Memories: Jiu jitsu is best seen as a lifetime activity, so along the way there will be a vast store of memories for all of us. Keeping track of them is often a great way to help stay motivated and reflect on progress and make future goals. I was very lucky as a student to study under my dear sensei, Renzo Gracie, quite possibly the most charismatic man in the sport – a master technician and proponent of open experimentation in development that made him a creator of a student body with greatly disparate styles and viewpoints. Under him were his senior students, Ricardo Almeida, Matt Serra and Rodrigo Gracie, who did so much to motivate and inspire us every day in training. Every time I cast my mind back to those early days, I find reasons to remember old techniques and insights I never should have forgotten, goals I lost track of and should never have stopped pursuing, and most important, reasons to laugh and smile. Don't lose track of these memories – they are yours and yours alone. No one can take them from you, few can understand the value they hold in your heart. Whenever you feel you are losing your way – they are the best means to get you back on track. Cherish them as you would your best techniques and accomplishments. Here, my fellow students, shawn williams and Paul Creighton and myself finish up another session with our dear sensei – this must be around the late 1990's – early 2000's – the only rashguards you could buy then were made for surfing Never lose sight of cherishing your time in the sport, the characters, the hopes and dreams, the temporary failures and the laughter. Remembrance of the past makes for a stronger future.
