There's only one other "school" in our town, and they just got some new black belts. No wonder my business is so slow. What's the scene like where you're from?
http://www.martialartsmadison.com/ne...ison-location/
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There's only one other "school" in our town, and they just got some new black belts. No wonder my business is so slow. What's the scene like where you're from?
http://www.martialartsmadison.com/ne...ison-location/
Are these the guys that came to your gym wearing their belts over their street clothes? LMMFAO!
Same school, but those black belts were 15-16. These kids might be good upstanding representatives of the high level martial arts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Keeling
I have 3 other local schools. One is run by a 12 or 14th degree black belt (serious), another who teaches tkd free running (23 year old brown belt girl), and 1 who claims to have never lost an mma match but has no ground game instructions. Meanwhile, they're full and I have around 8-10 students.
2 other, all gi, bjj gyms and 1 meat-head Mma gym in our area besides us. First day we opened we had numerous students from these other gyms join us. :)
And your gym will never fill if you have that mindset. You make your own destiny, if you want more students, put in more work!Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony "The Goods" Garcia
I always knew we had the best coaching staff and instruction in our area. But I always let it bug me that the others schools had big better facilities and more students, even though my guys smashed all of them in competition. The day I stopped worrying about what everyone else had or was doing and realized I wasn't deserving of anything other than what I actually had and not what I "should have" things changed, mainly me. I focused all my efforts into bettering myself, my students and my school. Now, we have the largest, best cleanist facility (from the smallest in the area), still the best coaches and students and now more of them. We also absorbed a good chunck from other schools, many of which have now closed.
It's YOU, look inward not outward if you want more!
Wtf Lombardi? That was a Braveheart level of motivational speech! Damn herzog you got me wanting to go on a run or rep a move something..Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
It was a defining moment in both my personal growth and the history of my school. Its when Empire became an actual EMPIRE!
We are what we do, not what we desire. Make what you desire, what you do!
100% agree. For us, we're fighting ignorance. Why train with us when you can get a black belt in two years from the other guy? Things have picked up recently but it's hard to explain to small town minds that a blue belt in bjj can better prepare you for a real altercation than an 8th degree tkd black belt. For many people a black belt is a black belt, period. I kinda wish we ran in the same circles as those guys so that the work could speak for itself, but they're all too deadly for mma, or their art isn't meant for sport fighting.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
That is still fixiating on what others can do. It IS going to be hard to explain to those "small town minds", however that IS your job. That the points, let the TKD guy do him. If he is taking students from your school, he is doing it right for him, you failed! You have to change your mindset, out work the TKD school owner and it won't matter what or who he teaches, he is illrelevant to the success of your school and team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dylan Ehrnreiter
This. A key to almost all forms of success is taking things in self responsibility. That's one big difference in top competitors and mediocre ones. The best look at what they did wrong to try and fix it and the rest talk about excuses.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
Thanks coach.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
I do agree with you Coach. Everything you said is both true and inspirational. For the past couple months I've censored my own Facebook comments and am still trying to follow the "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything" rule. I realized that my negativity was quite a turn off to many of my friends. I truly wish many of my friends here could see me teach because there's never been the slightest negativity in any of my classes ever. Where I'm truly going wrong, I just don't understand. The other local schools don't take my students, they simply keep theirs. The super striped black belt actually enforces a written agreement that his students will never teach nor take classes from anyone but him and has actually sued a few of his black belts. I've traveled and trained at every seminar possible, eventually earned by 10th Planet Blue, advertised, done demonstrations, and am available 24 hours a day to each and every student. They still simply won't come. If Decatur is stuck in the 80's, we're stuck in the 50's. It's a good old boy network that I don't understand how to deal with. Since all of the other local schools are deeply affiliated with churches, I've actually had parents shunned from church for their kids training under me. Please understand that these are not excuses, I just really don't know what else to do anymore. Hopefully this thread could offer some much needed advice on how I should continue. I always take your advice Zog, and I'll definitely put your words into action.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
wise words!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Herzog
I was checking out their schedule.
"The last Sunday of every month Weapons class turns into a Black Belt class"
Awesome.. Lol
Tony, you know I love you. You know this, for sure.
You gotta get a new mirror, homie.
Zog, preach on.
I'm sure I do Brandon. Dylan, sorry about jacking your thread brotha. I take full responsibility for myself and what I do. I'm a guy who is fortunate enough to have a grappling club. I teach basics because I'm not qualified to rank or instruct at a higher level. I've spent 7+ years of mat time either learning poorly or being used as grappling dummy. When you've come for seminars, you have always helped fill gaping holes in my game and tell me what to work. I know that you love me man, as I do you. It took Bobby Rivers to tell me that I sucked though. I've never truly improved either because of injuries or unwillingness to insist upon it. I know that to get better I need quality instruction locally. Samuel Braga and I are on track for that as soon as he gets back from Brazil. There's also a new black belt in Knoxville as well. I'll be training weekly there to fix these issues. My next issue is still dealing with these other local schools. Do I just roll it up and give in? I know I'm on track for getting better, but the question of what direction to take is still there. Grappling may just never happen here. So, I do see myself for what I am, but I still don't know what else to do.
I don't post much on here out of hespect of not being a member of a moon. But going back to the original topic. Here in the Laporte county IN area our seen is dieing due our very own school closing doors to public! Now we still train but it's private invite only! I recently got promoted to Black Beltch and purchased my own mats and plan on opening a club but as of now outside of training with my original group I have guys come to my place or garage in poor mans terms! I'd love to have any of you guys to come roll with us. The group I have is very open minded and I'm a huge 10th planet fan and have mad hespect for all moon /hotbox heads for staying with it! I'd really like to get to the next seminar hosted at Indy or possibly chi. I've only made it once to Indy when master Eddy had one there back in early 2012 but didn't roll with nobody due to only being 3 weeks post ACL and miniscus replacement and crazy work hrs!
No worries Goods. Glad you benefitted from it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony "The Goods" Garcia
Its so easy.............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V2eJinRnM4
Josh, that's both an unfortunate situation and an amazing opportunity!Quote:
Originally Posted by josh sullivan
I am going to be teaching a seminar at 10th Planet Indy this summer. It would be my honor to have you come out and train with us for the weekend! I'm from Alabama so anytime I can get on the mats with a Black Belt I consider it a privilege! Who did you get your Black Belt from? How long have you been training, etc?
LOL, Bobby has a special way with words and relationships! He comes from a good place, though. You know that. He's passionate. He loves Jiu Jitsu.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony "The Goods" Garcia
I think you can get better out there in the middle of nowhere. A lot of us have done it. You gotta build your own training partners. You gotta want it more than anybody. You gotta compete like a mad man, even when you lose. Those losses are worth so much. I'm grateful for every single loss. They account for much more of my growth than every win combined.
And you have gotta get your diet and habits under control, friend. Seriously. Not plan on it. Do it.
Text me. We will work out a plan :)
When you get the seminar lined up I'm there thanks! I got my BB January 1 this year under Master Bruce Weiler he is a 2nd degree BB under Prof. Bitta. I've been training since 2001 and only competed as a blue twice and a brown once. Got a few injuries when I got my brown belt and kinda got swamped in work and life so it took me a few yrs to achieve black! Again nothing but hespect for this system I'm hooked on it and would love to train with all yal! I'm telling ya when I started to check into the system my game changed for the better and it really throws off guys who are old school for enough time to advance to better positioning in most cases for me! But I'm forever learning new things as the game evolves! I'm in the works to get something together for place to train jiu jitsu in our area! Just wanted to say something on here incase anyone would want to hook up and roll.
BJJ and MMA is huge in St. Louis and very competitive
Tyron Woodley - UFC fighter owns ATT Evolution
Kyle Watson - BJJ Black Belt and Ultimate fighter alum owns Watson Martial Arts
Rodrigo Vaghi - 4th Degree Black Belt under Rickson Gracie and the first Black Belt in St. Louis. My original bJJ instructor
Mike Rogers - BJJ Black Belt under Rodrigo Vaghi and owner of St. Charles MMA. Current students include UFC Fighters
Josh Sampo, Alp Ozkilic, and Lance Benoist as well as Strike force fighter Matt Ricehouse.
Brian Guidry - BJJ Black Belt under Rodrigo Vaghi
Steve Berger - Long time pro MMA Fighter and Three time UFC Veteran
John Menke - BJJ Black Belt Under Rodrigo Vaghi
Finneys kick boxing and MMA - Owned by Jessie finney with BJJ instruction from BJJ Black Belt and ADCC competitor Ezra Lennon
Finney also owns Matt Hughes old school the HIT Squad
JW Wright - 2nd degree BJJ Black Belt under Royler Gracie
Keith Robinson - BJJ Black Belt under Royler Gracie
Mike Rethmeyer - BJJ Black belt under Nova Uniao