A New Adventure

In the last post, I mentioned a few new adventures. Well, the biggest one is linked to my earning the Blue Belt in Jiu-Jitsu.

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I've been enthusiastically practicing Jiu-Jitsu for the past year or so. To say that it has had a positive impact on my life is an understatement. I'm completely fascinated with the art and I am amazed at how the practice has had an impact on many aspects of my life - particularly my confidence. Having a boost in confidence has had an enormous impact on pretty much everything I do. Wanting to be good at it has made me focus on being healthy, of eating well, of resting, of being disciplined ... to some it may sound like a lot of hard work. However, what I've discovered is that when you have a passion, doing all those things that may seem like sacrifices to others just comes naturally to you. It's what makes you happy.

When I approach the mat, it intimidates me. I feel nervous because I don't know how I will perform. I know that in a few minutes I will have somebody heavier on top of me who is trying to put me in a submission hold. This intimidation, however, is what also fuels my excitement. It's like I'm doing an experiment on myself -- I want to know how I'll react. I want to see how calm I can remain under pressure. I want to see if I can execute the moves I've learned in the past to help me in the current situation. The intimidation helps me focus. It's what reminds me that to be good at something means more than just coming to one class and doing the moves. You've got to think about it, analyze it, and accept the challenges so that you can work to overcome them.

Since the move to London, I've been thinking really hard about what I want to do. I've always wanted to be a teacher. I knew when I was 16 and so I went on to pursue that line of work. My most fulfilling moments in life have been when I was able to help one of my students. It's a satisfaction that money can't buy. What's more is that I feel grateful to my students and totally blessed that I have had the opportunity to actually make a difference, no matter how small, in that person's life.

It's this feeling that has been on my mind since I moved to London. All I wanted to do was make a difference - in some shape or form.

... and now I've been given that opportunity.

There are no guarantees at the moment as the application process is lengthy and tough, but I'm studying and working towards completing the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Certification Program. In order to be eligible to even apply means that you have to earn a score of 90% or higher on your Blue Belt test (which I did), after which there are several other tasks you need to complete (e.g. videos of you doing certain moves, teaching certain classes etc), and it all culminates with a finally couple of days of training at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu headquarters in Torrance, CA.

Now, as I said, there are no guarantees. I need to perfect all the components of the training before I even get considered to go to CA in January ... plus, since I was accepted into the program kind of at the last minute, I only have half the amount of time (30 days) to get it all done ... but in my heart and in my mind, I want this so bad. As soon as I decided to apply and was accepted apply for the program (you can't just apply, you actually have to apply to apply!!), I haven't stopped smiling. It just feels like this is right for me. It feels like this could actually be the way I can fulfill my dreams of teaching and empowering others. How amazing would it be if I could pass on the very thing that has given me the strength and confidence to change my life? I am humbled by it all really. Even though I haven't been completely accepted or passed, just the fact that somehow I have ended up in this place where I could actually achieve something so significant makes me pause and feel so very blessed.

Wish me luck. It's a long road ahead.