Dojo Discernments

Hi all! Welcome to this weeks dose of Dojo Discernments where I share nuggets of thought gleaned on the mats this week!

What I'm Watching

Shawn Ryan Show episode #45, Bob "Ninja" Poras

Delta Force operator and CIA Global Response Staff (GRS) contractor, shares his experiences with notable humility and professionalism.

An incredible dose of inspiration, to live humbly and professionaly. Listening to these tier 1 operators sharpens the mind and the sword. 

What I'm Learning

I'm learning how to leverage and ground through an underhook, to lighten people just enough to lift them, and to be heavy enough that they fold to the floor.

Play with this from standing. Win your underhook, lift them, and crumble them.

It sounds simple, because it is. But I’ve only truly felt it while training with world-class practitioners.

Ask me in person to feel what I'm talking about.

A Lesson We All Need 

When your friend or teammate competes and you see them back at the gym on Monday, don’t lead with, “How did you do?”

That question carries a 50% chance of making them feel terrible, especially if they lost.

I know you don’t mean to put them in a tough spot. So instead, try something like, “What was the biggest thing you took away from the weekend?”

It’s more neutral, keeps the focus on the present moment and doesn't reopening fresh wounds!

How to Break a Whitebelt (Without Breaking Them)

It’s a common sight, whitebelts coming in and fighting for their lives every round. Panic mode, 100% intensity, every roll. For some, this habit can take years to outgrow.

What I’ve noticed is this: they don’t relax until they get tired. And the tricky ones? They never roll past that point of fatigue. They always stop just before the lesson sets in. So the cycle repeats and the growth stalls.

Like breaking a horse, a whitebelt remains wild and reactive until that fight gets drained out. Until then, they aren’t much good as a training partner.

But there is an expedient method.
Pin them. Don’t submit them. Just hold.
No resets. No relief. 

A steady pin, like the straightjacket control I prefer, forces them to sit with the truth: they can’t fight their way out. And that is often where the real learning begins.

So here’s the question:
Is it better to expedite the process…
Or do we let them figure it out on their own?

What I'm Telling Myself 

Pracice what you preach. Ain't no better way of teaching than setting the example. 

Drop a comment below! And checkout the Dojo Library! Gracias, Saludos!