Current Belt/Rank:
Black Belt
What year did you start training?
2008
How did you get started?
My roommate in college was training at the time. He always talked about how amazing it was and he was in super good shape so I decided to try it out.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your training, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge for me in training martial arts, Jiu Jitsu in particular, is learning how to deal with “failure”. When I first started training I thought that I was supposed to beat all my training partners and not allow them to beat me. If I had a challenging or tough training session where I was submitted or “lost” I felt like I was failing. As I became more experienced I started to realize that if you’re trying new things and challenging daily you you’re going to struggle and that’s ok. Later on in my Jiu Jitsu career I embraced this mindset more and more and now if I have a challenging training session I think of it as a learning experience not as a failure.
What’s your favorite thing about training/teaching, and why?
My favorite thing about teaching and training is seeing the students grow and overcome challenges everyday.
What are your personal goals on and off the mat?
My number one goal on the mat is to be the best coach I can possibly be And to help our students reach their maximum potential. I try to use the lessons I’ve learned in jujitsu to improve my overall life and the lives of others.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
One thing about myself that most people would find surprising is that I am quite introverted by nature.
