Yin vs YangThe Battle for Success in Life

(taken from my iphone)

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

I have been quite busy lately, and not able to write as often as I like. Actually, I probably could if I wanted to, but I honestly have been focused elsewhere.

One of the great things this break has given me is a chance to really re-evaluate some of the things I wanted to write. Well, I was lucky enough to see an example of this in the flesh when Robert Drysdale gave a seminar at my Jiu Jitsu school.

For those that don’t know, Robert Drysdale is one of the top Jiu Jitsu guys in the world. He was Randy Couture’s Jiu Jitsu coach on season 1 of the Ultimate Fighter, and he most recently was Frank Mir’s coach against Brock Lesnar at UFC 100.  Read more... (514 words, 1 image, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Every Monday is personal development through Jiu Jitsu…

“Sometimes your the hammer, sometimes your the nail.”

This is a saying everyone at my Jiu Jitsu school knows. My instructor is a big fan of repeating it because it sums up exactly what Jiu Jitsu is all about. In Jiu Jitsu, MMA, and in life, in order to truly master something, you must understand all aspects of it. You can not possibly master Jiu jitsu without understanding what it’s like to be both the hammer and the nail.  Read more... (855 words, 1 image, estimated 3:25 mins reading time)

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Every Monday is personal development through Jiu Jitsu…

Everybody has read about the fear of failure at one time or another. I have even written about it myself. It is often talked about as the reason most people hold themselves back. However, there is another fear that can be just as strong an obstacle. It is the fear of success.

Back when I was in high school, I tried out each year for my varsity soccer team. I never made the cut, and even gave up my senior year because I doubted I would get playing time. In hindsight, it was one of the worst decisions I ever made. However, the funny part about the whole thing is I bet I could have made varsity at anytime if would I have just tried to do so.  Read more... (1227 words, 3 images, estimated 4:54 mins reading time)

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There were no mats. Just little pieces of rubber flooring on top of cheap carpet. I was the least athletic of the three of us, and we had never heard of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu before I got on the ground that very day 4 years ago. Kenny, a top shelf, athletic ex-wrestler I had just been introduced to, mounted me right away. He smothered my face, pushing my body into the ground with his hips. Just as I could take no more, he suddenly slid off my chest, giving me room to gasp for air. However, that momentary relief was immediately replaced with the sharp pain of my arm being hyper extended in an arm bar. I tapped as fast as I could, yelping…

‘TAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!’

 Read more... (1045 words, 2 images, estimated 4:11 mins reading time)

EEEEH! EEEEH! EEEEH!….

I was awoken this Friday morning by the 5 am alarm clock on my iphone. As I wiped the crust from my eyes and stumbled into the bathroom, I realized that today was really the 1st day in 2009. I turned on the shower, debating whether to really count the 1st, which is more of a holiday than a typical day. Now that that was over, I had to once again teach a Muay Thai class at 6 am, just like the Fridays of last year.

As the water warmed, I stepped in the shower and thought about why this is considered a new year. I mean, yes the calendar has changed, and the dates on my checks will have 2009 on them, but other than that, what exactly is new? My routine is still the same. Nothing significant has changed in my life, and yet I am supposed to be excited for 2009?  Read more... (787 words, 2 images, estimated 3:09 mins reading time)

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

As many of you know, I train and teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) for a Royler Gracie affiliate. All of the lessons I have learned in BJJ mirror my real life. Jiu Jitsu is like a small sample of life’s lessons right on the mat. It is why I always learn a little something about myself almost every class I attend.

At each BJJ class, after warm-ups, a certain move, or series of moves are taught to the class by the Instructor. We call these ‘The Move of the Day.’ The Instructor will breakdown the move(s), showing us the nuances of the technique, and then the students will work with a partner at perfecting it.  Read more... (1006 words, 3 images, estimated 4:01 mins reading time)

If the title enticed you to read this, than you are exactly the type of person this was written for.

Like me, you probably can not resist a respectable challenge, no matter how trivial it may be. Even if it’s only a simple game of Checkers, finishing in any place other than first is an agony that won’t let you sleep for days. You may have even been called a sore loser in the past because of your obvious disgust with defeat.

Competition is an addiction…..your drug of choice so to speak.

I know, because I am the same way.

A competitive nature is a great trait to have, but if you want to be successful, you better be able to deal with losing. This was the hardest challenge for me growing up. However, once I came to terms with losing, I was able to achieve things that once seemed impossible.  Read more... (959 words, 2 images, estimated 3:50 mins reading time)

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am currently a purple belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. I have been training for over 4 years and I can safely say Jiu Jitsu has changed my life for the better. I have not only become a better Martial artist, but I have become a 1000x better person as well. Jiu Jitsu is a martial art which naturally permeates throughout the rest of your life.

This is because Jiu Jitsu takes persistence, patience, and perseverance to be successful at, just like anything else in life.  Even getting just my purple belt is probably one of the accomplishments I am most proud of in my young life. However, if you don’t train Jiu Jitsu, then you probably don’t understand why. Lucky for you, that’s what I’m here to explain.  Read more... (702 words, 2 images, estimated 2:48 mins reading time)

Article by Peter Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

If you are not a fan of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), or the UFC, then you probably have never heard of Lyoto ‘the Dragon’ Machida.  However, you do not have to be a fan to appreciate his story.  He is a wonderful example of the unlimited power of the mind, and I learned a lot about the human spirit from the story of his life.  Here is a brief synopsis of his background from Wikipedia…

Lyoto Carvalho Machida (born May 30, 1978) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial arts fighter. Son of a Japanese-Brazilian Shotokan Karate master Yoshizo Machida, Lyoto is a rising star in MMA. He is currently ranked as the #3 light heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog.

 Read more... (1243 words, 3 images, estimated 4:58 mins reading time)

Every Jiu Jitsu class starts out with warm-ups, then some drills, a few instructional lessons, more drills, and live sparring which is called ‘rolling’. Yesterday, right as we were about to roll, I was matched up with a 4-stripe White Belt. White belt is the initial belt in Jiu Jitsu. After that it goes blue, purple, brown, and finally black. There is only one ‘red’ belt that I know of, and that is the absolute highest you can go.

I am a purple belt, which is about 4 years worth of experience. This 4-stripe white belt is only about a year and 1/2 deep in his experience. However, he is pretty good for his level. I have taught classes where he has rolled considerably well against higher ranked opponents. We slapped hands and just as we are about to start rolling, he leans in and says….  Read more... (1157 words, 3 images, estimated 4:38 mins reading time)