Next Couple Weeks

So for the next couple weeks I will be out of town. I'm traveling to a desolate place in New Mexico where there won't be much for training.  I am actually looking forward to taking a little time off to help recover from some injuries that have been bothering me.  So I will be packing my golf clubs and hoping to hit the links while I am away.  I am also working on some fun projects to me, and hopefully interesting projects to others, so during the next month I should get some time to work on them.  Hopefully by the end of summer I will have some great (or at least entertaining) reading for some of you.

Despite the plans of taking some time off, I spoke with  gentleman the other day and, I have tentatively scheduled my very first teaching seminar.  I am very excited about the opportunity and look forward to teaching a little Half-guard Hustle.
So if you are in the Roswell, NM area and wish to attend hit me up!

On another note.  I am excited to say that Fightlogs.com will be sponsoring BJJ Revolution Competitor M. Jay Petersen in the upcoming IBJJF Mundials!!  Jay is a great competitor and will be a force this year.

Hit Jay up on his Facebook an wish him luck!

http://www.facebook.com/mjpetersen


On top of all of this.....Happy Mother's Day to the best Mom I could possibly ask for.  In the 6 years of Jr. and Sr. High School I don't think she missed any of my sporting events and she even made a few in college (as I sat the bench).  Thanks Mom.

A Key to Growth

I have been teaching Jiu Jitsu classes for about two years now.  Teaching and coaching has great benefits, it improves skill, requires self improvement, and rewards in ways that personal achievements could never do.  Teaching others will increase an instructor's confidence in his training and his knowledge.  An instructor is his students number one place to go for information, and in their eyes he has all their answers. Often times because of the difference in experience and skill an instructor can seem like the BIG FISH in the water.  However, on days like today, I am reminded on just how little of a fish I really am and how immature my knowledge of the art really is.   Learning from the more experienced, the more knowledgable, the more skilled is a necessary uncomfort that is needed for growth.  This is needed to show us that there are many things yet to be accomplished and many lessons yet to be learned.

This type of learning is necessary to all of us in all areas of life.  Even if you are the number one salesman in your company, you could learn from the number one in your city. If you are the number one in your city you should seek out the number one in the state or region.  If you are the number one in the region seek out the number  one in the country.   I had a football coach tell me once that, "you shouldn't worry about being the best cornerback on the team.  Your goal should be to be the best cornerback in the conference. And your worry should be, how are you going to accomplish that?"

The great thing about athletics is the events and seasons can be small parodies of life.  Every four years there is an Olympic champion in many different sports.  These champions can call themselves the best in their sport.  However, every Olympic Champion still has a coach, or someone that can correct them, drive them, and humble them.  There is always someone that can teach you more than you know.

So if you're like me and occasionally find yourself with the false confidence that you really have knowledge about the subject.  I invite you to step out of your comfort zone and find someone to show you  exactly how little you know, and how small of a fish you are.

A little humility can go a long way...

This is the first post of the White Collar Choke blog.  This blog will cover a variety of topics from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to Business, from Defensive Tactics to Life Lessons and Motivations, and from Mixed Martial Arts to Personal Finance.

Thank you for taking the time to stop but White Collar Choke.  Make this a daily stop.