Originally Posted by
Brent Alvarez
I was a pretty serious chess player for a spell in my life. Still play it from time to time, but nothing serious anymore. In addition, I have been practicing and preforming magic since I was 19 as a professional. The psychology from the magic learned, as well as the subtleties, and the timing of the misdirection; plays a huge roll in the way I teach and play the game of JiuJitsu. All of the studying and reading I did before each chess match I played. Learning how professional chess players approached the game of chess, and learning to see patterns 20-30 moves a head, has helped me develop a keen eye for repeating patterns from multiple positions in jiujitsu. Factor in a football back ground as a player and coach, and you know have the foundation and determination to be a top level jiujitsu competitor and instructor. Its of my opinion, that who you were before you started learning jiujitsu will make a gigantic impact on your jiujitsu game, and what you chose to do in the sport. You just need to recognize how to put the pieces together.