Take Away My Medals & Belts (You Can't Take This Away)

Me receiving my 2nd stripe as a Black Belt from Coach Shawn.

Then you may have seen that I was promoted this past week by my coach.

And I received a lot of congratulatory messages. . .

Which I suppose were in order.

But at the same time. . .

I didn’t know what to say because I didn’t feel like congratulations was necessary.

Rank was never really important to me.

Exterior Goals are Just Different Now

As I’ve grown older I’ve reached a still point in my training.

I know I’m going to have good days and bad days.

When I compete I know I’ll win some and lose some.

And promotions will come. . . as they always have.

But this really isn’t important. What’s important For Jiu-jitsu, is simply being on the mat.

It’s about who we forge ourself into along the way.

The medals won, promotions received. . .

They become less valuable when compared to who we became in order to achieve them.

Winning a medal is worthless if you didn’t become a person able to win the medal.

Having a belt is an empty thing if we don’t have the skill and knowledge to back it up.

Exterior goals motivate us. . . as they should.

But after years and years of chasing exterior goals you look back to the center. . .

Yourself. . .

My 1st BJJ Competition

At a young age grappling showed me self reliance.

It helped me to believe in what I could do even when I didn’t think I could

It taught me the value of grinding away after something, for no other reason other than . . .I wanted it.

It showed me that lying beneath the surface there was so much more to me than I ever thought.

So you can take away my medals, my belts and my stripes.

But you cannot take away who I’ve become.

And as you move through your own path in grappling and in life.

As you achieve your own goals and climb your own mountains.

Someday you’ll realize (if you haven’t already). . .

That none of it even comes close to the person you transform yourself into.

The thing you were seeking. . . it was inside of you all along.

Keep training my friends, -Chewy

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