I usually do is try to find something he does well and 'add' to it, tweak it a bit and make it better. Working on something a student is already basically familiar with is one way to ensure the technique will be rapidly adopted into his game. The if I can coach him in techniques that supplement what he is already doing, but without taking him away from his usual game - I can pretty much rest assured that he will take ownership of the new material. This concept of 'dovetailing' into the student's existing game is a powerful way to effect meaningful and effective changes in their performance levels.
More soon ...
JBW

The Globalisation of BJJ

2009-12-06T18:36:00.002+11:00

if you watch this short film - though fascinatng - you may come to the conclusion that we have far too much free time on our hands. In fact, the opposite is true - to construct this nice little movie - we worked late into the night, after a hard day's video shooting. It was tough - but very much worth it. I hope you like it.
JBW

Lights, Camera .. Action

2009-12-05T08:14:00.002+11:00

Someone bring more juice!
On the mat all day yesterday, same today and again tomorrow. Dave Meyer and I are busy in front of the camera, shooting several hundred vid clips for our new site - FIGHTPUZZLE.
Marc Herbert is behind the camera (and the laptop)- and is the very best possible person for the job as he is an excellent purple belt and a great all round martial artist. We are very excited about the whole thing - it's going to be an amazing resource!
My wife Melissa is turning up with good food a couple of times throughout the day - keeping our energy levels up. But will someone please - bring me a short black!
more soon ...
JBW

Friends on the doorstep ...

2009-12-02T13:19:00.003+11:00

Two of my good friends arrived this morning - from opposite sides of the planet. Marc Herbert, from Johannesburg in South Africa - and David Meyer from San Fransisco in the USA. Time for lunch, a catch up, some planning of our next ten days work (24 odd hours of video shooting) and then it's off to the evening mat.
I first met Marc in Singapore, where he was assisting Rodney King conduct a Crazy Monkey (boxing) seminar a few years ago - we hit it off immediately. He is currently a good purple belt and is a leading force for BJJ in South Africa. Marc has amazing video/multi-media/web abilities - and is here to help me with a new project I am embarking on. David Meyer, I met 20 odd years ago, when he walked into the Machado mat where I was teaching one night, in Los Angeles. We have been the best of friends ever since. Good times ahead. More to follow ...
JBW

Home from the wilds ...

2009-12-01T14:09:00.005+11:00

Arrived home today. Back from the wilds of New Zealand and looking forward to thr week ahead. I have my good friend Dave Meyer arriving this wednesday morning - and another good friend - Marc Herbert beating him in from South Africa by ten hours or so. So it's airport runs and mat madness for the next week or two.
I cannot wait to get back to class tomorrow night - and once again step onto the Geelong mat. I miss teaching and working with my students - and my regular routines. Having Dave on the mat for the next few weeks will add some spice for all of us. It's going to be a blast.

Although this may interest very few - here are a couple of pics from my back-country adventure. newly hatching Canadian Goose chicks - just fighting their way out of the eggs. These little guys have to fend for themselves from day one - the mother doesn't help out at all ... and we complain about life being tough!
The other is a shot of me standing waist deep in the snow-melt, after swimming down a river chasing this trout. Had to get underwater and unhook him from beneath the overhanging bank a couple of times - a huge battle - and below freezing. Wet but happy.

Anyways - I will be getting back to my usual blogging as of now ... again, apologies for my absence ... but when the wilds call ....

JBW

Interesting Questions ???

2009-11-12T16:19:00.003+11:00

HOW? Is a question most people ask frequently on the mat. How do I do this move? How can I escape from that position? And such questions are usually answered in terms of ‘this’ or ‘that’ technique. And there is nothing wrong with this approach – in fact, it is the most common way by which people arrive at solutions to all the mat problems they encounter. But another, far more interesting question to follow-up with, is the question that begins with the word ‘WHY?’. Why does holding his heel work better than holding his calf? Why does pressure on his far shoulder stop him from turning toward us? Why does pressure here stop that from happening? Etc. By working out the answers to the WHY questions, we gather information that can help many, many other techniques. By asking HOW, we usually only get information that is useful for a very specific situation.
A profound understanding of BJJ requires an in-depth understanding of leverage and applied bio-mechanics. The techniques we learn are the delivery-system for this understanding. The more we understand the concepts and principles which underpin the techniques, the easier it is for us to learn and understand new techniques.
Ask questions yes … but understand that different kinds of questions provide different kinds of answers and different sorts of knowledge.

On another note - I must apologize for an absence that I am about to take. I am off to new Zealand to conduct a round of seminars for my good friends there - a bit of work at the Police College - and then it's ten days in the backcountry mountains ... no internet access, no laptop, just my small backpack, my flyfishing rod and may hiking/fishing mate for company. I won't be back online till the 4th of December - when I arrive back home - around the exact same time that my American buddy Dave Meyer will be arriving. So more then ...
Warmest regards everyone ...
JBW

Bring it on ...

2009-11-09T11:40:00.008+11:00

Lately, life has been unusually hectic. For seven weekends in a row, I have been in airports, on planes and working interstate - making the trip back home each sunday night or monday morning to see my family and teach my mid-week classes before heading off again the following friday. This coming weekend is no exception - I am preparing today for my last visit to New Zealand for the year. I have eight seminars to run for the all of my BJJ friends, plus a stint at the Police Academy in Wellington. Busy. But afterward, I am taking my annual 10 day flyfishing trip into the wilds of new Zealand's backcountry - can't wait!
When I come home from New Zealand, my good friend Dave Meyer will be here for a couple of weeks - can't wait for that either! And another good friend, Marc Herbert from South Africa wil be arriving the same time - good times ahead!!

On another note - I have literally had hundreds of requests for the third installment in my Rogue Black Belt series. So, buckling under the pressure, have penciled it into my diary for the first half of January. In fact, I have written about a third of it - and I have completed the cover (see pic) - so with good fortune (and planning) I'll get it done by mid January and hopefully printed by february. I am excited about having it done - and I need to do it to clear the way for other things I want to do. I only have about two dozen Fight Logic books left in stock - and rather than do a re-print, I am considering writing a whole new book on MMA.

I'd better go - seminar planning to do, bags to pack, classes to run. I'll get onto it after a brisk walk around the river with my wife - she's chaffing at the bit, to get out the door.
Best wishes all
JBW

My D.C.A.T work

2009-11-03T14:55:00.004+11:00

Further to my last post, I thought I'd offer up a clarification on some of the Defensive Tactics design work that I do. I am often asked by the martial arts fraternity, about the work that I do in police and military circles. Usually, I am rather reluctant to talk about this - for the same reasons that I would not talk about the training I offer to private clients that I may be teaching. I simply do not view the subject matter to be of a public nature. However, I can talk about the approach I take, in very general and broad terms.
The most common question I am asked is whether or not I teach policing and military groups, BJJ? The simple answer is that I do not. Most often the various groups that I do work for, have very specific operational needs, and what I do is try my best to cater for those needs by designing training solutions that are equally specific - and BJJ (off the shelf) doesn't do much to fill this need. What does help tremendously though, is the solution-seeking mindset that I have developed over the years, through my BJJ training. In short, the study and development of BJJ - and more specifically, developing my BJJ coaching skills, has provided me with an aptitude for coming up with solutions for various physical and strategic problems that arise in the course of physical struggle. The understanding of angles, biomechanics, leverage and physics are a part of the toolkit that I bring to the Defensive Tsctics design-table. Apart from these things (learned from BJJ), I also need to come armed with communication and teaching skills, an understanding of management needs and a willingness to be transparent in my thinking and design process.
Usually, martial arts skill sets are the last thing that law enforcement and military orgs are looking for when they seek help from outside SME's (subject matter experts) - there are usually plenty of such people already embedded within their ranks. The one thing that is more difficult to find, is someone who is extremely task-oriented, with a talent for design; the right mix of communication, coaching and presentation skills, along with a broad enough range of cross-platform physical expertise from which to tease out the training solutions that they are looking for. The more of this kind of work that I do, the more deeply I understand the unique sets of needs that these professionals have. It is serious work, as ultimately, there are people's lives at stake - but it is also tremendously satisfying. The police officers and soldiers iof the world do the work that no-one else is willing to do - I freely admit, it is an honor to be asked to make my a contribution.
Stay safe all,
JBW

Northern Frontiers ...

2009-11-02T14:06:00.002+11:00

Just back home after a big weekend in Darwin. I had to fly up on friday to deliver 15 sessions to the NT Police College trainers and members of the Tactical Response Team. Arrived home 1 am this morning - still slightly dehydrated. Spending today drinking water, eating food and napping.
Darwin is hot - hot and humid. But the people were great and my time there was thoroughly enjoyable. For those who don't know much about the Northern Territory - it's like the old wild west out there. Police can be stationed in remote aboriginal communities, where, for all intents and purposes, they are pretty much left to their own devices. When all is running along nicely, they may get some good fishing in - but when things go bad, they are alone and well beyond the reach of assistance. They have their own unique sets of problems and chellenges - and they have my utmost respect. For these people, Defensive Tactics is not a lifestyle choice - it is a means of survival - serious stuff!
I will enjoy tyhe rest of the day - indeed, the rest of the week at my school here in Geelong. I have a seminar at Hangar 4 in Melbourne this thursday night - and then four more in Sydney this weekend. I'd better hydrate ...
JBW

SELF ESTEEM: Theirs – Not Yours!

2009-10-25T19:33:00.002+11:00

Self Esteem is one of the many purported benefits of martial arts training. So often is the term bantered around, that I think it has become standard phrasing for almost every martial arts pamphlet on the planet. IMPROVE YOUR SELF ESTEEM!
Well, I certainly cannot deny that improved self esteem is probably one of the most important benefits of martial arts practice – but I think that we mostly focus on our own self esteem, when thinking about the subject, and not perhaps so much on how other people’s self esteem (or lack thereof) can play a part in how they relate to us in everyday life.
A friend of mine recently pointed out an interesting thing – and it is this: No-one’s self esteem is on a continually upward trend – or for that matter, on a continually even keel. The truth of it is that our self-esteem, like everything else in life, rises and falls, dips and peeks, depending on how our lives are playing out at the time. Our health can improve or deteriorate, our relationships can improve or deteriorate, our finances can improve or deteriorate, our life-enjoyment can improve or deteriorate – everything is in a state of flux. Our self-esteem can be effected by all of these external and internal factors – and in turn, can effect how we interact with others.
You may have a very good friend for example, who normally when his or her self esteem was in good shape would take the time to compliment you on your new car, new house or new project you may be embarking on. That self-same friend though, if their self esteem is temporarily in a ‘trough’, may not only fail to compliment you on your success, but may even feel envy or jealousy and view your success as some kind of reflection of their failure. The reason behind this is simple – when someone’s self esteem is taking a pounding, they look for validation from external sources – namely, their friends and family. When their friends and family ‘fail’ – or should I say, neglect, to give them that validation, they can perceive this as a ‘mild attack – when objectively, it may be nothing of the kind.
So the moral of this blog I guess, is that when other people, students or friends seem to over-react to some imagined indiscretion that you may or may not have committed – it may well be because their Self Esteem has taken a few blows of late. So give them a little of what they need – VALIDATION – and you may well find, things will take a turn for the better.

JBW

Beating the Blues ..

2009-10-23T15:03:00.002+11:00

Perhaps I should entitle this blog ... SO YOU WANNA BE A PURPLE BELT? If this is the case, be careful what you wish for.The nicest rank of all is WHITE Belt - there's no pressure, no wild and crazy expectations .... there's just training and learning. Oh, what a nice place to be!
Once you get blue belt around your waist, the pressure starts to mount. The blue belt is supposed to innoculate you against all white belt efforts ... and then, there's the dreaded purple belt. To be a purple belt is easy ... just tap out all of the blue belts! maybe on a good day, this is an achievable task ... but on other days, it can be a challenging task indeed. Those pesky blues are getting better each year.
jean Jacques Machado told me something one day, that really stuck in my head; he said "Always remember - we are NOT Supermen. Somedays we win, sometimes we lose ... and sometimes we lose to even white belts."
it is my belief that the pressures we experience as we work our way up through the ranks - are largely, self-imposed. We are, after all ... only human.
JBW

Commitment ...

2009-10-21T11:57:00.003+11:00

If you begin your BJJ training with the idea of one day earning your Black Belt, I would say that you are an unusual person. For myself, the idea of earning a Black Belt was such vague notion, such a far-off goal, that in truth, I gave it little or no thought - instead, I just immersed myself in the training process - and of course, the passage of time took care of the rest. In fact, when I was eventually offered my blue, purple, brown and black belts respectively, I pleaded for more time to get my skills up to scratch!

If you start out wanting to earn a Black Belt in BJJ, you should understand that this is a very big commitment. Only the most serious, passionate and steadfast can hope to acheive this prestigious goal. I say this, not to come across as elitist - but merely to underline it as a fact.

Here is something that many people fail to consider - the commiment I am talking about, is a two-way affair: the commitment the student needs to make, and the commitment that the instructor needs to make. So there needs to be commitment on both sides. The amount of knowledge the instructor needs to impart to the student to make the completion of this journey possible, is immense. If we take that knowledge, even without taking into considration, the vast amount of mat-time needed, just the sheer number of classes the instructor needs to guide the student through - is astounding. It's hard to put a number on it - but perhaps a good 1000 classes would fit the bill. That's a load of classes for the student - yes - but it's a load of classes for the instructor as well. This is probably the biggest commitment one can make - (for teacher and student both) in the study of the martial arts.

I am sometimes astounded by the odd student, who on one hand might make a lot of noise about wanting to get their Black Belt, and how serious they are with their training - but when all they need to do is make a time to train when the opportunity is offered they fail to leap up and grab it with both hands. Perhaps I am a bit old-school - but if my instructor Rigan MAchado, called and asked if I wanted to be there at midnight - mid-winter for a session on the 'ice' - I would be there, ear-muffs in hand. Nowadays, we live in a culture of 'easiness' - fast food, fast ranking, fast finance, etc. people want things the easy way - and sadly, this is becoming the 'norm' rather than the exception.

My adfvice to any students of BJJ - if you are serious, remember this: your instructor is serious as welll - if the oppoertunity to train is presented to you - TAKE IT - with both hands and full commitment.

JBW

Belt me Up ...

2009-10-19T10:29:00.003+11:00

I have just returned from a round of seminars in Sydney ths past weekend. One particularly nice moment was when I was able to present Sam Dignam (in WIndang) with his Brown Belt. As my good friend Dave Meyer says, "You don't get a Belt in BJJ - you BECOME the belt!" Belt's are easy to get - you head to the store and hand over your $5 and you can get one of any colour you like - but to BECOME a BJJ Blue, Purple, Brown or Black Belt - well, this is another matter entirely.
The way I see it, the four different BJJ belts represent four very different stages of the students evolution ... and those stages are as follows:

BLUE: the Foundation ...
This stage is perhaps the most important in the journey as it provides the foundation upon which we load everything else we ever lear, In this stage, the student internalizes strong basics for every position on the ground. A good blue belt should have something to say about most positions that he or she will encounter during a grappling match. The better this foundation, the better the the blue belt - and as the saying goes, a technical Blue Belt will make for a technical Black Belt!

PURPLE:
This is the 'selfish' stage of the BJJ journey. By this time, the student has been exposed to a lot of technique and strategy. From this ever-expanding storehouse of knowledge, the student is beginning to really construct a 'personal game'. He or she fully understands their preferences, and is very clear about their 'go to' techniques for all positions that occur during the groundfight. Also, by this stage, the student has some working knowledge of takedowns - as e or she feels very confient of controlling the fight once it goes to the ground. We call it the selfish stage because it is all about the construction adn development of a personal game from the vast technical dta-bank that he or she has been exposed to by that time.

BROWN:
This is the apprentice 'teacher' stage - and as such is anything but 'selfish'. As a Brown Belt the student has a wealth of knowledge on wide variety of positions. By this time, the student has a 'depth' of knwledge on a wide vaiety of subjects, and not just a cursory or shallow understanding. The student, by this stage, should also know a lot about positions and techniques that he or she may personally not use in their 'game' - as an apprentice 'instructor', they can expect to be asked for help from people who are developing very differnet games from those they use themselves - and so, they must understand and be able to teach things that they may not necessarily like or use themeselves. Brown Belts are really junior black belts.

BLACK:
This is the instructor stage. The BJJ Black Belt, should pretty much have answers to most of the problems that occur on the ground. They should have a satrong working knowledge of takedowns and be able to deal with both sporting and 'real world' assault scenarios. The Black Belt should also have efective and powerful coaching/teaching skills - and be able to bring others along the path to Black Belt. The BJJ Black Belt should also have a good understanding of how the various ground techniques and positions relate to each other, they should be able to build unique combinations and solve unusual problems - all of these skill-sets, along with a profound understanding of applied bio-mechanics and leverage make the BJJ Black Beklt one of the most prestigious, sought-after and respected martial arts qualifications. perhaps, above all though - the BJJ Black Belt has returned full circle to the 'open' and 'eager for knowledge' student mind-set - the true BJJ Black Belt knows that his or her journey is always 'just beginning'.

JBW

Give CREDIT - where CREDIT is due ...

2009-10-12T16:22:00.002+11:00

Drum roll please …. I shall now offer up an alternative meaning for this commonly used expression ….

At the heart of it, the martial arts environment is a social environment. As such, we develop many friendships along the way, some of them fleeting, some of them lasting a lifetime.
The friendships we all make in our martial arts lifestyle can be impacted upon by many forces – sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. It can be the case that we evolve into becoming the harshest critics of our close friends and family – oft times, more harsh than perhaps we would be with absolute strangers. It might be worth considering the following – alternative view …
If we have had a long-standing relationship with someone; a relationship that has been, by and large, a healthy and mutually beneficial one – then my feeling is that this gives our ‘friend’ considerable ‘CREDIT’ in the relationship bank. That is, if, for one reason or another, we have a small problem with that person (perhaps they say something or do something we don’t approve of) then we need to dip into some of the considerable CREDIT they have built up with us over the years – and let the ‘problem’ slide. I have said it before, everyone’s lives go through peaks and valleys, highs and lows – we should all develop the ability to give our friends the ‘benefit of the doubt’ when things go pear-shaped – because, if we think about it, perhaps they have built up a lot of relationship credit with us over the years – and we need to allow them to spend a little of it every now and then. If the person we have a problem with is a virtual stranger, okay – walk away from the meet – but if it is a lifelong friend – check the credit vault first – maybe they have a big pile of credit in there they will by them a ‘seasons pass’ – maybe there’s enough credit in there to buy them a ‘lifetime pass’. Give credit – where credit is due.
Best wishes all,
JBW

Rest day ...

2009-10-12T12:11:00.004+11:00

A rest day today - after arriving home just after 3:00Am this morning from Perth. A huge four days, with visits to Launceston in Tasmania, Adelaide and Perth. I look forward to heading back again in early february of next year. I have to say, there is such a great standard on the mat - all throughout Australia. The last seminar I took in Perth for example, saw four black belts on the mat - a paradigm shift from a decade ago, when a blue belt was considered to be the 'go to' expert. Times have changed. A big thanks to Beau Forwood, Adam Newton, Paul Butler and Stewart Clayton and the others in Tassie. Thanks to Darren Cartwright for a great night in Adelaide and dinner afterward at the ever reliable PF Chang's. Thanks to my good friend Steve Stevenson, who wont read this due to his aversion to all things technological, for driving me around in Perth. Thanks to Manfred Bohmuller - those new MMA mats are absolutely awesome - my knees send their thanks as well! Thanks to Lance and Belinda Johnson - and congratulations on your coming upgrade to a full-time premises - well done! Thanks to Paul Marsden for organizing a great class as usual - and please pass on my best to your good old dad - what a trooper! He is a wealth of old-school knowledge! Thanks to Adam Metcalf - one of the best martial artists and coaches in the country - and finally, thanks to Troy Flugge - you have such a great mat culture going at Submission Factory - its a pure pleasure to be there. Nice to see Gerald Burton-Batty and stacey Wilson on the mat as well - big bonus.
The end of the year approaches with the velocity of a speeding bullet. Where has this year gone? Time flies my friends - I don't know how it goes with you, but for me - I have to put it in my schedule if I have any hope of it happening. I think 100 people asked me these past four days - when's the third and final installment in my Rogue Black Belt series coming out? Well, I put it is my diary for the first two weeks of JAnuary. So it should be done by early next year ... time, simply, has not been on my side. I took on a few extra little jobs in this second half of '09 - and in doing so, totally blew out my schedule. More of the smae awaits me over the next sic weekends! Love it! I am though, taking mondays off! Starting ... NOW!
JBW

Forever in Pursuit …

2009-10-06T14:46:00.002+11:00

Yesterday I watched an old film that I’m sure many of you have seen – Chariots of Fire - I loved that movie. For those who haven’t seen it – it focuses on the internal battles that a group of athletes must contend with in preparing for the Olympic games – and is set in the early part of last century. I’m confident in saying that anyone who runs seriously, would have to hold this movie close to their hearts.
The thing I liked most about the movie was the way it depicted the various athletes. They were all very, very different in the way they approached their competition. One was driven by an inner faith, an almost divine sense of purpose; another looked at the whole thing as a joyful experience, and win, lose or draw he ran with a huge open mouthed smile; and yet another, was driven by a burning need to win; his approach was a restless, heart-rendering affair that had little room for either joy, or faith.
I loved that about the film. The fact that each of these characters we’re all driven by very different motivators – and so it is with each of us. We are all driven to live our lives and embrace our training in different ways. For some of us, it is a deep, quiet, perhaps even a spiritual need – for others it is a form of pure joyous release – and for others again, it is a serious need to dominate, to chase after – to partake in the exercise of endless pursuit … the reasons that drive each us may well be different – but we are bonded in that we all share the ‘mat’ experience …

JBW

If LIFE was compressed down to a day – what time would it be for you now?

2009-10-04T10:30:00.003+11:00

If LIFE was compressed down to a day – what time would it be for you now?
For me, I would have just finished my evening meal. What! What did I just say? This is something that most people don’t want to think at all about – myself included – but hey, every now and then we should all take stock of where we are and how we are living our lives – for they are, FINITE things.
Say you will live to 75 years of age – and let’ say there are 15 waking hours in the day – how far are you through the 75 hours? Say only a third – (25 years old) – then go a third through the 15- and that means you’ve already been awake for five hours – you have already had lunch and are into your afternoon (if you slept in and woke at 9am). Don’t worry – you have till midnight till you turn into the proverbial pumpkin – but still, it makes you take notice right. Soon, you’ll be sitting down to dinner ….
The moral of this viewpoint is that we shouldn’t worry about the little things that gnaw away at us each week. We certainly shouldn’t allow ourselves to be distracted and overly focused on them, when there is precious LIVING to be done. The sands are running through our personal hourglasses – it is important to have clarity on what really matters to each of us. For me, the important things are time with my family, deep friendships, my martial arts training and other activities that bring me joy – also, it is important to me that I make a positive difference to the world in some way … my guess is that many of my readership have much the same kinds aspirations.
So put the small annoyances to the side and stride forward with passion and vigor. The is simply no stopping the sunset – and midnight arrives just six hours after that!
JBW

Ruts ...

2009-10-01T17:43:00.002+10:00

The thing about a Rut is that the more it is used – the deeper and more entrenched it becomes. Sometimes this can be a good thing – and at other times it can be an obstacle t creativity and new thinking.
Streams follow ruts and become rivers – people live in their ruts and crystallize their lives. On the mat, we can get stuck in our ruts and limit the development of our overall game; it’s healthy, ever now and then, to jump out of the ruts we travel in and head off across new landscapes.
The seductive thing about a rut, is the familiarity it offers. We can travel along without the need for too much thought. We find comfort and security in familiarity – and we have been hard-wired to do so for a long, long time. During the course of mankind’s history, following familiar routines, living with familiar people and eating familiar foods have increased our chances for survival; but it is certainly not how new ideas and friendships were formed. Discovering the new requires that we step outside of our ruts and embrace the unfamiliar. Certainly this comes at a price, but the new experience can be extraordinarily, even profoundly rewarding.
Children never walk in the ruts. They are always experimenting without fear of consequence or ridicule. Children are natural-born explorers; we can learn a lot from how they interact with the world.
For depth, stick to the rut – for breadth, take a step to the left …

JBW

Time Out ...

2009-09-30T08:07:00.002+10:00

By the time you read this, I will have returned, all being well, to the routines of my usual life. But right now, as I write this blog, I am actually in-transit, on one of my ‘time-out excursions’ far from the trappings of civilization.
I try to take one or two time-out trips each year. For me they an opportunity to gather my thoughts, let my collection of small injuries heal somewhat and commune with the world in a non-technological way (except for the act of writing up this blog). I enjoy remote places; I always have. I have hiked in the Himalayas, I have trekked across the vast green Mongolian steppe; walked the remote Arnhem Land escarpment, climbed over the southern Alps in New Zealand and swam up pristine rivers and through hidden gorges; I have limped across deserts, stalked through lush green jungles and camped out on desert islands. Remote places have star-filled skies; they are blanketed, at times in deep quiet; they remind me of who we are, as a species and allow for a better perspective and view of our place on this spinning globe.
As I write this blog, I watch the sun sink into the sea on an island in remote New Caledonia. Thoughts of my family run through my mind, as do thoughts of my school and my students. Each of us presents ourselves to the wider world in a certain way; but we all know there is far more to each of us than that which we hold up for public view. We have the face we present to our family, the face we present to our co-workers, the face we present to our employer or employees; etc – but at the end of the day, we are left with just our inner self – that aspect of us that rises to the surface when we are not under scrutiny or in the company of others. I think it is healthy practice to draw our various countenances closer in to the truth of who we are, so we act and behave with greater congruence and more in harmony with who we really are. Each of us, in any number of subtle ways, compromises, acquiesces, bends, gives, takes, pushes, forces and toils to make comfortable and workable lives for ourselves within our families, our work environments and our social networks – and at each and every interaction with another human being, we open ourselves up to the possibility of adding yet another layer of make-up to the face we present to the world. A part of the reason I like to get away and take my time-outs each year is that they provide me with the opportunity to discard some of the excess ‘build up’ and clean the inner-house so to speak. My guess is that most people spend quite a lot of energy conforming and presenting themselves to the world in the ways they think they should present themselves. This, no doubt, consumes a lot of energy and eventually starts to ‘weigh heavy’. I think many people turn to drugs and alcohol as a convenient means of shedding some of the excess weight they are constantly carrying around, if even only for a few hours. I myself, turn to the wilds …
JBW

Out of reach ...

2009-09-16T11:53:00.004+10:00

I am leaving early in the morning for ten days. I will be un-contactable for the next 10 or 11 days - and so, no posts. I have a had a great time the past few days with my good friend Rigan - life is good. With the competition over, I have done about 3/4 of my years work - so it's a lot more relaxed for me from now till years end.
I have never been very big on planning - and have only had to develop organizational skills out of necessity to accomodate my training and workload. I have pretty much always lived for the NOW - and I urge everyone to consider how little time we all have here on this spinning marble. None of us know how much time we have here, but it goes without saying that we all should strive to relish each and every moment of each day we have. Living for the weekend is not a way to live - living for the end of year holidays is my idea of 'hell on earth'. We should apply some of our mind to the future - as it has a way of arriving - but that should not stop us from wringing every drop of juice out of each and every day we have. Sta well everyone - all being well - I'll be back here in 11 days or so.
JBW

The trouble with Genius ...

2009-09-14T22:20:00.002+10:00

The term genius is a convenient label for the rather inconvenient collection of people who fall to the far right of the bell curve in any number of traits/skill sets. In my youth, much to my dismay, I underwent deep IQ testing and was found to fall into the 145+ group – consequently, I was thrust into a special class where we had to learn three languages, and do high math. The languages were never a problem for me – but the math was just puzzlement, disguised in maze of confusion … I just never got it. Eventually, my family moved, and thankfully I was transferred to a school that didn’t have a special class – and my life became significantly less stressful. All of that was a long time ago – and since then the way we think of intelligence has changed significantly (and in my humble opinion, for the better).
It is commonly understood now that there are many different types of intelligence. Some people are far to right on the bell curve with things like body-kinaesthetic intelligence, others excel at interpersonal relationships, others at verbal-linguistic, some at mathematical concepts, others at spatial-visual skills – perhaps we can even extend the idea to the realms of the spiritual and include things like, the ability to be happy, etc. The bottom line is that we now know that people excel in an amazing variety of ways; some people do better than average at business, others at relationships, some at problem-solving and others till at high math or physical skills. In days gone by, when we lived in tribal societies, everyone knew the best man (or woman) for the job – if you wanted to run down a gazelle, then Fred was your man, you needed to cure the snake-bite then Henrietta was your woman; need to make fire, go get Joe … and so on. No-one was expected to excel in all areas – individual people gravitated toward their strengths and most people had something that the could do better than most. We see this on the mat all the time; different students have different strengths, different weaknesses and therefore, different types of games. Extending this idea beyond the confines of the mat, it is perhaps worthwhile considering what each of our strengths are – in the shorter-term applying these strengths to the way in which we interact with the world – and in the longer term, how we can improve our weaknesses. It is very easy to focus on the former and put-off or ignore the latter. The trouble with a strong and well-0defined game on the mat, is that it can become difficult to put it aside and develop other areas of the game that are not so strong. And the same goes for life – strength or genius in one area often walks hand in hand with a serious deficit in another area. Great at business but bad at relationships? Gifted with BJJ but bad at stand-up? Amazing with math but bad at organizing your day? Such is the trouble with genius …
JBW

Weekend Over

2009-09-13T22:01:00.003+10:00

Well ... the competition is now over and we are in recovery mode.
Rigan held some fantastic seminars today in Melbourne, and the feedback has been absolutely great. Frank Monea presided over a school-owners meeting afterward and offered up an inspiring talk about building great school culture. Thanks Frank, what a great end to a great weekend.
Everyone I have spoken to throughout the day of the comp has told me it was the best run tournament they have ever seen. Thanks everyone, I appreciate your kind feedback.
The prize-packs were the best yet, the cash bonuses for the black belt division place-getters was very much appreciated and the whole event, wound up by just after 6pm - and that was with just over 325 competitors. Awesome. Rigan Machado commented that he absolutely loves coming out for the comp - and really looks forward to it every year.
I need to attend to my inbox now - there are dozens of e-mails from people showing their appreciation of the day, and I need to get back to them all.
I'll have the results posted up on the News page in a day or two.
Best wishes
JBW

Here's to a great day ...

2009-09-11T21:07:00.003+10:00

I's rather drink fruit juice than alcohol - so don't take this the wrong way: but, HERE'S TO A GREAT DAY for all those attending our Asia Pacific Championships in Melbourne. I picked up Rigan Machado from the airport this morning, and he is pumped for the competition. The last of the entries for the comp came in tonight (326 total) - and I have since finalized the draw and the various times that each division will kick off. I'd like to wish everyone a great day - compete well - make a few new friends and have fun. I'll see you all there.
For any logging on to this blog on saturday morning - the divisions will kick off as follows:

MATCH TIMES

All JUNIORS: 11am (Mats 1-4)

Male White Belt

Under 60 KG: MAT 2 @ 3:45pm
60-70 KG: MAT 2 @ 1:45pm
70-80 KG: MAT 3 @ 1:45pm
80-90 KG: MAT 4 @ 1:15pm
90-100 KG: MAT 1 @ 3:00pm
100 + KG: MAT 3 @ 4:15pm

Female White Belt

Under 60 KG: MAT 1 @ 2:15pm
60-70 KG: MAT 1 @ 1:15pm
Open White Belt: MAT 1 @ 4:00pm

Female Blue Belt

Under 70 KG: MAT 1 @ 1:45pm
Open Blue Belt: MAT 1 @ 1:00pm

Male Blue Belt

60-70KG: MAT 4 @ 12 noon
70-80 KG: MAT 2 @ 12:30pm
80-90 KG: MAT 4 @ 12:45pm
90-100 KG: MAT 3 @ 12:45pm
100+ KG: MAT 1 @ 12:45pm

Male Purple Belt

60-70 KG: MAT 2 @ 11:00am
70-80 KG: MAT 3 @ 12:00 noon
80-90 KG: MAT 2 @ 11:00am
90-100 KG: MAT 2 @ 12:00 noon
100+ KG: MAT 1 @ 12:15pm

Men’s Brown Belt:

Under 85 KG: MAT 1 @ 11:30am
Brown Open: MAT 1 @ 11:00am

Black Belt:

Under 85 KG: MAT 4 @ 11:00am
Black Open: MAT 3 @ 11:00am

JBW: Sept 11 - 2009

COUNTDOWN ...

2009-09-08T16:38:00.018+10:00

Tournament Countdown

In my household right now, it's COUNTDOWN time. Our Asia-Pacific Championships are this weekend and we have loads of work to do. My wife Melissa is an absolute powerhouse - she seriously does the work of five men. She has been an absolute demon with regard to our place-getter prize-packs .. we have cash prizes for the two Black Belt Divisions, plus shoes, for EVERY placegetter, as well as clothing, Gi's and other stuff - her office is jam-packed with Showbags! I am not allowed in there. Apparently, there is a system in place ... one that I am incapable of understanding.
We have more than 320 odd entries as of today - so (even in this economic 'downturn') we have surpassed last years numbers. We have better mats this year and a better mat-officials system. We will employ the use of mat-marshalls to facilitate the minimization of any down-time on the mats - if all goes well, our competition will wind up by 5pm. This is our goal, leaving people plenty of time to socialize and chow down before Rigan Machado's seminars the next morning.

On another note - we have 12 BLACK BELTS competing! This is far and away our best ever attendance by the Black Belts! it's shaping up to be an very exciting day. As of this evening, our cash prizes for the six Black Belt place-getters come to more than $2000. The monies will be distributed as follows: 1st Place: $600, 2nd Place: $300 and 3rd place: $200 for both Black Belt divisions - with the weight break at over and under 85kg.

The rest of my night will be spent calculating fight times - so competitors can easily check on the noticeboards we will have up, which mat they will be fighting on and at what times ... this makes it a way easier day for everyone.
Oh - a final note to any competitors reading this blog on friday ... the higher ranks will be fighting first - starting with the Black Belts! White belts will be on toward the end of the day. So get ready ...
It's back to work for me now - then I'll catch a few hours sleep before heading to the airport to collect Rigan ...
Best wishes all,
JBW