Just Being Thankful

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At a talk in The WASPS NEST gym (2341) Jason De Rothschild talks about reigniting ones self and passion for an art form not everyone can understand.

The place was pretty empty. It was almost closing and Jason just happen to be talking to me as we were moving from his office to the front door. The gym had a mist hanging around it like an early morning fog. The sound of a sole fighter hitting the speed ball bettering his skills echoed through the concrete casket that held the WASPS NEST. Jason looked all around. No one ... The place was empty except for that one soul, sweating his heart out, manipulating his fists and arms to go as fast as one can on a piece of cowhide built to increase ones speed.
Jason - Thats Anderson Lee. Anderson. He just moved here from Brazil. He wanted to make in the fight game. He�s got a good amateur record, and all that but what I really like about him is, he is dedicated. You just don't up everything and move half way around the globe to do something. That takes a lot of heart, a lot of love. It takes dedication. This kid really believes. I remember first seeing him in Rio in a BJJ gym. Back then I knew he could be something.
Taking a trip to Brazil can be a life changing experience. For you or for someone you could meet. It should come as no surprise that a trip to Rio would re ignite ones passion for jiujitsu. I decided to do less weight training which here in the US is a big part of BJJ and more training to develop smooth jiujitsu based on leverage, blind timing and reading and feeling my opponent's energy and direction change. And more importantly, I changed have changed my attitude towards training at the WASPS NEST. Back then I would be so serious about training - NO FUN at all. Nothing mentality all mechanical. Well that was until I met Anderson.

You see Brazilian black belts appear to have a very different approach compared to western BJJ. It is part of their lifestyle and they just went to the gym because it felt good. Instead of intense pressure on having to improve all of your game immediately, they just got on the mat, enjoyed rolling with their friends and along the way,...managed to develop some great jiujitsu! I have never seem such fulfilled looks in my life. And Anderson was one of those kids. He would just love rolling with his friends not thinking of anything just enjoying, enjoying his friends, laughing. Just having fun.

I experienced some perfect days down there in Rio. Getting up to the surf crashing outside my window. I�d reach for my GI, and whatever i needed to train, on my way to the gym, along the beach. It was awesome. Looking out at the ocean, running through your techniques in my mind was energizing. I would roll with friends, practice my Portuguese and talk about the chicks we had last night.� So here I look at that kid (Anderson) and see. If you look real close and see pass the sweat and the intense concentration, what you�ll see is some one just enjoy. Enjoy this opportunity, this art and yes, this life. See I look to him to get inspired. Its very simple love NOW this second this moment. We here in the US seem to be always running after something, the next big thing, the next Iphone, the next model of whatever. It seems were just never happy. Happy in the moment. I look at him and I remember to stop, to look around and just say thanks.

Jason smiles at me, now were outside the suns about set. He point to it with his skinny finger - Look, its beautiful. Thanks ...�� : )

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