#deftacalabang

Do what you love and share that joy with others.

This candid shot pretty much describes how much I love and enjoy doing jiu-jitsu and having the opportunity to impart whatever I have to others. More than techniques, it brings me great joy to share the happiness jiu-jitsu brings. 

We start doing something because we enjoy and have fun doing it. We then fall in love with what we enjoy doing. We become passionate about what we love, that we want to get better at it. This consumes us and not only become what we do but become part of us and who we are.

This is what I call love for the game or being passionate about what we do.

Last night, my daughter asked me if she can join me for training. I’ve never forced, requested nor even asked her to do jiu-jitsu and yet she asked to join me last night. I brought her along to class and she joined in the warmup doing the rolls and mobility movements, which was pretty amazing. She didn’t get intimated with the adults around her and just did our warmup with a smile. She even asked enthusiastically, if she can join in the techniques. Professor Pichon taught her a couple of movements, which she did with no fuss. At the end of training, we passed by for ice cream as her treat before going home.

Transition as defined by Merriam-Webster is “a movement, development, or evolution from form, stage or style to another”. 

In jiu-jitsu, I personally believe that transition is as important as any other move such as guard passing. When you pass the guard, it is not just enough that you break the guard but for you to transition to a more secure and favorable position such as the side mount, mount or getting the back. Basically, transitions move you from one position to a better one. I’m not really here to talk about specific techniques or moves but the principles behind it. What I personally believe and always share with my students is to always understand the principles and how things work. Instead of just getting every detail in just for the sake of just doing it, understand why it works and how to make it happen. If those parts/details are not available at that time, they can adjust and use something else that would serve the same purpose. Since we are talking about transition and change, no matter how times change and trends evolve the only thing that will stand the test of time is PRINCIPLES. This is true not only for jiu-jitsu but also for life. 

On a personal note, a LOT of things have transpired for me this past year in jiu-jitsu. I have been attending BJJ class for the past 4 years and here I am now teaching and coaching a chapter together with my good friend and partner. I will forever be a student of the game and I am truly grateful for the knowledge and skill continually being imparted to me by my team mates, who are my extended family. Just the same way, I also continue to learn new things from our students by offering something out of the box or convention. Being a coach taught me a lot of things and helped me become a better person. Being a father definitely helped me cope up with this relatively new role of being a coach. I always co-relate jiu-jitsu and life as one and I believe that they are integral. I’ve always believed that who you are on the mats is who you are in real life. Me and my good friend were discussing that there is truth on the mats and they never lie.

*here I am coaching my students, who were competing for the 1st time, and teammates standing right behind them. photo credit goes to the @thefoodgrappler

“You are in integrity when the life you are living on the outside matches who you are inside.” -Alan Cohen

  As a father, I always want to be there for my children especially when they need support and guidance the most. Sometimes we think too far of doing something extraordinary but the simple truth is just that all we have to do is be there for them. It is sometimes just the presence they need and know that they have a strong pillar to lean on and everything will be alright. From simply being there for my daughter’s softball game and staying beside them while learning to balance on a bike. As for jiu-jitsu, I try and do the same thing, I try to be there for my students on tournaments and push them to be at their best regardless of result. I am not saying I am the best coach but what I know is that I will always be there for my students and stand by them, the same way I will always stand by my kids. Our presence is by itself a present.

*here is my daughter, focusing and practicing her swing before her turn to bat. I just love the focus and intensity in the look of her eye. 

*after falling a couple of times, no more training wheels! nothing more fulfilling to see your daughter biking by herself for the 1st time. Confidence and skill comes from being there on their growing stages.

Last night was also a milestone in my jiu-jitsu life, I was very honored to be promoted to purple belt by three of our black belts (Alvin Aguilar, Pichon Garcia and Allan Co). Promotion is earned when there is an improvement in skill and technique, which we all should constantly strive for. Training jiu-jitsu for almost 5 years taught me more than just moves and techniques. Jiu-jitsu taught me, through the people around me, that when one is promoted, that person transitions to be a better person. My goal like I always mention is quite simple, to evolve and be a better person than I was yesterday and hopefully make a positive impact on the life of others along the way. 

“True happiness comes from meeting life’s changes and overcoming challenges while remaining true to ourselves, knowing that we have lived our lives to the fullest, that we have valued others and that we’ve made our planet a better place.” -Julian Burke

I’d like to share a post by one of our students, Jomz, from our humble gym, Deftac Alabang. If there’s something we should share, it is positivity and good vibe. I thank our student Jomz for the heartwarming message. For me, one of the greatest fulfillments is to make a positive change in someone’s life.

 Jiu-jitsu offers more than just an exercise, more than just techniques aside from being fun. It offers richer rewards such as fulfillment and being the best person you can be. By no means is it easy and will make you quit. It is in fulfilling what is difficult, that we break from our comfort zone and be the best that we can be. 

A day of training at our Deftac Alabang.