Will / Machado Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Australasia

Hi Everyone
I won’t be posting anything for just over a week.
It’s that time of the year for me when I need to take some time to rejuvenate. Everyone needs ‘downtime’ now and then to recharge and my favorite way to do it is to take a chopper ride into some remote place and be dropped off for a week or so - with none of the trappings of everyday life, no technology and no plans (other than survival). I love the wilderness experience - and have undertaken a minimal-gear approach of late, so I have a great sense of freedom on such trips. This time it’s to be the most remote part of the Kimberleys in north western australia. The chopper, masterfully piloted by friend Gregg Hooper, will drop me at the Charnley River, where it empties into the Croc infested Walcott inlet - some 150 kms from the road.
All being well - I’ll be back the weekend before the championships, in time to collect Rigan from the airport and make final arrangements/ I’ll be back on deck and blogging then.
Best wishes,
JBW

The inexperienced look big and see small – the experienced look small and see big. Learning to pay serious attention to detail is the beginning of journey toward deeper understanding. BJJ is a beautiful vehicle for the development of this process. We begin by learning and try to replicate ‘big moves’. We go for the ‘armbar’, the ‘triangle’ or we ask the instructor for a new ‘move’. This is how it starts. As we gain more experience and our understanding depends, we start looking at the ‘armbar’ or the ‘triangle’ as techniques comprised of a series of smaller moves or segments. The more we look, the sooner we come to the understanding that any move can be broken down into a sequence of more ‘attainable’ smaller moves. And so it goes.
This is also the secret to achieving the goals we set for ourselves. We should focus on the ‘process’ and not the ‘goal’ itself. Each step is fundamental to attaining the next. It’s all about the process.
Look small – see big!
JBW

Two things spring to my mind after watching the Cuban TKD fighter shoot one into the head of an official after he was disqualified at the Beijing Olympics:
- Firstly: Outrage! This is the ver antithesis of what the spirit of martial arts (let alone the Olympics) is all about. What a coward!
- Secondly - and although this may be a controversial observation, it is stil an interesting point worthy of consideration. Now although we all understand that TKD is a sport (and a great one), it’s effectiveness as a means of self defence, particularly when compared to boxing, kickboxing or MMA, is questionable. At Olympic level, with a free shot on a totally unsuspecting referee (shameful) - the referee was hardly fazed. The kick had no follow-through (thankfully) and if that had have been a street-fight, the kicker would have achieved not much more with his ‘king kick’ than he would have with a pathetic jab.
We are all products of our training. if we pull the kicks in training, then we will pull them when we are put to the test in moments of pressure.
In watching the footage of the terrible incident, you can see the crazy cuban also throw a body shot at another official - which also fails to produce an effect. Meakes you think …
In any event, I am sure my observations will not be appreciated by many - as the focus should remain on the UNSPORTSMANLIKE behaviour’ - but I like to make all kinds of observations, not just the popular and obvious one.
I’ll finish up with in the famous catchcry of Aussie reporter Derren Hinch - SAME MATOS! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

JBW

I have begun the task of writing the third and final installment of the ROGUE BLACK BELT series this week. Here is a small except from chapter four - as well as a pic from one of my Sambo matches and a pic of Rigan, and a very confused Ron Tripp after the final match. The pivs are bad but the story is fun. I hope you enjoy it.
JBW

“Each of us brings something to the world. When people interact, they leave their mark on each other. The most content, fulfilled and happiest people I know, are also the ones that treat others with respect and kindness. In my experience, treating others with respect and kindness is not a result of being happy but rather a cause of being so.

I had by that time, been privy to plenty of evidence as proof of Rigan’s amazing abilities, but it somehow became even more evident after he and I travelled to Kentucky for the National Sambo Grappling Championships several months into that particular training trip.
Sambo is the national combative sport of Russia. It’s technique has evolved out of a hybrid mix of Judo throwing, wrestling takedowns and Jiu Jitsu groundwork, including submissions. Although many of the BJJ techniques, such as choking and guard-work are disallowed in Sambo competition, there were in fact quite a few similarities.
Rigan decided to enter the competition and asked if I wanted to accompany him up to Kentucky for the weekend. I wanted to compete as well, and so despite the fact that we didn’t even know the rules at that time, we jumped on a plane and made our way north.
Arriving in Kentucky that evening, we met with officials and filled in the appropriate paperwork. Rigan asked me to learn the rules and then explain it to him. And so after a quick conversation with the somewhat bemused president of the American Sambo Association, I formulated a sketchy idea of how it all worked. The rules, as it turned out, were quite a bit different from those used in BJJ competition but it didn’t seem to matter much to Rigan.
“ Just find out what I am allowed to do” he asked, “And I will just do that!”
I was dubious; but Rigan’s confidence was infectious and I soon found myself looking forward to the tournament.
I entered the lighweight division and Rigan the Open Heavyweight division. The tournament turned out to be a gathering of the various state champions from the length and breadth of America. A lot of Olympic wrestlers and Judoka also joined in as a way to rack up more competition experience. I new it was going to be a tough day.
Rigan was called up first and walked out onto the mat with his usual quiet confidence. The match didn’t last long, with Rigan submitting his opponent in a minute or so. Submissions, though legal, were not the most common way a match was won; and so there were some surprised looks among the spectator’s after he won in such short order.
Then it was my turn. My opponent was a good wrestler from America’s heartland. Unfortunately, he threw me easily in the first few seconds of the fight. Takedowns were a very weak part of my repertoire at that time. Once we hit the ground though, even though I hit it pretty hard, I was in my element and quickly dominated him. The match stalled a bit with me trying to finish him but also being distracted by Rigan yelling out ‘Don’t choke him!’ from the side of the mat. We were then stood back up to start over. The same thing pretty much happened two more times; him taking me down, me dominating once the fight hit the ground. A near finish and dominating him on the ground didn’t score me the points he scored by taking me down. He was declared the winner.
Rigan smiled as I walked off the mat and pointed out that I needed to work on my takedowns and perhaps more importantly, my defense to them. Despite my loss, I felt good about my effort. We were still learning the rules.
Again Rigan was called up and it was almost an exact replay of his earlier match; although perhaps a little more comical. Rigan took his opponent down easily and pinned him to the mat. Then, seemingly ignoring his opponent’s frantic and futile attempts to escape, he started up a conversation with the referee about whether it was legal to apply this lock or that. The highly perplexed referee made the situation seem even funnier by answering Rigan’s questions. And to put the icing on the cake, Rigan paused to actually thank him before dispatching his hapless opponent with a shoulder lock.
Having a better understanding of the rules allowed me to win my second and third matches with armlocks. I was very happy with my performance but had no hope of fighting in the finals as I had lost my first match.
Rigan kept doing his thing and worked his way, with little apparent effort, through his entire division. As the day drew to an end, I fought my final match to determine the third and fourth places in the lightweight division. Again, although I dominated on the ground, the wrestler’s takedown at the start of the fight gave him the points he needed to win; giving me fourth place in the overall tournament.
Rigan on the other hand had a very different experience. He was now fighting in the final and was paired off against Ron Tripp, five times winner of the nationals and Olympic Judo medallist. Despite Rigan’s impressive series of wins, the crowd was still expecting Ron to once again take out the tournament.
I walked up to Rigan and told him to be careful; warning him the Ron was very good.
Rigan put his arm around my shoulders and asked me to pick any finish I liked; claiming he would win with my chosen technique. And so I did. And so he did. Thirty-nine seconds into the match, I took a photo of Rigan taping Ron out with the technique I had selected. Rigan was a true virtuoso.
Not only was Rigan the best of the best from a technical point of view but he had a heart of gold to go with it. This was made even more evident the next morning as we ate breakfast in the cafeteria.
Ron Tripp walked in and came up to our table.
‘Hi’ said Ron. ‘Our match yesterday was a little crazy. That was some weird position we ended up in. What a freak accident.’
I couldn’t believe my ears; he actually thought he lost the match because of some freak accident. I was just about to open my mouth and educate him when Rigan said “Ah my friend. Sometimes it just goes like that. Next year you will win.”
Rigan was such a nice person, he didn’t want Ron to feel bad about his loss. Such is his humility.”

Last night saw long time Hangar Four instructor John Mirabella receive his BJJ Black Belt. John has trained for some ten years now - and when he first came in and joined up at Hangar Four a decade ago, I thought to myself ‘he is probably not going to last’. How wrong I was.

At that particular time, there were a lot of fighter-types training at the Hangar and John just didn’t fit the mould. He was a slightly overweight and highly stressed solicitor who was there to get some relief from the pressures of work. He just never stopped. John is the classic example of the white belt who never quit.

I admire him immensely; he is a shining example of what can be achieved through dedication and perseverance. Congratulations John - it has been a privilege.

John Will August 2008

Satrting out in BJJ, particularly for in the first two years, can be a daunting task. Most beginners go through s stage where they have too much information but cannot seem to apply (or even remember) any of it. This is the FRUSTRATION stage.
My advice to my studnets, as they go through this stage, is to think of it like moving to a new city. At first it can seem overwhelming - everythings new and it’s easy to be lost and confused. But how do we normally deal with that type of situation - simple: we make a map. We start by understanding the relationship between where we live and the center of the new city we have just moved to. The we slowly fill out that map by learning how to get from our home, to those places we most often need to frequent: the bank, the post office, the school, etc. So we develop an ever-growing series of LANDMARKS - places that provide us with a reference - places of familiarity in an otherwise confusing landscape.
As time goes by, we fill out our map; gradually becoming familiar with larger and larger potions of the territory until even when we become ‘momentarily’ lost, we can more easily find our way to a familiar landmark and GET BACK ON TRACK.
This is also the way we acquire a new language - or skill in BJJ. Start slowly, develop one or two FAMILIAR LANDMARKS - and build from there. it won’t seem so overhwhelming that way - and you will always have something to build upon.
Map the territory - know your way.
JBW

Thinking of ourselves in relation to the the known universe, makes us realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things. Our planet represents one speck on a grain of sand on the world’s biggest beach. And we are a speck on that speck. Putting it in perspective like that can make us worry less about the little annoyances that life sometime throws our way.
But the far more shattering notion is to think of where we stand in the flow of time. With time stretching back into an infinite past, and stretching forward into the infinite future (practically speaking - although Stephen Hawking would dispute it) we occupy only the barest fraction of the smallest moment of that time-line. To me, thinking this way makes me realise just how precious our lifetimes are. They are momentary moments only. Do what you love - love what you do - live with passion
JBW

One more on the financial thing - because truth is, money is necessary in this world, and if you have enough, you can train with whom you want, whenever you want. I have spent hundreds of thousands on my own education/training - and have absolutely no problem with having done so. Some people spend wheelbarrow loads of money on a university education to become a doctor - then they spend stacks more on setting up a practice; I have done the same thing, except I have done it with the martial arts. And I have to say, I live a far better lifestyle than most of the doctors I see out there. it’s all about how creative you can be - and abut investing in yourself.

So building on top of my last blog - here’s the most important secret to financial independence: Keep improving on your ability to EARN income. This is something that many financial advizors don’t consider - but I think it is HUGELY important. What are you doing now that can IMPROVE your ability to earn money. What skills are you developing? Are you creating a YOU that is unique in the marketplace? Ar you training yourself to seek out opportunities. Most financial planners focus on what to do with the money you have - I like to focus on how I can EARN it in the first place.
Oh, by the way, I see a lot of unhappy, work-stressed financial planners out there. They are busy in their offices all day, telling other people how to invest their money. I hope they REALLY like their jobs …. not for me.

Educate yourselves - every day in some small way. It really adds up over time. Leverage in all things.
JBW

it seems my last post struck a chord - I received more than two dozen e-mails from readers who wanted to share their financial plans with me. Most were in the form of questions - so I will offer this generalized answer here that may be of help to others who are wondering the same kinds of things.

Financial independence - in my view - means that I have enough money to do what I want, when I want and do not need to undertake work that I dislike. I also think that if you are living a fiscally intelligent lifestyle, you will always have some income coming in from effort you have done once - or from effort that you really enjoy putting in. So the old model of ‘retiring’ doesn’t really apply. it’s not as if yo do the job you dislike, until such time you have saved enough money - then you retire (meaning sit back) to live out the remainder of your days trying to make the money you put aside last until your death. I don’t like - or agree - with that model.

Basic steps:

1. Pay off your credit card debt. No regular investments will give you a better return on your money than the saving you will make by eliminating credit card debt.
2. get into the property market; there are lots of creative ways to do this- and more often than not, your property will increase in value over time - even if you are just paying interest on the home loan. This will give you ‘equity’ in the property without having to do much. I had to be creative when I got my first home; I couldn’t afford it - in fact, I was unemployed. I bought the house with $100 deposit - and fanangled my way into a loan - and then had to get several renters in there to cover my payments for the first 24 months. After that - as rents and house prices went up - the rent seemed affordable - so I was able to oust one of the renters and still make rent easily - a year later, I ousted the other and the payments I needed to make to the bank were roughly equal to the rent I would pay on a single bedroom unit. By that time, the house had doubled in value. getting in can be a difficult step - but it’s usually more of a psychological hurdle than anything else.
3. Start paying something into Superannuation. With the new legislation in place, it’s a pretty good bet in the long term. Especially with you being able to draw down an income stream (tax free once you hit 60 years of age). That’s a long way off - but as I am fond of saying with training - TIME GOES BY - the day will come. And ‘tax free’ is VERY VERY good. The difficulty that younger people have, is that they find it very hard to look 15 or 20 years down the track. And as that’s where the superannuation pay-off happens - it becomes difficult to have them commit. But seriously - it is very worth it.

Bottom line is that, for most of us, financial independence will come from developing a number of varied income streams. This way, if one dries up (or slows down) the others will keep you drinking. A mix of shares, property, superannuation, product sales, etc is a good idea. No one thing I do gives me the money I need to live the way I want to - but everything combined provides me with a great lifestyle. DIVERSITY rules!

I am certainly no financial advisor - but a good one (hard to come by because many of them are selling you something and so are not really giving you independent advice) can set you up with a long-term plan.
I went in and paid two of them $500 about ten years ago, letting each know that I will not do anything with them and that they will never see me again. That way I got (at least I hope I did) truly independant advice. I talked to two so i could compare what they said.
What did they say? pretty much exactly what I have alerady outlined here for all of you.
I trust it helped.
Best wishes,
JBW

Getting things ready for our upcoming Asia-Pacific Championships coming up early September. With Associates in Borneo, Singapore, Malaysia and new Zealand - we are hoping to attract more and more overseas competitors.
We have been going hard with our dealings with sponsors to gather some great prize packs for all placegetters. Our sponsors are a very important part of this process - they really contribute, in a very meaningful way, to the overall experience of the day. This year will be our best yet - we are very excited.
Rigan Machado is all set to come over and will be there on the day and good to go for seminars the day after - at Dominance MMA academy in Richmond. It is absolutely fantastic to have him here - a real treat for those who have met him before and doubly so for those who havn’t.
Entry forms have started trickling in - and we hope t have everyone forms in by September 5th - so we can have the draw and ‘match time estimates’ completed before the big day.
This competition stands apart from all others in three ways:

- We are HIGHLY organized and have things running so smoothly that the day usually winds up before 5 pm; giving people time to socialize afterward.
- We have the head of the organization (Rigan Machado) present for awards and instruction the day after.
- The whole day is permeated by an atmosphere of comraderie and great sportsmanship; more like a huge family outing than a highly competitive tournament; everyone has a great time and everyone makes new friends.

So we can’t wait for the day to arrive. I hope to see you tere - if you intend to compete - get those forms in as soon as you can.
Best wishes all,
JBW