Creating A Legacy: The Pursuit of What You're Passionate About

I started graduate school almost two months ago. It's a lot more work than college, but I love the material I'm learning. I feel like I'm learning the knowledge that I'll actually use once I get a job. I feel like I'm learning a lot, that I've become a sponge for knowledge once again. I feel as though I'm taking in enough and more to make me well-rounded, marketable, and even more interested and passionate about transportation and all things urban planning-related.

Now naturally, I'm training less. I'm writing less for Buddhasport. It takes weeks to get an article done because I write on study breaks, and training is no longer something I go to every day after work or only miss because of a big commitment. My time is now spent learning this new material, using the structure and framework of school to create a future path, or at least a substantial part of it. To show the world that I've accumulated enough knowledge and experience in two years to make an impact beyond the classroom and in the real world.

Not being able to write all the time and not being able to train as much as I like aren't fun. But at the same time, I get to spend all my time doing only things that I'm passionate about. My walk to class is spent largely listening to jiu jitsu podcasts and brainstorming for articles. Once I'm in class, my focus switches to the task at hand, learning as much as I can in 2.5 hours of lecture. Once I'm out of class, I'm either eating, training, writing for Buddhasport, or studying. Down time or relaxing is a meal in front of NetFlix or a brief break to write just one more paragraph in an article, maybe half a page if the idea is really good. The bonus? In each setting, I'm surrounded by people who are passionate about the same things I am, but are diverse in other aspects of their lives as well.

I still interview when I can, and even though I don't meet most of the people I interview in person, I feel like I'm "meeting" some of the people who have impacted my life the most. These people are from all walks of life and have made the martial arts a big part of their lives. I've always kept it a part of my life, and not always through competition; through writing, training, and covering events. Not everyone I speak to is a full-time competitor; some are balancing jobs and competing, some own brands, and some are artists. But they've all MADE time to train and spread the positive aspects of jiu jitsu or MMA because they want others to feel the same impact the art has had on their lives.

Writing about and covering the martial arts has become as much a cerebral as it has become an emotional process for me. When I covered Ring of Combat in September, I realized how different the fights are when you're so close to the cage, away from the crowds and comments and right up close to the fighters. To see the kind of training you've participated in (albeit in a much less intense setting for me!) taken to such a high level by such disciplined and passionate athletes is really something else. To see someone hit a combination, set up a takedown, or get the winning submission or knockout that you know they've practiced for hours in the gym is like nothing you can experience or explain. I've watched so many of these fighters come up through the amateur ranks and now through their early professional careers that I feel invested in them, invested in the sport in a different way than the competitor, but more than just a bystander. Watching how the loser truly walks away with nothing but the consolation of their team (assuming they had a decent turnout from their team) and how the winner is one step closer to their dream is something I can't describe; something that can only be witnessed, felt, and then understood.

When I interviewed Lou Neglia, the CEO and founder of the Ring of Combat MMA promotion, he pointed at my notebook and said "if that [writing] is what you love to do, then pursue it! Follow your passion and everything will fall in to place. Even if it's not your whole life, make room for it in your life." That stuck with me ever since he said that, and I've always made time to train or write no matter how busy I get. I'm currently typing up an interview with the brand 31Fifty, and the owner said that he doesn't run the brand full-time, because he had always wanted to be an X-Ray technician, so he's currently going to school to pursue that. He didn't want to give up on his dream even if there was an opportunity for him to run the brand full-time. He lives a busy but comfortable lifestyle in Northern California, running a company with a positive message, and alongside his wife, eagerly awaits the arrival of their baby boy. He now gets to pursue two things he loves, and has crafted a lifestyle based on his passions.

And that's what my goal is. To pave a path that allows me to pursue what I'm passionate about, to meld together what I enjoy doing and what I have to do to make a living. Writing, training, and urban planning are all dimensions of my life that will constantly change their level of importance and portion of my time they take up, each one will always be there in some way, shape, or form. Some people have fully committed to one thing in their life; I know jiu jitsu competitors who have truly made training and competing everything they do, and people who are so passionate about their work that it encompasses almost all of their energy. While that's definitely one way to go about pursuing your passion (I don't object to that way if it makes you happy) I feel very fortunate to be involved in many things that are shaping my present and future career paths.

And I'm working on another very special project that I hope to launch sometime in 2014, so stay tuned! Hint: women's grappling without all the pink and flowers :)

Slump, Big Time Slump

I lost my first match in the NY Summer Open yesterday. I lost 2-0, she either pulled guard and immediately swept or got a takedown, I honestly don't remember. I spent the rest of the match defending until the time ran out from bottom half.

I have not won a single gi match since the Renzo Open in December 2011. This is pretty upsetting to me because I've made a lot of changes since getting my blue belt in terms of training, diet, and general competition preparation. I'm in much better shape, am in a new weight class (featherweight), and am training 5-6 days per week, sometimes twice a day, with additional strength and conditioning thrown in. Here are some of the things I think might be contributing to my losses/losing streak:

- when I was at Shaolin's in 2012 (before my job switch forced me back to NJ for training), I was VERY stubborn and got frustrated very easily. I was able to change this aspect in the fall of 2012.
- switching schools- after I left Shaolin's, I began training at Jason Scully's academy. Jason has now closed his school, and due to the way I saw the school was operating, I left about a month before he shut the doors of the academy. I am moving in August for grad. school, so I'll be switching schools yet again!
- technique. Of course, technique is something we all work on
- aggression. I've had training partners tell me I'm not aggressive enough when rolling in class. I think this is because sometimes I think "I'm so much smaller than all these guys, what's the point in being aggressive if I'm just going to get overpowered?"

The first one is more or less resolved, the second I have minimal control over, the third is something I'm actively working on, but the last one is the biggest problem. I had much more killer instinct (to the point of it being a problem) when I was a white belt and a very early blue belt. I seem to have lost it for some reason and I'm not sure why. I want to win and I want to do well, but pulling the trigger in competition seems to be a problem for me. My conditioning/gas tank is very good, as I do a lot of outside conditioning and am rarely tired or unable to attack when rolling.

I'm was going to do a Grappler's Quest in NJ this week, but cutting to 119 is going to be very tough for me right now, and I have some cauliflower ear I need to take care of. I'm going to spend at least a week off the mat to take care of my ear and refocus myself. When I get back on the mat, I'm going to make a VERY conscious effort to go as hard as possible without being spazzy or careless.

Meeting John Danaher

One of the upsides of now training at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Holmdel is that I get to drop in at the Manhattan school at no extra cost. My work schedule allowed me to take the 1pm class today, which was taught by John Danaher. For those who don't know, John is a highly sought after BJJ instructor, and coaches many MMA greats like Georges St. Pierre and has a unique background. He came to American from New Zealand to get his Masters degree in philosophy from Columbia University. This gives him a really unique way of explaining techniques and understanding BJJ.

John explained the takedowns and techniques we did in class very clearly, but looked around as the class did them as opposed to walking around. However, this doesn't mean he wasn't carefully observing us; after class ended, I came over and spoke to him and he pointed out a couple of things he noticed I was doing. He asked a little bit about myself, and I explained that I was one of Rolles' students from Holmdel, but worked in the city. We discussed what I did at work, and I explained that I'm a program coordinator at Fordham Law School. It was then that I saw that John and I see things in a similar light. We got in depth about how my boss helped write the constitutional amendment for Presidential succession, and how brilliant you have to be to understand the law at that level. While he referenced my boss's likely "encyclopedic knowledge" we agreed that at the highest level is where the application, understanding, and dissemination of that knowledge is what separates the elite from just the smart.

And that's where I began speaking about my journey in jiu jitsu. I explained my rut to him; that I hadn't won a gi match since December 2011, and he immediately asked if I felt any turning points. I thought for a second and then explained that I am starting to learn how to set up moves instead of forcing them. Throughout 2012, I tried to force moves in competition instead of looking for openings. Now with every pass, sweep, and submission I learn, I try and learn it in context; what to look for, how to set it up, and what to watch out for.

I also mentioned how I am no longer intimidated by my opponents. How I used to obsessively check the registration list, how I would freak out if I saw a big name like Alliance/Gracie Barra/CheckMat, etc. on the list and immediately defeat myself. He made the point that you are "fighting a person, not their reputation".

He thanked me for speaking with him and said he looked forward to seeing me at future classes. It was reassuring to know that the way I approach jiu jitsu now has been used effectively by someone else and isn't as overly analytic as others have led me to believe. Too bad his private lessons run at 150/hour!

Slump

I lost my first match at the New York Open by a referee decision and my first match at the Big Apple Open by 5 points and 1 advantage.

To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. It occurred to me after I lost at the Big Apple Open that I haven't won a gi match in a tournament since December 2011 at the Renzo Open. That's 8 tournaments that I've been eliminated in the first round. The first three times I lost after December 2011 it was by points, decision, or advantages, then I lost by armbar submission, then began losing by points/advantages/decision again.

In 2012, I took a break from May to October to not compete and just focus on improving. I feel that I've improved during training; I have better body awareness, have a better idea of my own strategy, and feel like I've learned some important details in several techniques. I've dropped to featherweight after my weight naturally changed and feel much more comfortable and healthy; I've never had to starve myself or doing anything crazy to make featherweight; I just avoid junk food and alcohol. Despite all these things, it clearly has not carried over in to the competition aspect. I think part of this is the aggression factor. "Pulling the trigger" in terms of going 100% is a tough thing to do, because there is fear of injury, fear of being a jerk, or simply not being used to going that hard if not everyone chooses to compete. I remember when I trained at Shaolin's, he put the people who were competing on one side of the class so they could roll hard against each other without any of the issues I just mentioned.

Additionally, it's been a rough few months of training. The school I was training at is now set to shut down. In the 6 or so months leading up to this, our instructor began teaching less and less, and sometimes did not even show up to class. A purple belt with the key would then hurry in ten minutes late and end up holding an open mat. Slowly, the school turned from a structured atmosphere in to one with more open and less structured training. I left the school about a month ago because it simply wasn't a structure that I could thrive in; I have no ill will towards the school owner and wish him the best in whatever he chooses to pursue.

I don't blame anyone but myself for poor performance. When you step on to the mat, it's just you. If there is something bad going on, it's your job to fix it before you compete, and maybe I should have switched earlier or sought out different resources so I could improve.

I am now training at the Renzo Gracie Academy in Holmdel, NJ. It's only about ten minutes away from my house, and there are several black belts as well as a great brown belt who teach class. I am also allowed to drop in at Renzo's in New York City for no additional fee, so I can complement my training the days I'm working in NYC and can't make it home on time. The switch has been pretty seamless, and some of my friends from my old academy are at Renzo's with me and are happy. Unfortunately, since I'll be attending graduate school at Rutgers University in the fall, I will have to switch schools yet again! The inconsistency of switching schools has definitely slowed me done in some aspects, but I'm much happier now.

I'll be doing the IBJJF NY Summer Open and possibly a Grappler's Quest at the end of July. I'm hoping that this new structured training environment will help me develop a game plan and that I'll be less preoccupied with other factors.

Jiu Jitsu Is (Or Can Be) Selfish

I recently spoke to one of my friends who is moving back home and coming back to train with me at Jason Scully's academy. He was previously training full-time; he trained three times per day and competed all the time. He trained at Jason's for a long time, but left with Jason's blessings after finding an opportunity to train full-time and compete as much as he could.

I spoke with this friend online and he said that he realized he didn't want jiu jitsu to be his entire life. He will always want jiu jitsu to be a big part of his life, but not his entire life. He told me there are so many things he wants to do and see, and training full time gets in the way of that. Training that much often doesn't allow you the opportunity to go to school, see your friends/family/significant other much, work a regular 9-5 job, or even go out and eat/drink if you're watching your weight for a tournament. Most likely, you're probably very tired throughout the day because of training and don't even have the energy to do a lot of those things.

It becomes more difficult to relate to others as you let jiu jitsu take over your life. I find it very hard to relate the intricacies of jiu jitsu, the fun and rush of competing, the thrill of learning new techniques, or even just explaining why certain jiu jitsu matches are exciting (because let's face it, unless you train, watching competition footage is definitely a "WTF is that, I don't get it" moment for a lot of people) to people who don't train. It's hard for others to understand why you've chosen not to go out and drink that night or why you're forgoing the dessert so you can make weight. Because for others, it just doesn't make sense. Most people who play sports after college are doing so in a casual recreational league atmosphere where people are balancing their lives with their activity of choice, not balancing their sport with their lives, as is done in BJJ.

Now this isn't to say that it isn't possible to work and go to school and still train full-time and be successful. Pulling Guard Zine recently published an article that shows Justin Rader's schedule. He works 40 hours a week, goes to school, trains, does strength and conditioning, and is one of the most successful BJJ competitors in the country and the world! So is it possible? Yes.

But my main point here is that jiu jitsu is/can be selfish. Training and competing primarily benefits yourself. You're constantly focusing on your own progress, strength, health, and mindset all as it relates to jiu jitsu. For those who work 9-5 jobs, practice is often soon after work meaning he or she doesn't get home to the family or significant other until late. You do, of course, end up building a strong school or team because your hard work pushes others on the mat, but in terms of your relationships off the mat, jiu jitsu certainly takes away from them to a certain degree. Of course, many other things in life can have this effect, like a job that requires long hours, but I think most people are more used to balancing something like a job (which is more necessary and financially beneficial, unless BJJ is your job).

I also recently noticed that jiu jitsu pushed out some of my other hobbies. I rarely pick up my guitar anymore, or read a new book that isn't martial arts related. I've been making a conscious effort to bring these things back in to my life and balance them with training. Reading has been the easiest one since I have a 1.5 hour commute to work each way!

So am I saying jiu jitsu is bad? That you should quit because of these aspects? No. But I am saying this "selfish" aspect of it is something that I've noticed and have tried to keep in mind.

Strength and Conditioning

One thing I've been adding to my training repertoire lately has been strength and conditioning.  I had never really done strength and conditioning outside of just training before winter of this year.  I saw many of the higher level belts at the school doing pull ups, sandbag exercises, and other lifts/exercises to help increase their strength for BJJ.

For a long time, I thought that just rolling a lot would help me develop BJJ-applicable strength.  However, most competitors are on some type of regimen.  I don't have access to a gym, so I've been working on developing my own setup without the use of a gym.  I thought about posting all the exercises here, BUT I am not a health/fitness professional and therefore don't feel comfortable posting my regimen in case it isn't the best one you can do.  I have, however, been using a bulgarian bag, which I've found VERY useful.  It makes you utilize your core to stay upright and you can work pretty much any and every muscle in your body using all the exercises.  I received mine as a present and it came with a DVD, so I've been working from that.

If you're interested in starting a strength and conditioning regimen, it's probably best to talk to your coach, as he/she has better knowledge about where to go, especially if he/she was/is a big competitor. I received most of my knowledge from my training partners, and have been satisfied with the results so far.  And as always, be very careful when starting a new exercise regimen, as taking it up too high too fast can cause injuries!

Training at Other Schools

It's been a while since I updated this, but between work, the commute and BJJ, I just come home and pass out! I think I've said this before, but I have to work a minimum of 43 hours a week. It's an AmeriCorps funded to position, so to ensure that I get 43 hours per week, I have to sometimes do community service projects on the weekends to ensure I get enough hours in- I need 1700 by the end of June between work and community service projects! BJJ is definitely keeping me sane and balanced through the early morning train ride in, the working day, and the late train ride home.

I think most people who do BJJ, if not all, feel a pretty strong sense of loyalty to their gym and their coach. This is natural and to be expected. Your coach is the person who pushes you to get better, shows you techniques, and supports you in competition. You also probably have teammates that you're friends with. They are as important as your coach and they often push you (literally) on the mat and help you to get better as well.

However, I think you are closing yourself off if you ever only choose to train at your own gym. Now if your gym is the only one in the area, one can't expect to drive several miles just to find somewhere else to cross train. But in more densely populated areas like New York and New Jersey, there are a plethora of gyms. Training with other people is important for the following reasons:

- exposure to other teaching styles and techniques. Your instructor might favor a certain style (spider guard, half guard, etc.) and it's good to get exposure to what other instructor's strengths are. This is also why seminars are a good idea

- training with other students sharpens your game. After a while, you can figure out what your training partners' strengths and weaknesses are, making rolling a little more predictable

- for women, it's tough to find other women to roll with, so going to other gyms is a good idea

I'm not saying you should equally split your time between 2 or 3 gyms. But I am saying that maybe once a month, you should go check out the classes or open mat at another school. During nogi class at Shaolin's a couple of weeks ago, Alex, one of Shaolin's purple belts was teaching class. He clarified that our open mat on Sundays is open to EVERYONE- from white belts to black belts, men, women and students from other schools. He made the point that the more you train with other people, the better you're going to get. You're going to be exposed to so many different styles and setups that you'll be rounded. He went so far as to say it's easier to progress in BJJ in NYC because there are so many different schools and therefore more training partners and opportunities to improve. I'd never thought of it that way and it makes sense.

Having trained with three different coaches in the past 6 months alone has showed me the value of cross training. At Traven's there was an awesome, consistent group of women to train with and that's where I first began training BJJ consistently, thus setting a solid base. At Jason's I learned to focus on competition gameplans, balance gi and nogi, and was forced to roll with people much bigger than me because there were fewer women on the mat. At Shaolin's I feel as though I am really improving my half guard and getting more opportunities to train because I can roll in the beginners classes and drill and roll in the advanced classes. All three of these black belts are AMAZING coaches and each gym is a unique experience that will ultimately improve my jiu jitsu.

Balancing Work and BJJ

Last week was my first week of work. I really like what I'm doing; I help recruit retired lawyers do nonprofit work and give legal advice to low income families in New York City. There's a big learning curve but it's all very interesting and I'm learning a lot about the field. Plus, all my co workers are very welcoming and knowledgeable. Plus, I work at Fordham Law School's Feerick Center for Social Justice and I've met Mr. Feerick himself multiple times! What's been equally challenging is balancing work and BJJ.

It's more difficult than I expected. I get out of work around 5:45-6pm and then head over to Shaolin's. It's only one subway stop away and a 3 block walk. I stay until 7:30 or 8:30pm, depending on if Shaolin asks me to stay for the beginner's class and drill/roll with the other girls. If I get out at 8:30 (which I did this entire week), the next train I can catch is at 9:38pm, which gets me home by 10:45pm. At this point, I still need to shower and make sure I'm prepared for the next day of work.

This is pretty late considering I get up at 5:45am to catch a 7:12am train to NYC which gets in at 8:15am. I'm sure you're thinking 5:45am is pretty early for a 7:12am train, but I leave at around 6:45am to account for any traffic, plus I'm really slow in the morning. A couple of nights I've only had 4 or so hours of sleep, which I know I cannot keep up long term and still perform well at work. I've also cut it pretty close in terms of packing all my gear and getting to the train station on time. I haven't had any issues thus far, but I don't want there to ever be issues, especially since this is my first job.

I think it's best I do the following things to be efficient about training and commuting:

- shower at the gym so I don't waste time waiting at the train station and showering at home that late

- pack my lunch and dinner, gi, mouthguard, etc. the night before so I won't be so rushed in the morning

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that if I'm feeling tired or overworked, then don't train! This is very tough for me because you'd probably have to shoot me to keep me away from training, but it's not worth risking performance at work just so I can train. I had to miss class on Wednesday and I was definitely sad about it, but I need to make sure I can balance everything.

Brief Training Hiatus

I haven't been on the mat for more than a week now. Between job interviews, family visiting from out of town this past week, and going on vacation this coming week, I really haven't had time to train. Of course I love spending time with my relatives who are visiting from England, but it is frustrating not being able to train. I've been trying to stay in shape by going running as much as I can. It's quite convenient living across the street from a park, so I just head over each day when it's not too hot out. I've finally built up running 7 miles at a time, but the past few days have been tough.

I've realized that once you are forced out of the groove of training regularly, it is very easy to become lax on staying in shape. Since we have guests over there is A LOT of good food around and despite all the running I am doing I know it's just not the same workout BJJ provides me with. But on the bright side, I am missing BJJ for some things that are ultimately going to benefit me more in the long run. I've had some very promising job interviews lately and I am hoping for some promising results in the near future. Both are in New York City so I'd have to find a new place to train, but NYC is chock full of BJJ talent. Off the top of my head, I can name Marcelo Garcia, Renzo Gracie's school (he doesn't normally teach there but the instruction is obviously legit) and Vitor Shaolin BJJ (my personal favorite). There are also quite a few in the outer boroughs, so I'll really have my pick of where to train. But I've got to get that job first! :)

Hopefully I will begin to blog more about training once I start up again in about 8 days or so.

Training Full Time

My instructor has fallen sick, so no BJJ today or yesterday. I decided to once again try to break in my Vibrams, which is putting my calves in a ton of pain! I totally see how the vibrams change the way you run though, and the trails around my house aren't too gravelly so I can run with no pain on my feet. I'm hoping that I won't need to go back to traditional running shoes now.

On Sunday, I found out that one of my teammates had just moved to Camp Springs, Maryland to train full time under Lloyd Irvin. For those who don't know, Lloyd Irvin runs one of the most successful Jiu Jitsu teams in America. He has garnered some controversy amongst BJJ traditionalists, as Lloyd gained his black belt relatively quickly, and has produced some to black belt rather fast as well. Some of his more famous students are JT Torres, Mike Fowler, and Tracy Goodell. Tracy went from blue to brown in only one year. Lloyd was a businessmen before he entered the Jiu Jitsu world, and therefore has the money to give students a living stipend so they can train full time.

I think a lot of people at some point have wondered what it would be like to train full time. I certainly have wondered what it'd be like. And while BJJ is a lot of fun, I could see doing it full time as being somewhat stressful. I don't know if Lloyd provides his students with health insurance, but there are bound to be injuries training full time and it's risky to put all your eggs in one basket like that and then get injured. There is the risk of burnout like there is in any other sport. I've been doing some form of martial arts since I was 8 and have yet to burn out, but it is something to keep in mind. There are few people other than Lloyd who have really made BJJ into a full on career. After competing for many years, I imagine most black belts aspire to run their own academies. Running an academy is quite an endeavor, and I can only imagine how tough it is to keep the costs of a gym afloat, pay the instructors, and have some left for the owner. I think this is why many black belts hold seminars and charge anywhere from 60-150 per person.

On an emotional level, would I train full time? I'm 22 and currently unemployed- of course that sounds awesome! But from a levelheaded perspective, someone like me essentially becoming a professional athlete and then trying to piggyback off of it into a career is a bit far fetched. Plus I have this degree I'd like to use someday, plus eventually get a masters.

I can only imagine what my parents' reaction would be if I told them my college degree was going out the window to jiu jitsu!

Laziness

One of my biggest pet peeves is laziness. I don't mean getting up late on the weekend or pressing the snooze button a couple of times. I have two definitions of laziness. One is when there is a distinct lack of motivation in someone that prevents them from improving their lives. The second is when someone has someone else do something they know they can do, but just don't feel like doing it.

The first reason is one of the reasons I choose to do BJJ and remain an active person. I think it's very easy to fall into the trap of coming home from school/work, sitting in front of the TV, eating dinner and/or having a beer, and then going to sleep. Believe me, there are some days I came back from class/school/interning and all I wanted was a nap! (which I totally did when I was injured) :p But I've found that some of my best training days are those days when I felt tired and did not feel like going to train. Part of that is probably because when you're tired, you really don't feel like doing something and thus often have low expectations.

But (especially in jiu jitsu), there is also a drive to not only remain active, but to improve. It's hard to measure improvement when you go to the gym outside of the way you look in the mirror. There are only so many ways to perfect your squats or dead lifts in terms of technique and weight. But in BJJ, you improve (in my opinion) in every class. Whether it's the repetition of drills, or working to pull off the same move on different people, you're improving your jiu jitsu.

Competition at the Blue Belt level

The one good thing about not having a full time job yet is that I have time to train! I'm back going to BJJ about 5 times per week and love every minute of it. The good thing about my new academy is that they balance gi and nogi training very well. I have the opportunity to train in both styles without losing leverage in either.

I am considering competing at a Grapplers Quest event coming up on June 18th. Since I've only been a blue belt for such a short time, I'm debating whether I should do it or not. Competition never hurts, but I'd hate to pay and only have one match. I've also realized that when you're competing above the white belt level, there is going to be a bigger gradient of experience. People don't often stay at white belt for more than 1.5 years, but people will remain at the higher belts often for more than 2 years. I could be going against a blue belt on the verge of getting her purple. I think it's important for me to get out there, see what the level of competition is like, and work on my weak points after my match.

Since I'm back living at home, I have less control over my diet. When I was at school, I could cook whatever I wanted and could cut weight appropriately. Even if I do cook at home, it's not normally for myself, but for my entire family. I think I might start cooking different meals for myself so I can cut weight appropriately. The good thing is that I'm not far off from my weight limit, so I have plenty of time to come to the right weight.

I'm also thinking about doing the No Gi Pan Ams in the fall. They are held in New York City, so it's only a train ride away for me. I'll see where I am at the end of the summer. I imagine a lot will depend on where I'm working, if I have enough time to train, and how much I can expand on my no gi game.

Why I Train: My Journey in Martial Arts

I think this is a good topic to cover, as people venture into martial arts for a variety of reasons, and it always seems to lead to an interesting story.

I started training when I was ten years old. I had glasses and braces, not to mention I was pretty shy. I was not, and am still not, naturally athletic. I was always picked last in gym class, and secretly hoped that karate would make me more athletic. Gym time was literally the most embarassing moment of my day. As if the glasses cord I had to wear wasn't bad enough, I could barely kick a ball or swing a bat! My mom signed me up for karate classes at a local gym after I saw the commercials on TV. I really wanted to sign up after seeing the flashy kicks on TV!

After my first class on July 5, 1999, I was hooked. I loved wearing my gi and proudly hung it on my bed every day. I remember being upset that we went on vacation at times because I couldn't train! I learned kicks, punches, katas, and even did woodbreaking. I remember seeing the sign up sheet for an in house tournament, but was too embarrassed to ask my parents to sign me up. I didn't have the guts to tell my parents I wanted to get out there and spar with other students.
The progression of belts at my school were as such: white, blue, yellow, green, red, brown and finally black. My first competition was at yellow belt; I think I was about 12. I chose to compete in kickboxing. The girl I competed against was taller than me and had a higher belt rank. My parents videotaped the match. I lost in an embarrassing fashion; I remember my eyes were barely open for most of the match and I threw a few punches while trying to remain in the game. I came home and crawled into bed so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone about what had happened.

When I was about 13 or 14, I began doing some nogi grappling. This was still at the karate school. I remember HATING it. I thought the movements were weird, and they didn't click with me at all. I did it because it was part of the curriculum, but not because I liked it.

I received my black belt in karate on October 15, 2005. I continued to train in karate and nogi until I graduated from high school. My training definitely tapered during my senior year of high school because of college applications and AP classes. I didn't train at all during my first 2 years of college except when I came home on break. I didn't have a car at school and had no way to get to a gym. I figured I'd pick up rowing to stay active. I liked rowing during my first year, but I was really beginning to miss martial arts. As you can imagine, rowing is also a little more boring! Rowing is a great sport and I commend all those who do it, but it just wasn't for me.

After my last rowing practice, I looked up the local BJJ/Muay Thai/MMA schools down here in Atlanta. I came across Unit 2, and was pretty stoked to see that Roberto Traven taught all the BJJ classes. I knew who Traven was because he had fought in the earlier UFCs and has a very impressive grappling resume. However, I entered with full intentions of primarily pursuing muay thai and doing BJJ on the side. My first muay thai and BJJ classes kicked my butt! I awkwardly stumbled through the traditional BJJ warmup, and was surprised to find out that no leg locks/kneebars were allowed until you were at least a purple belt. At the time, leg locks were a big part of what I knew, so it was definitely frustrating for me. I was sweating and out of breath by the end of each class.

When I came back after summer break for my third year of college, I started taking lots of Muay Thai with the occasional BJJ class. I trained about 3-4 times per week. At this time, I completely revamped my diet and began eating much more healthily. I had never been an unhealthy person, but I definitely became more careful about what I chose to eat. After a few months of hard training, I fought in my first muay thai smoker and won by TKO in the second round!

I then decided to give Muay Thai a break and began taking more BJJ. Unit 2 is fortunate enough to have a women's class, so I attended that in addition to the regular BJJ classes. A couple of girls who had also done Muay Thai were also beginning to take more BJJ classes, so it was a nice transition. I instantly became hooked on BJJ; I ditched the leg locks and began working on improving my BJJ game. Visits to muay thai class became less and less frequent. I competed in my first BJJ tournament in February of 2010. I got second place, losing to my teammate in the finals. I was upset to have lost, but definitely happy about second place.

Since that tournament, I've become completely hooked on BJJ. It's tough to balance BJJ and Muay Thai and be good at both. I compete as often as I can. I had an injury that sidelined me from September 2010-December 2010, but am finally back on the mat after months of physical therapy and rest. Getting back into shape sucked, but I feel great now!

I guess that means I've been training BJJ for about a year now. I'm currently a white belt under Roberto Traven down here in Atlanta, but will soon be moving home as I graduate from college in less than a month. Quite honestly, part of the reason I am sad to leave Atlanta is because I love training down here. Traven and the rest of the coaches are top notch, and I have some awesome training partners. Not to mention the women's program has grown from having 1-3 people show up at any given class to about 10 consistent people who show up and are serious about training. I couldn't ask for a much better training environment or much better instruction. However, I look forward to continuing to train and compete once I return home. A job after graduation might be nice too...