Hi all, here is this week's edition of Dojo Discernments where I share nuggets of thought earned on the mats.

Poco a Poco: Piece by Piece

A couple of weeks ago, I was cornering one of my heavyweight students with strong judo as he faced someone just as big and capable as he was.

As the match went on, I could see doubt appearing and the truth is, it always does.

Resistance and trials are part of the process on the way to victory, but even knowing that, they can still be hard to move through in the moment.

So I called out to him:

“Poco a Poco.”
Piece by piece.

Engaging in the hand fight, gaining ground, improving position, and stacking small wins together.

Then it came together.

From the underhook, he connected to a clean hip toss and won the match.

Afterward, he told me it felt like he had found a second wind in the middle of that exchange.

It’s a reminder that big outcomes are never created all at once.

From a distance they look overwhelming, but up close, they’re always built the same way; piece by piece.

There Should be Empty Space: Margin

As I continue leaning into simplicity, I’ve started to notice more margin beginning to show up in my days.

I’m not covering a large volume of new techniques right now, but the techniques I am using and their timing reliable.

Small pockets of time are starting to appear, not huge blocks, but windows here and there, sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes an hour.

My first instinct is to fill them, to be productive, to do something but then I catch it.

The space itself is the progress.

Having time to pause, to breathe, and to not rush from one thing to the next holds real value.

The wrong frequency will produce consistnent static. That static though audible isn't what you want to hear.

The right frequency though, won't always be recieving signal, but when it comes through, its what you want to hear.

Likewise I've been trying to look for what in my life is the signal vs what is just the noise.

"Amatuers talk tactics, pros talk logistics"- DJ Shipley

This one hasn't fully settled in yet but it is hitting layer by layer.

These two pages do a ton for providing mendtal acuity and focus. Whether business, emotional intelligence, or health they always are dropping bombs.

Intro to Jiu-Jitsu the first month is out now! Standby for the second month mondule to release soon!

-Best, Isaac