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Jul
19
I’m always thinking about my gym. I like to be there, it’s like a sanctuary from everyday life. I’ve always thought of the jiu-jitsu school as a sanctuary, a place of safety and a place to get away from things. I remember when I went to a seminar with Carlos Valente, he was trying to tell two guys to slow down, to train more slowly and he said “Hey guys, life is tough enough, you don’t want to come here and make it tough too—relax, go slow.”
I like the idea of getting away, of leaving your worries off the mat, or on the street, or at home. When you are on the mat, there is no room for other thoughts, so although you are working hard, it feels like you have no concerns. It’s the only time for me that I’m living in the moment. My thoughts are about now and nothing else.
The gym to me is a holy place, a safe place, a sanctuary–sanctum sanctorum.
