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Oct. 20, 2024

Episode 39: Two childhood friends and the Evolution of Evolution Jiu-Jitsu, Pittsburgh

Episode 39: Two childhood friends and the Evolution of Evolution Jiu-Jitsu, Pittsburgh
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Ever wondered how a lifelong journey in martial arts begins with a simple need for self-defense? Join us as we explore this question through our personal stories, starting from the wrestling mats at Central Catholic with my childhood friend, Rob Serrao. We reminisce about our early beginnings in combat sports, from Isshinryu Karate to Boxing, and how an unconventional karate school run by Rocco in 1976 set us on our path. Just before the Navy called, I faced the black belt test, a pivotal moment intertwined with the closing of Rocco's dojo. Each memory is a testament to the unique, non-franchise approach that shaped our martial arts journeys.

The evolution continues as we recount our experiences moving up the ranks in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, from white belt to black belt. Life threw many changes our way, from career shifts to the global pandemic, but the spirit of martial arts kept us grounded. We created a community, a training club born out of a garage, which became a sanctuary for growth and friendship. COVID-19 brought its challenges, but it also led to exciting developments, like a family member's transition to varsity wrestling. The passion for jiu-jitsu is something we eagerly pass on to the next generation, realizing dreams of dedicated spaces and building a supportive environment.

Lou Armanzani’s influence on our martial arts journey has been profound, leading us to affiliate with the Armazzani Jiu-Jitsu Academy. His mentorship is invaluable and it reinforces the importance of perseverance and personal growth, whether on the jiu-jitsu mats, in a CrossFit gym, or in life. 

Through shared stories and camaraderie, we celebrate the strength and respect imbued by these disciplines. Our narrative isn’t just about techniques but a broader vision of evolution in life. Looking forward, we host guest trainers and offer free drop-in sessions, inviting you to experience the community and empowerment found in martial arts.

Support the show

Chapters

00:01 - Evolution of Martial Arts Training

11:37 - Journey Through Martial Arts Lineage

18:34 - Affiliation in Martial Arts Training

31:48 - Respect and Strength in Martial Arts

43:00 - Evolution and Affiliation in Martial Arts

52:26 - Personal Evolution Through Martial Arts

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:01.500 --> 00:00:03.124
All right, here we are.

00:00:03.564 --> 00:00:09.875
This is the actual episode one of the Evolution Jiu-Jitsu podcast.

00:00:09.875 --> 00:00:23.971
I snuck in a little preview by myself, but I'm here today with a childhood friend, brother Rob Sorreo, and it's one of those situations where, like I don't remember when I didn't know you.

00:00:23.971 --> 00:00:27.766
I mean like back to Stanton Heights, back to elementary school.

00:00:27.766 --> 00:00:30.974
You know and known each other over the years.

00:00:30.974 --> 00:00:38.973
Excuse me, probably our first experience in combat sports was Central Catholic.

00:00:38.973 --> 00:00:41.765
We were both on the wrestling team at the same time.

00:00:41.765 --> 00:00:43.990
I was a, I was a senior when you were a freshman.

00:00:44.451 --> 00:00:45.031
I think right.

00:00:45.051 --> 00:00:56.399
Correct, and so we had some exposure to wrestling back then, and shortly after that, rob, had you started training with Rocco already right In Isshinukurai.

00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:00.271
My first foray into martial arts was 1976 with.

00:01:00.271 --> 00:01:01.573
Rocco in his garage.

00:01:01.573 --> 00:01:07.811
I was being bullied, as a lot of kids are, and my dad thought that I should learn how to defend myself.

00:01:07.811 --> 00:01:09.426
You know he took me to Rocco's.

00:01:09.426 --> 00:01:11.766
It was a much, you know, shorter.

00:01:11.766 --> 00:01:16.388
Like you know my dad not fully understanding, thinking like hey, teach him the basics learn to defend himself.

00:01:16.388 --> 00:01:20.243
And then you know kind of quit, and then you know what was it?

00:01:20.243 --> 00:01:26.221
1980, we started again, right, what was it?

00:01:26.240 --> 00:01:29.487
1980 we started again right, but like I said, you know, my first four it was actually 76.

00:01:29.487 --> 00:01:30.671
Yeah, yeah, and just uh kind of a little backstory there.

00:01:30.691 --> 00:01:39.171
Uh, rocco, his brother anthony and tony, tony lombardo, three black belts in uh, in ishinru.

00:01:39.171 --> 00:01:42.402
Karate, which at the time was I, was one of the things I always loved about it.

00:01:42.402 --> 00:01:45.165
When we really got into it in 1980 and beyond.

00:01:45.165 --> 00:02:03.070
It was not something that you see in every and I mean like no disrespect to anyone else, but it wasn't a franchise that you see in every strip mall where you know it's kind of like, uh, like, uh, like an assembly line, right, um, it was, it was a one-off.

00:02:03.531 --> 00:02:24.144
Now again one of a part of an affiliation, right, um, and issue, my understanding is it was very popular in the 70s, in the 80s, but I believe because it didn't mainstream, it didn't franchise and there's still some legitimate schools today and, um, you know, again, like lineage, like we talk a lot in jujitsu about lineage.

00:02:24.144 --> 00:02:28.729
So that was, yeah, my first exposure.

00:02:28.729 --> 00:02:48.801
You know, something I always wanted to do as a kid because of what you see in the movies and this and that I think the way we came up.

00:02:48.801 --> 00:02:51.444
Of course, then you and I almost simultaneously, we started karate and then we started boxing.

00:02:51.444 --> 00:03:01.616
You know, training for the Golden Belts If I'm not mistaken, it was at the Pittsburgh Press Newsboys Golden Belts and it was always a fall tournament, right and the Golden Gloves would have been like a winter tournament.

00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:04.703
Yeah, but you know and.

00:03:05.764 --> 00:03:06.503
I mean looking back.

00:03:06.503 --> 00:03:07.164
I'm glad we did it.

00:03:07.745 --> 00:03:08.626
I am glad we did it.

00:03:08.626 --> 00:03:09.326
You know you learn.

00:03:09.326 --> 00:03:12.590
You had some grappling in high school.

00:03:12.590 --> 00:03:19.296
You know boxing and then, for me personally, later on, when I went into the Navy, boxing was a huge part of the core curriculum.

00:03:19.296 --> 00:03:25.764
So you know, imagine my surprise where I was like right, you know I could take a, not take a break.

00:03:25.783 --> 00:03:43.306
But like I'm in a curriculum right now, this phase, where I'm not out of my element, like aerodynamics, engineering a little bit out of my element, but you know, so it's a skill that I'm glad, but I think too for me Well, back up a notch.

00:03:43.306 --> 00:03:50.543
So so we both grow up, both grow up, we, we become adults, right no I make.

00:03:50.543 --> 00:04:07.918
I'm being, I'm using labels, I'm using labels, but um so I remember vividly I think we just talked about this yesterday I was a brown belt with four stripes, the black stripes.

00:04:07.957 --> 00:04:17.487
For those who don't know, like uh in in ishinru, the stripes you earn are the color of the belt you're going to correct, unlike jiu jitsu where the stripes are white on every belt.

00:04:17.487 --> 00:04:20.983
You know one, two, three and then the next four and then the next color.

00:04:20.983 --> 00:04:23.988
But I remember that and was so close.

00:04:23.988 --> 00:04:28.086
I was like a brown belt with four black stripes and I'm like I'm.

00:04:28.086 --> 00:04:30.911
I knew I was already accepted to the Navy.

00:04:30.911 --> 00:04:36.591
I was waiting for my departure date and I remember thinking like oh man, and I knew, I knew in my heart.

00:04:36.591 --> 00:04:39.283
I was like if I don't do this now, I'm never going to do it.

00:04:39.283 --> 00:04:40.987
I don't think I'm ever going to.

00:04:40.987 --> 00:04:43.331
When am I going to get the chance to take the test?

00:04:43.331 --> 00:04:44.793
It's not like I've got more curriculum.

00:04:44.793 --> 00:04:48.687
I've got a test and, as I recall, I left for the Navy in April.

00:04:49.309 --> 00:04:58.230
Yeah, april, and I think I was able to do my test in the winter, winter of so whether it was January, february, a couple months prior, you know.

00:04:58.500 --> 00:05:01.389
Well, concurrently, Rocker was closing the school.

00:05:01.389 --> 00:05:03.625
Right, so he was trying to get everybody up to black belt.

00:05:03.625 --> 00:05:08.535
Um a little bit different, um methodologies and how you would train.

00:05:08.535 --> 00:05:17.624
You know, what I came to understand now is in martial arts of like your journey just begins after black belt exactly, uh, you know where that was kind of ending.

00:05:17.624 --> 00:05:27.629
Yeah, there was no continuing education and stuff like that so a little bit of a different experience, I would say, but nonetheless an achievement, right, right and, and that is believe me.

00:05:27.709 --> 00:05:33.985
Now, now that I've kind of re-immersed, you know, in on the, you know, jujitsu path, that's something that I do.

00:05:34.105 --> 00:05:40.228
Really no regrets at all, because I knew even if the school wasn't closing and that is a valid point, it was closing.

00:05:40.228 --> 00:05:50.505
So the core group of us who were about to turn black right, I remember he even said he, he was like no, I'm going to, I'm going to get, I'm going to get those of you who are there, I'm going to get you through.

00:05:50.505 --> 00:06:04.475
But you know then, and it's natural, it's a natural selection, because his kids were getting older and his kids were getting older, they were getting involved in their activities and he spent a lot of time with us, a lot of time with us, teaching us, training us.

00:06:04.475 --> 00:06:07.778
So I understand that's a natural evolution.

00:06:07.778 --> 00:06:11.067
You know Evolution right.

00:06:11.067 --> 00:06:20.829
So, but again, it was a little bit bittersweet because I was, I was, I wanted to finish what I started, I wanted to get my black belt and I did.

00:06:20.829 --> 00:06:22.403
And I kind of knew.

00:06:22.523 --> 00:06:35.170
Then I was like well, even if there's an issue in your school in Pensacola, florida, I'm not gonna be able to go right, I mean aviation officer candidate school, flight school I'm like I'm gonna have my plate full, but I was glad that I finished that.

00:06:35.170 --> 00:06:38.923
But you're right, there was that like, okay, that's part one.

00:06:38.923 --> 00:06:51.372
The next part is and it's not just about the second degree, third degree, for it's not, but it is because that's now, you're a teacher but you're also a student, right, and it's that perfect balance.

00:06:51.372 --> 00:06:59.680
You know, it just keeps moving forward, um, so I knew that, I knew that going in and right about you know similar timeline.

00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:12.418
I'm in the navy you have, you know, we both starting to have kids, right, and I remember I don't remember what age Robbie was, but I remember you telling me you're like, hey, I found a school, so would you tell, tell how that happened.

00:07:12.660 --> 00:07:22.627
So, um, yeah, you know, my son Robbie, um, you know, really didn't take to sports when he was younger and, uh, you know, kind of felt like he needs to do something.

00:07:22.627 --> 00:07:34.798
You know I tried t-ball, couldn't stand it, you know, and really didn't want to try anything else, I think soccer and he just didn't take to it and I thought, you know, he should learn martial arts.

00:07:35.221 --> 00:07:44.291
And you know I thought about teaching him myself and realized that you know, I'm just too big to be able to do a lot of the things you know judo and different moves with him.

00:07:44.291 --> 00:07:48.468
Too big to be able to do a lot of the things you know judo and different moves with him.

00:07:48.468 --> 00:07:53.966
So, um, you know, I researched a school, found a place that was in sharpsburg, close to where I I lived at, you know currently live, and, um, you know, took him there.

00:07:53.966 --> 00:07:54.466
He took to it.

00:07:54.466 --> 00:08:04.052
He was, uh, just turned seven, okay, and um, you know, spent probably probably spent seven years training and then kind of um, fell out.

00:08:04.052 --> 00:08:08.146
Then he actually did find sports and you know, know got interested in middle school.

00:08:08.166 --> 00:08:15.305
You know, played football, wrestled in high school, played football in high school and so that's kind of like.

00:08:15.305 --> 00:08:18.471
But if I step back, you know the exposure was for him.

00:08:18.632 --> 00:08:18.812
Right.

00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:37.734
And then I you know, so it was karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and you know I became interested in it and thought and thought, I'm going to start doing it with him and I think, one of the best things for parents if you want your child to do it, is to train with them side by side, and I had the opportunity to do that and it was wonderful.

00:08:37.754 --> 00:08:44.850
I spent a lot of time together in family classes, kids' classes, then of course I would go to adult classes.

00:08:44.850 --> 00:08:46.542
You know, fast forward 16 years later.

00:08:46.542 --> 00:08:51.311
About three years ago, I, you know, got my black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

00:08:51.311 --> 00:08:53.562
You know, huge honor for me.

00:08:53.562 --> 00:08:56.951
You know what I consider to be a major accomplishment.

00:08:56.951 --> 00:09:03.908
And, you know, continued to train for probably three years at the same school that I'd been at.

00:09:03.908 --> 00:09:09.455
And then, you know, from that point forward, you know, always had some aspirations.

00:09:09.455 --> 00:09:12.404
I suppose, you know, just didn't know when I would do it.

00:09:12.404 --> 00:09:20.873
You know, maybe have my own place and you know, if we're at this point in the podcast, maybe we'll talk a little bit about that and what evolution became.

00:09:20.873 --> 00:09:28.905
Evolution became, you know, just to let the audience know that.

00:09:28.905 --> 00:09:30.509
You know Mike had presented me an opportunity to you know.

00:09:30.509 --> 00:09:35.042
Basically, have, you know, my own school, which was a dream, here at CrossFit right.

00:09:35.081 --> 00:09:41.293
So a lot of the barriers that you would have to enter into the market to start a martial arts school.

00:09:41.293 --> 00:09:45.419
I was fortunate enough not to have you know, investment in mats started martial arts school.

00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:46.544
I was fortunate enough not to have, you know, investment in mats.

00:09:46.544 --> 00:09:50.251
You know a building, a place, and you know he gave me a home to be able to launch this.

00:09:50.251 --> 00:09:53.686
And you know speak a little bit about the Evolution name.

00:09:53.686 --> 00:09:57.066
You know we originally so.

00:09:57.066 --> 00:10:00.023
You know what Mike didn't describe is that you know we trained together.

00:10:00.023 --> 00:10:03.538
You know I was teaching Mike jujitsu back in 2013.

00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:05.005
Well, that's the part.

00:10:05.005 --> 00:10:09.850
Yeah, I wanted to kind of like regress here for a minute 2013.

00:10:09.850 --> 00:10:11.354
Yeah, 2013.

00:10:11.354 --> 00:10:29.466
And what was happening was I was between, I was on a training contract for the Navy, so we would have gaps of time during the curriculum and Friday mornings right after the CrossFit class, and I don't even remember how it started.

00:10:29.466 --> 00:10:32.389
If you made the offer, you're like, hey, you know, if you want to train it, let's do it.

00:10:32.389 --> 00:10:45.952
Rob would come to our gym at CrossFit Pittsburgh our last location and as the CrossFit class is getting out, we set up a few mats I maybe three mats, you know and we would train.

00:10:46.693 --> 00:10:51.009
And it was, you know, for me and I told, I told my wife this, she, you know, she's like, well, how was it?

00:10:51.009 --> 00:10:51.580
How was it?

00:10:51.580 --> 00:11:11.049
I was like, jen, I can't, I can't describe it any more to you than this for me to train with you again at that time a different medium, jiu-jitsu instead of karate or boxing, but to be back training with you in combat sports, it was like.

00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:14.034
First of all, it was fantastic to be exposed to jiu-jitsu.

00:11:14.034 --> 00:11:16.505
To be exposed to Brazilian jiu-jitsu was amazing for me.

00:11:16.505 --> 00:11:20.681
But what was also very neat was like almost like therapeutic.

00:11:20.681 --> 00:11:22.945
It took me back literally like is that?

00:11:22.945 --> 00:11:28.913
As it sounds weird, I don't care, but it took me back to a time when you know you had like you.

00:11:29.114 --> 00:11:37.586
You know we were younger, we were, like you know, probably dumber, but just to be able to bond like that with my brother again on the mats, learning something different.

00:11:37.586 --> 00:11:43.567
And I remember vividly you were a blue belt at the time and I made disclaimers that you know?

00:11:43.726 --> 00:11:50.831
hey, I would never make aspirations or make statements that I'm a teacher and go out and try to teach people outside of the school, right?

00:11:50.831 --> 00:11:55.061
I remember telling you that, right, and you're like no, I still want to learn and train with you and we did that.

00:11:55.061 --> 00:12:04.371
Yeah, and it's funny and and when I look evolution of, like how I taught an armbar it's a blue belt versus how I teach it today.

00:12:04.392 --> 00:12:14.724
Entirely different, right, maybe two steps you know, at best you know, do this and this at a blue belt and now as a black belt, five, six steps maybe, decomposing the.

00:12:14.724 --> 00:12:18.725
You know, of course you get a better mastery, a better understanding how to teach and everything.

00:12:18.725 --> 00:12:25.306
But like it was crude in those days, right and but yeah, I cherish those memories that we got to train together.

00:12:25.306 --> 00:12:30.769
You know, whatever the circumstances were that I recall like couldn't do it anymore.

00:12:31.400 --> 00:12:34.625
Well, yeah, I think that's what happens is like I think my job changed.

00:12:34.625 --> 00:12:42.384
I was off the training contract and you know you always get a moment where you're like, hey, listen, I've been presented this new opportunity.

00:12:42.384 --> 00:12:43.849
I got to take it.

00:12:43.849 --> 00:12:53.870
Heck, if I remember correctly what it was, when we were starting up, there was a security company in Charleston, west Virginia, who decided they wanted to open an office in Pittsburgh.

00:12:53.870 --> 00:13:01.493
I get introduced to the owner by a mutual acquaintance and you know he makes me the offer hey, start and run the Pittsburgh office.

00:13:01.493 --> 00:13:06.211
And I said, okay, great, that was a long time commitment.

00:13:06.211 --> 00:13:08.485
And you know what's strange, it never occurred to me to go.

00:13:08.485 --> 00:13:10.652
Okay, so we change our training dynamic.

00:13:10.652 --> 00:13:13.985
You know I trained later instead of so it kind of got derailed.

00:13:14.947 --> 00:13:20.426
Our next link up, I mean, of course, you know we still socialized, stayed together, you know friends and all that.

00:13:20.426 --> 00:13:28.485
But our next time on the mats, son michael was 13 and I remember I'm thinking just like you said about robbie.

00:13:28.485 --> 00:13:30.614
You're like, well, he was, he was smaller, he was younger.

00:13:30.614 --> 00:13:35.687
So you find, well, I remember we had started.

00:13:35.687 --> 00:13:39.813
I'm like he's 13, but he's like, kind of, he'd like a growth spurt.

00:13:39.813 --> 00:13:42.244
So height was no longer a mechanical disadvantage.

00:13:42.244 --> 00:13:46.530
And I said, hey, would you mind know if we started to train together again?

00:13:46.530 --> 00:13:57.458
And I bring Michael, you're like, yeah, that's a great idea, because now this was fate, this was so cool, you had started training our old karate instructor, that's correct.

00:13:57.458 --> 00:14:02.032
Yeah, you know, one-on-one private lesson at his garage.

00:14:02.032 --> 00:14:04.768
Right, it goes back to Rocco's garage.

00:14:04.768 --> 00:14:10.378
You know, like we where it all still a different garage, but same rocco, um, and I said, you know what do you think?

00:14:10.378 --> 00:14:11.902
And you were like, yeah, come on train with us.

00:14:11.902 --> 00:14:22.267
So now for me to be able to bring my son to train with uncle rob, yeah, and then meet rocco, who was a mentor to us as as young men.

00:14:22.267 --> 00:14:30.726
You know roughly Michael's age, right, so that evolved, I mean evolved, right, that's why we knew it was the right name, you know.

00:14:30.726 --> 00:14:33.832
So we did that.

00:14:34.214 --> 00:14:47.787
And then, unfortunately, we trained right into COVID, right, I mean, like we were regular and we even built our little and it was not a business business, there was nothing financially to be risked or gained, it was a club.

00:14:47.787 --> 00:14:53.345
And you know you were the teacher and and you know it was just fantastic, fantastic to be now.

00:14:53.345 --> 00:14:56.495
But again, how time passes, we're blue belt.

00:14:56.495 --> 00:15:04.162
When we first trained together, I missed your entirety of purple belt I think, because when we started to train together again you were already a brown belt, correct?

00:15:04.162 --> 00:15:04.322
Yeah?

00:15:04.322 --> 00:15:09.010
So again, big gaps in my training, obviously not in yours.

00:15:09.653 --> 00:15:19.625
So michael gets on the mats and I'd say, over the years, you know, he gets bigger, he gets stronger, he gets more, you know, skilled and capable, and then, uh, covet ends.

00:15:19.625 --> 00:15:30.166
He never came back to jujitsu but he turned that into a varsity wrestling at high school and you know, first time on the mats he letters his junior year.

00:15:30.166 --> 00:15:35.484
Double letters is his senior year and you know it was uh for me to be able to watch that.

00:15:35.484 --> 00:15:37.950
I was like again, like bittersweet.

00:15:37.950 --> 00:15:45.442
I was like you know what, I'm not going to commit, going to commit, this is his time.

00:15:45.442 --> 00:15:47.125
He's going to be in college in a year.

00:15:47.144 --> 00:15:52.414
You know, and and really selfishly I'll tell you that the evolution of the beginnings of evolution, jujitsu, I think, was july.

00:15:52.414 --> 00:15:58.231
This past july I reached out to rob and I said, um, hey, man, I want to get back on the mats.

00:15:58.231 --> 00:15:59.802
I want to get back on the mats.

00:15:59.802 --> 00:16:02.956
You know, what do you think if we link up here at the gym?

00:16:02.956 --> 00:16:05.174
I was like we've got space, we've got mats, what do you think?

00:16:05.174 --> 00:16:05.434
And you link up here at the gym.

00:16:05.434 --> 00:16:06.629
I was like, we've got space, we've got mats, what do you think?

00:16:06.629 --> 00:16:11.048
And you were just getting ready to go on vacation and then I think it was one conversation.

00:16:11.048 --> 00:16:12.844
I'm like could we train?

00:16:12.844 --> 00:16:14.448
Excuse me, could we train together?

00:16:14.448 --> 00:16:17.947
Again, turned into you know what.

00:16:17.947 --> 00:16:20.405
I think there'd be an interest.

00:16:20.405 --> 00:16:26.640
Why don't we?

00:16:26.640 --> 00:16:26.861
You know?

00:16:26.861 --> 00:16:28.227
Because I guess in the back of my mind it really was.

00:16:28.249 --> 00:16:32.565
I knew how much you always wanted your own place, come here and teach you guys and figure out, you know, because then also your daughter wanted to do it right?

00:16:32.565 --> 00:16:36.485
I remember you distinctly telling me like hey, yeah, you know, I want my daughter to be part of it.

00:16:36.485 --> 00:16:39.922
You know, yeah, exactly, and I said, okay, you know, we'll figure that out.

00:16:40.462 --> 00:16:48.969
I said I have to figure out my time you know, because I'm occupied with my own training and teaching where I used to be at, and you're right, that's kind of like how it started.

00:16:48.969 --> 00:16:52.789
And then you know, hey, how about we do it as a business?

00:16:53.440 --> 00:17:00.111
Yeah and so, and literally not to trivialize it, but you know it was like bada bing, bada bang, bada boom.

00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:02.559
You know, and here it is, it's all in place kind of quickly.

00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:04.882
And here it is, it's all in place kind of quickly, very quickly, very quickly.

00:17:04.882 --> 00:17:06.942
And I'll tell you this, and I didn't understand it.

00:17:07.083 --> 00:17:08.663
I mean, I knew about it.

00:17:08.663 --> 00:17:13.926
I knew enough about the legacy of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

00:17:13.926 --> 00:17:17.167
But again, how fast that happened.

00:17:17.167 --> 00:17:26.613
And then one of the things that happened I think equally as fast, but looking back I wouldn't have changed it for anything was our affiliation.

00:17:26.613 --> 00:17:33.176
So here we are, a brand new, freshly minted new jujitsu school.

00:17:33.176 --> 00:17:48.372
And you had mentioned hey, you know what we really should think of affiliating, for you know proper lineage, like what would you for those who don't know, what would you compare a lineage to?

00:17:48.412 --> 00:18:03.471
So a lineage, you know, kind of look at it as almost like a family and that family's teaching you and you're learning, I would say, whatever the techniques are or whatever you're learning from them, and that would be the originator of the martial art, or it could be cooking, you know whatever.

00:18:03.471 --> 00:18:04.394
Whatever that might be.

00:18:04.394 --> 00:18:08.487
And so when we talk lineage, what's your connection to the people that innovated?

00:18:08.487 --> 00:18:12.486
Right whatever it is that you're learning, and you know gordon ramsay.

00:18:12.527 --> 00:18:25.751
You know who did you train under well, I trained under gordon ramsay right so that's your lineage as a chef right you know, jujitsu, or martial arts, is no different right um, and generally, the closer you are to, you know, the originator of that art, the better.

00:18:25.751 --> 00:18:33.484
But, you know, jujitsu is branched off so much that you have so many different schools and I thought it was really important.

00:18:33.484 --> 00:18:39.244
And there's somebody that I admire significantly and that's Lou Armanzani.

00:18:39.244 --> 00:18:49.984
Lou, if you're out there listening, you know I love you and over the years I knew Lou from tournaments and you know being on the scene here a little bit and I said you know we're going under Lou.

00:18:50.005 --> 00:18:52.433
Armanzani reached out to Lou.

00:18:52.433 --> 00:18:55.064
He said absolutely, and I met.

00:18:55.064 --> 00:18:58.279
We talked through the details of how to become an affiliate, you know.

00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:04.101
So now we're a proud Armanzani affiliate and we will be, for, you know, the rest of our lives here.

00:19:04.101 --> 00:19:06.402
So you know that's now our lineage.

00:19:06.402 --> 00:19:13.567
You know, training under Lou Lou is a Team Paso, tony Paso prodigy or, you know, student now.

00:19:13.567 --> 00:19:16.150
That's his coach, you know.

00:19:16.150 --> 00:19:20.212
So that's kind of like how we're affiliated now me.

00:19:20.252 --> 00:19:21.554
like you said, what was you?

00:19:21.554 --> 00:19:28.266
You told me this, like maybe my first time on the mat and back in 2013, you know, so I'm probably I don't.

00:19:28.266 --> 00:19:37.010
Might be a record, I don't know I might be like the longest standing white belt in the history, from my first time.

00:19:37.010 --> 00:19:43.307
But but this is another thing too that I, I do, you know, and and I don't want to take a negative spin- on this at all.

00:19:43.367 --> 00:20:06.039
I really don't, but like crossfit, when I hear somebody go oh man, I'd love to do it, I'm too old, I want to throw us like not a hard one, not a real, yeah, but a little bit of a smack like like snap out of that all right, you're not and like you said it just today you know, um, it's not a sprint, it's not even a marathon, it's an ultra marathon.

00:20:06.682 --> 00:20:08.347
Right, it's the journey.

00:20:08.347 --> 00:20:11.480
One thing I've learned to are you injured or you hurt.

00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:17.948
That's a thing you know, way back for me, and in the Navy days, where I was seriously, are you injured or you hurt.

00:20:17.948 --> 00:20:19.354
A lot of things hurt.

00:20:19.354 --> 00:20:22.000
Rub some sand on it, get up, keep moving.

00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.202
An injury is a different story.

00:20:23.202 --> 00:20:24.344
Injury needs to be treated.

00:20:24.344 --> 00:20:24.923
It needs to be.

00:20:24.923 --> 00:20:31.070
But again, to what did I say?

00:20:31.070 --> 00:20:34.094
I was like I'm going to go as far as I can Today.

00:20:34.094 --> 00:20:36.277
Long term, go as far as I can.

00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:40.701
If I have to stop, I'm going to step to the side.

00:20:40.701 --> 00:20:43.804
You know, for the audience I mean everybody knows your podcast that you're a CrossFit affiliate.

00:20:43.804 --> 00:20:47.166
For the audience I mean everybody knows your podcast, that you're a CrossFit affiliate.

00:20:47.166 --> 00:20:48.948
And you know what I learned about CrossFit through you when you introduced me.

00:20:48.948 --> 00:20:55.034
You know, at your first box and you know a little bit of a few workouts I did with you and everything that you told me it's scalable.

00:20:55.034 --> 00:20:57.174
Right, Because I didn't think I could do it.

00:20:57.174 --> 00:20:58.236
You know I've never.

00:20:58.236 --> 00:20:59.897
You know I'm not a big weightlifter.

00:20:59.897 --> 00:21:04.288
I lift weights but you know I'm not, I would say, a serious hardcore.

00:21:04.288 --> 00:21:08.525
You know lifter and I remember, you know, you taking me through some of the workouts.

00:21:08.525 --> 00:21:11.983
I felt a little, you know, sort of intimidated and everything.

00:21:11.983 --> 00:21:14.750
And um, you told me, rob, don't worry, it's scalable do what?

00:21:14.770 --> 00:21:21.073
you can do and you know there's um, definitely a parallel to jujitsu, that it's scalable.

00:21:21.073 --> 00:21:23.426
And you know, look, we have, you know, one member.

00:21:23.426 --> 00:21:32.553
You know you know great guy and you know he's going to train different than our youngest member.

00:21:32.553 --> 00:21:34.525
That's a team, let's say our youngest student.

00:21:34.525 --> 00:21:37.881
You know you do what you can do and try to get through.

00:21:37.881 --> 00:21:48.122
You know, whatever the technique is, that's being done and it's no different than CrossFit, it's no different than anything in life, Like just keep moving forward you know, and exactly.

00:21:48.301 --> 00:21:54.894
And like what you judge people on, in my opinion, is just your own progression.

00:21:54.894 --> 00:21:59.786
I would say You're not competing against me or somebody else, You're competing against yourself.

00:22:00.121 --> 00:22:02.160
And I think it's the same way Exactly.

00:22:03.182 --> 00:22:11.393
Your measurement is against your performance, and yesterday you were able to do this, and today you have what you call PRs personal records and all that stuff.

00:22:11.472 --> 00:22:12.480
Right, yeah, do this.

00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:14.328
And today you have what you call them prs, personal records and all that stuff.

00:22:14.328 --> 00:22:14.630
So, right, yeah.

00:22:14.630 --> 00:22:39.132
And I think too, one of the things that was really fascinating for me, because one of, again, one of the first things you ever said to me on the mat was in regard to, uh, teaching water is purest the closer you get to the source, right, and I remember when you first mentioned an affiliation, I'm like, hey man like the model business again, separate business from the, the art itself, the, the, the family relationship itself.

00:22:39.192 --> 00:22:43.623
Right so the crossfit affiliation, there's no doubt in my mind.

00:22:43.623 --> 00:22:49.520
Um, over the years crossfit has been, you know, started out really, uh, the garage gym.

00:22:49.520 --> 00:22:51.906
Anybody familiar with the crossfit, it's like the garage gym.

00:22:51.926 --> 00:22:54.373
So here we go back to jiu-jitsu started as well.

00:22:54.393 --> 00:23:11.991
The gracies came to, you know, california exactly the 80s or maybe even late 70s, and they were teaching out of their garage, exactly right and so you start like that and then it becomes this, like whoa, this, this thing, you know, um, the sport of fitness, and then it becomes competitive, but they're still, you know, like the sport of fitness.

00:23:11.991 --> 00:23:29.611
And then it becomes competitive, but there's still, you know, like we did it, when I found it, a lot of teams were using it, downrange, you know, it became more of a work thing that you're like, well, how do you train to perform, you know, in your capacity as a, you know, a military service member, law enforcement, first responder, what have you.

00:23:29.611 --> 00:23:37.902
Then it kind of became a sport.

00:23:37.902 --> 00:23:41.369
Similarly with jujitsu, right, it's like, I don't know, man, this is, this is fighting, this is ground fighting, this is formidable and it.

00:23:41.369 --> 00:23:44.080
Then it becomes a sport ish, but it's still still fighting, it's still.

00:23:44.603 --> 00:23:51.067
And I remember over the years you know, you and I talking, I think, maybe our first exposure to grappling well, wrestling, of course, in high school.

00:23:51.067 --> 00:23:56.760
But even when we were with Rocco, he would like to give us a little bit every so often of something different.

00:23:56.760 --> 00:24:02.320
I remember the first time we walked in for a karate class and there are mats on the floor.

00:24:02.320 --> 00:24:03.806
I'm like what the heck?

00:24:03.806 --> 00:24:04.228
What's this?

00:24:04.228 --> 00:24:16.048
And verbatim, he was like, okay, we're gonna spend some time on the ground tonight, because sooner or later usually sooner every fight ends up on the ground and you need to know what to do, right?

00:24:16.048 --> 00:24:26.417
But so you know, again, like looking at it in that perspective, so he went, you know, for me personally, from 2013 with you 2018, back with you 2024.

00:24:26.417 --> 00:24:31.852
Yeah, it was supposed to be hey man, let's just train, we'll get Alex on the mats, let's just train.

00:24:31.852 --> 00:24:35.309
And you know it was supposed to be hey man, let's just train, we'll get Alex on the mats, let's just train.

00:24:35.309 --> 00:24:36.955
And literally a phone call what if we did this?

00:24:36.955 --> 00:24:37.397
What if we did this?

00:24:37.397 --> 00:24:37.859
And we did.

00:24:37.859 --> 00:24:44.153
And the introduction to Lou you knew him, I didn't.

00:24:44.153 --> 00:24:47.549
And I was like, hey man, that's the way we're going, absolutely, I'm with you.

00:24:47.549 --> 00:24:51.048
And then we were invited out to his school a couple weekends ago.

00:24:51.048 --> 00:24:54.384
So it was five of us, I think five of us from here.

00:24:55.726 --> 00:25:03.847
We traveled out for an opportunity to train at Lou's school in Monaca, right, and there were other affiliates there.

00:25:03.847 --> 00:25:13.297
And I'll tell you straight up I walk in there as my little two stripe white belt and I remember Mark and I were.

00:25:13.297 --> 00:25:22.250
We went and got changed, we came back upstairs we're side by side and I'm looking around the room and I'm like, oh my God, I mean more.

00:25:22.250 --> 00:25:27.463
Well, you know, again, I'm a novice, but more more jujitsu black belts than I've ever seen in one place so far.

00:25:27.463 --> 00:25:41.083
And then I'm looking and I'm like I don't see any white and then finally a few white belts trickled in, you know, but what a great number one, what a great experience Meeting Lou personally.

00:25:41.423 --> 00:25:42.748
You know, the first time, meeting him.

00:25:42.748 --> 00:25:45.361
Awesome guy, fantastic, genuine.

00:25:45.361 --> 00:25:57.786
You know, like that kind of genuine guy that when you meet him and, let's face it, you and I are at an age where we've met a lot of people through our careers, through, you know, social events, things like this, and I believe this, there's only two types, only two types.

00:25:57.786 --> 00:26:04.800
There's a type that you're introduced to and when you're meeting this person, you're like God, please don't let me have to talk to this guy much this evening.

00:26:04.800 --> 00:26:10.210
Right, it's shallow, it's empty, right, first introduction, first introduction.

00:26:10.210 --> 00:26:26.790
That's a guy that when he's saying, hey, you know, nice to meet you, like you know it, you know that he means it and just, it was great to be able to see, you know, meet him, see him in his element, but there was not a single person I crossed paths with that day, not one at any rank level.

00:26:26.790 --> 00:26:30.519
That wasn't a genuine, good, solid person.

00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:35.460
Right, and what was neat, too, the way that there was a lot of folks so hold on if I could, yeah, please.

00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:37.407
I would like to give a shout-out to the other affiliates.

00:26:37.407 --> 00:26:39.023
You have OutKast Jiu-Jitsu.

00:26:39.023 --> 00:26:40.428
Right, you have Mondali.

00:26:40.667 --> 00:26:42.211
Right, you have Weirton Yep.

00:26:43.601 --> 00:26:45.663
And I think that's yeah, so we're the four.

00:26:45.663 --> 00:26:49.547
And us right CR Manzani Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

00:26:49.787 --> 00:26:58.816
So that's what makes up Lou's affiliation, yeah, and that's a good point to bring up because, as I said, we were invited so we drove from Pittsburgh to Monaca.

00:27:03.240 --> 00:27:05.324
But those other affiliates- one in from Ohio, one in from West Virginia.

00:27:05.724 --> 00:27:06.666
Yeah, and you know.

00:27:06.666 --> 00:27:14.266
Again, for those of you who don't know, and you know it's funny too, and I will bet it's the same dynamic in Jiu-Jitsu, those of you who don't know or in, and you know it's funny too, and I will bet it's the same dynamic in jujitsu.

00:27:14.266 --> 00:27:15.449
All schools are not created equal.

00:27:15.449 --> 00:27:20.365
They're not, and it is all about all black belts are not created equal.

00:27:21.067 --> 00:27:25.261
Yeah, that's, that's exactly right and you know what, what we have an expression in every, everything.

00:27:25.261 --> 00:27:25.502
I mean.

00:27:25.502 --> 00:27:28.701
We learned this years ago at the, at the you know folks I used to work for.

00:27:28.701 --> 00:27:32.655
Um, it sounds trite but it it's impactful.

00:27:32.655 --> 00:27:32.816
Right.

00:27:32.816 --> 00:27:35.965
Certified does not necessarily mean qualified All right.

00:27:35.965 --> 00:27:39.040
So even within our own CrossFit community, all right.

00:27:39.040 --> 00:27:44.872
Even within our own CrossFit community, you'll have someone who has the you know the certificates on the wall and that kind of thing.

00:27:44.872 --> 00:27:54.953
And then maybe you observe their class and you go, oh my God, okay, you know like I'll never forget this, uh, greg glassman's.

00:27:55.394 --> 00:27:58.888
Greg glassman said this once at a seminar in the early 2000s.

00:27:58.888 --> 00:28:04.325
It stuck with me because I've had the same thoughts over the years and just a different way of verbalizing it.

00:28:04.325 --> 00:28:10.631
But he was like you know, be mindful of the community you're a part of and how you represent it.

00:28:10.631 --> 00:28:19.814
He's like I have crossed paths with people over the years and seen the way they conduct themselves, the way they treat members, the way they treat waitstaff in a restaurant.

00:28:19.814 --> 00:28:30.849
And he said and there have been times when I've been tempted to say do me a favor, please take off my t-shirt and when he said that, at first I laughed, I thought it was funny and all of a sudden I'm like you know what, though?

00:28:30.849 --> 00:28:35.490
Yeah, yeah, you represent, you're a part of something much bigger.

00:28:37.800 --> 00:28:39.727
Let's use the term community standards.

00:28:39.727 --> 00:28:53.987
I hear that a lot today People getting in trouble on Facebook or whatever the social media platform and you get yourself kicked out or suspended and things like that, and they have their community standards and the communities that we represent have their standards as well.

00:28:54.248 --> 00:28:54.387
Right.

00:28:54.962 --> 00:29:01.624
If you're under a particular affiliation and you do something that's particularly vile, you might find yourself no longer part of that affiliation.

00:29:01.624 --> 00:29:02.506
That's exactly right.

00:29:02.506 --> 00:29:03.227
And you know what?

00:29:03.227 --> 00:29:04.490
Violated community standards.

00:29:04.650 --> 00:29:05.451
That's exactly right.

00:29:05.451 --> 00:29:06.453
And you know what we should be.

00:29:06.453 --> 00:29:08.287
We want to hold young people to that.

00:29:08.287 --> 00:29:11.652
Yeah, we to hold young people to that, we need to be accountable ourselves.

00:29:11.672 --> 00:29:14.313
And one of the things, too, that I remember vividly about it was a great.

00:29:14.313 --> 00:29:16.013
It was a great Sunday, it really was.

00:29:16.013 --> 00:29:22.967
We went out there, trained for like three hours, trained for three hours and went out to eat, had a little brotherhood, a little fellowship.

00:29:22.967 --> 00:29:49.169
But one of the things that I recall vividly and this just goes to speak to volumes, right, so you have Lou as the, as the professor that he is, as the and remind me because you got to tell the professor story, because that's classic, I love that part but so you have Lou as the, as the person he is, as the professor he is, and you know the other affiliates that were there that day and again, like you're known by the company you keep right.

00:29:50.070 --> 00:29:53.959
So we we, you know, circle up, we do a thorough warm-up.

00:29:53.959 --> 00:29:58.067
You know we're getting it going, getting a good sweat going, and then we break off into pairs.

00:29:58.067 --> 00:30:01.463
So there was a young man, dominic, I remember.

00:30:01.463 --> 00:30:03.087
You know he and I are both white belts.

00:30:03.087 --> 00:30:04.751
He looks over, he's like pair up.

00:30:04.751 --> 00:30:16.346
I was like, yeah, yeah, so we did, but the group was so large, here's a nice big main space and then a room behind that, like just through a simple door, a door, open doorway, not a door.

00:30:16.346 --> 00:30:18.549
Um, then another mat room.

00:30:18.549 --> 00:30:20.580
It's okay, let's spread out.

00:30:20.580 --> 00:30:21.442
So we did.

00:30:21.442 --> 00:30:32.023
So dominic and I go back, maybe three other pairs, maybe we're working a progression, we're working a flow and we're working a flow and we're trying.

00:30:32.023 --> 00:30:35.867
He's like do you know how to do this one?

00:30:35.867 --> 00:30:36.788
I'm like, no, not really.

00:30:36.788 --> 00:30:38.230
He's like, yeah, me either.

00:30:38.230 --> 00:30:41.792
But we're watching the guys next to us.

00:30:43.214 --> 00:30:51.750
Brian was a blue belt, I think from the description you gave downstairs earlier today during training.

00:30:51.750 --> 00:30:59.145
I think the purple belt was the guy that you trained with yesterday Big, yeah, like head and shoulders over me, and a relatively new purple belt.

00:30:59.145 --> 00:31:01.270
That probably would be about right.

00:31:01.270 --> 00:31:05.571
I mean and I say this, I mean it in a good way Savage.

00:31:05.571 --> 00:31:09.846
I mean this guy was strong, he was fast and he knew his stuff.

00:31:09.846 --> 00:31:15.787
Well, they're the pair right beside us and you know, know, to his credit, man dominic was a scrappy guy.

00:31:15.787 --> 00:31:25.465
But the two of us like we're working a flow and we really didn't know the proper progression, like that, without even being asked, with the.

00:31:25.465 --> 00:31:26.808
You know brian and what was the?

00:31:26.808 --> 00:31:27.590
What was the other guy's name?

00:31:27.590 --> 00:31:28.031
Do you recall?

00:31:28.843 --> 00:31:37.892
uh, it's the person I'm thinking of jace, maybe, maybe, maybe and really real matter of fact and it was not condescending, it was not, it was the most genuine.

00:31:37.892 --> 00:31:40.244
They're like, hey, um, why don't you guys work with us?

00:31:40.244 --> 00:31:41.647
So we split up.

00:31:41.647 --> 00:31:48.192
I worked with brian, jace worked with dominic for the rest of the day, for the rest of the day, and I mean it was just such a great.

00:31:48.420 --> 00:31:56.392
And then what was cool, too, was done right in jujitsu you're not going to find a bigger group of helpful people right anywhere right.

00:31:56.491 --> 00:32:13.132
Right and when it's done right and you teach your students correctly and bring them up correctly, they're helpful exactly, and it's a force multiplier, because when you run a class and you have, you know, colored belts under you, you know blue and purples and browns, you know you want to empower them all to be able to help.

00:32:13.132 --> 00:32:20.111
You know, especially if you have a big class, that's who you pull on to help, kind of like help the younger not the younger people, but the less experienced and such.

00:32:20.111 --> 00:32:20.771
So yeah, yeah.

00:32:20.771 --> 00:32:21.903
Force multiplier, we'll call it.

00:32:22.665 --> 00:32:25.007
Yeah, yeah, exactly, and it was, it was awesome.

00:32:25.007 --> 00:32:35.307
You know, those are the things too that you, you know, you share knowledge, you share experience.

00:32:35.307 --> 00:32:51.092
Um, and I, I think too and I know I said this to you yesterday because you had gone out to train at lose and we're talking and and I said, man, I gotta tell you I said, you know, I love, I love hearing you after a training session because, again too, you know, for me my journey is just beginning right.

00:32:51.092 --> 00:32:54.038
Uh, 61 years old, you know, I was not.

00:32:54.038 --> 00:32:57.047
I don't think I was a 61 year old you were referring to earlier.

00:32:57.047 --> 00:33:10.508
No, I think that's ray, yeah, who is a good dear friend, dear friend, one of our, I think he's one of our first members at crossfit, so we've known the family yeah yeah, a long long time, know same thing.

00:33:10.728 --> 00:33:16.435
I mean, we're both 61, but he's a wee bit like I think he's a month or two older than I am.

00:33:16.435 --> 00:33:20.387
I'm older than Mike, yeah, but like by like 60 days maybe.

00:33:20.387 --> 00:33:21.583
But that's the thing.

00:33:21.583 --> 00:33:35.208
You know, if we could do it and I don't think he knows this and I don't know if I want to tell him, but it's one of those things that, like you get motivation from everyone around you.

00:33:35.208 --> 00:33:36.779
You draw upon everyone, anybody who thinks you don't, you're doing it wrong.

00:33:36.779 --> 00:33:37.500
You're absolutely doing it wrong.

00:33:37.500 --> 00:33:47.433
So there are times when I'm like man, my back is killing me, my hip is killing me, like it's aching, it's hurt, and I look across the mat and I'm like, all right, ray's doing it, we could do this.

00:33:47.433 --> 00:33:50.023
You know, and you draw strength from one another.

00:33:50.023 --> 00:33:50.868
You know from experience and from heart.

00:33:50.868 --> 00:33:51.934
You know, and, and you draw strength from one another.

00:33:51.934 --> 00:33:52.740
You know from experience and from heart.

00:33:52.740 --> 00:33:54.846
You know, and, and I'm just I'm thrilled.

00:33:55.167 --> 00:33:55.509
I'm thrilled.

00:33:55.509 --> 00:34:01.749
And what else is neat too is his whole family was his daughter's married and living in Michigan.

00:34:01.749 --> 00:34:04.701
If she wasn't, you know, she and her husband would be here, because he's a scrapper too.

00:34:04.701 --> 00:34:10.989
But you know the, you know families training together, rolling together, you know.

00:34:10.989 --> 00:34:17.501
For me, I got to, you know, first of all the privilege to train with my brother right, and then to bring my son in.

00:34:18.342 --> 00:34:21.969
And then Alex, she doesn't get this from me.

00:34:21.969 --> 00:34:23.090
She really doesn't.

00:34:23.090 --> 00:34:26.862
You know I was a scrappy dude in the ring, but the mats are a humbling.

00:34:26.862 --> 00:34:27.985
It's the deep water.

00:34:28.045 --> 00:34:29.106
It's a humbling experience.

00:34:29.106 --> 00:34:33.554
She's going to be quite good and she's actually, you know, every class impresses me.

00:34:33.554 --> 00:34:37.503
That's Mike's daughter, alex.

00:34:37.503 --> 00:34:38.543
Really impressive.

00:34:38.543 --> 00:34:40.847
And I would like to dovetail into a statement you made.

00:34:40.847 --> 00:34:42.048
You know you're 61.

00:34:42.048 --> 00:34:42.971
I'm 58.

00:34:42.971 --> 00:34:53.293
You know not like I used to be for sure, but a friend of mine that I worked with, that actually I managed this person.

00:34:53.293 --> 00:35:02.429
We had some problems at work one time and you know, sometimes you don't want to buck the system, you don't want to go against management, and maybe you're dealing with an executive vice president, you're afraid to say something.

00:35:02.429 --> 00:35:05.873
And this guy, finally, was like hey, are you going to say something?

00:35:05.873 --> 00:35:06.757
How they're treating us?

00:35:06.757 --> 00:35:07.239
And blah, blah, blah.

00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:11.643
I'm like, and he goes you want to be a circus lion or do you want to be a lion?

00:35:11.643 --> 00:35:24.056
And um, you know, and I forget the comment I made, and he said old Indian gentleman, he goes, old lion, still a lion, you know it's your choice If you want to be a circus lion, right?

00:35:25.980 --> 00:35:26.842
Or do you want to go out and be an old lion?

00:35:26.842 --> 00:35:29.706
And you know, and, and you know what he was saying was like, you know, don't be afraid.

00:35:29.706 --> 00:35:37.431
Like, just because you're, you know, a lower, you know a lower title to these people, you know you have to stick up for us.

00:35:37.431 --> 00:35:38.163
And I did.

00:35:38.163 --> 00:35:38.704
You know what I mean.

00:35:38.704 --> 00:35:41.606
But in jiu-jitsu is the same that you know.

00:35:41.606 --> 00:35:45.728
We might be old lions, but the old lion is still alive.

00:35:45.728 --> 00:35:47.947
Right on you know, they can still be equally as dangerous.

00:35:52.659 --> 00:35:58.492
You know, maybe they've slowed down a little bit, maybe some skin is hanging or whatever that might be, but an old lion is alive, right on, right on, and that's you know, that's I mean I.

00:35:58.492 --> 00:36:03.838
I probably talk about this like 24 hours, you know, yeah one of the things I would love to do.

00:36:03.838 --> 00:36:04.800
I would love to do.

00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:06.364
We have to get our schedules to line up.

00:36:06.364 --> 00:36:10.432
I would love to have you and I and lou join us.

00:36:11.344 --> 00:36:12.027
Yeah so lou.

00:36:12.047 --> 00:36:28.485
If you're lou, hopefully you hear this at some point, my friend, but, uh, um, love to have you on as a guest, but what I would like you to tell, please tell the professor story, because those of you who don't I mean I, we, I think it's fair to say we have twisted sense of humor.

00:36:28.485 --> 00:36:31.534
We do this, you tell it.

00:36:31.534 --> 00:36:35.106
Tell it, because I'm not going to do it justice I've.

00:36:35.327 --> 00:36:38.918
You know, I've taught for a long time, you know, even prior to being a black belt.

00:36:38.918 --> 00:36:45.101
You know, my journey was such that I was instructing for a long time prior, and so I had a lot of good training in that regard.

00:36:45.101 --> 00:36:48.489
But, um, you know, never from a traditional perspective.

00:36:48.489 --> 00:36:49.960
You know, not using the terms.

00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:53.449
Like, you know, it's common in brazilian jiu-jitsu to call the teacher a professor.

00:36:54.190 --> 00:37:08.036
So in brazil, you know, um, the translation of a professor is just teacher so they even elementary or grade school, call them professor or professora, and in italy it's the same thing right just a sign of respect that you're calling them teacher.

00:37:08.036 --> 00:37:25.630
Right, it's not like here, college professor or whatnot, but like I was never called professor in my life and there's also some, I would say, nuances that certain affiliations you technically have to be maybe like a second or third degree, I think, to achieve professor status, then they call you, you know, professor.

00:37:25.630 --> 00:37:30.552
But like widely regarded, generally most schools will call the instructors professor.

00:37:31.284 --> 00:37:35.806
And you know never been called that before our first affiliate day.

00:37:36.449 --> 00:37:58.244
You know um lining up with all the other black belts which, which I remember, when we first got there, you didn't like you're going to line up, and he's, yeah, like I don't know what to do and lou's calling me up and, like you know, it was quite an honor that he you know, accepted me from day one among his ranks of his black belts and such, you know, front of the class, toe on the line you

00:37:58.264 --> 00:38:00.530
know bow to the class and such wow to each other.

00:38:00.530 --> 00:38:05.387
Then, after we go out, and you know, fist bump or whatever to the whole class in a circle.

00:38:05.387 --> 00:38:26.224
I made my way through the circle, the circle of all the students white belts, all the way up to the purple and browns and then, um, I hear a professor, professor, and I'm like just walking and rob, and I turn around and lose, like yeah, you, and he's like, and he like fist bumps me and you know right I've never been called that before right it was quite an honor.

00:38:26.244 --> 00:38:33.532
Like he's calling professor and you're looking around like who's not, who's not answering, that's not me, I, like you, know it's his school and all that.

00:38:33.780 --> 00:38:36.824
And then like finally he's like Rob and he goes yeah, you.

00:38:36.824 --> 00:38:38.666
And he, like you know, fist bumps me.

00:38:38.666 --> 00:38:40.666
He's like I, you know, come on, it's a courtesy.

00:38:40.666 --> 00:38:40.806
Like.

00:38:40.826 --> 00:38:42.170
I don't want to fist bump you, right.

00:38:46.565 --> 00:38:47.126
And we did that.

00:38:47.126 --> 00:38:52.092
I'm not arrogant in a way that, like you know, I go out and demand that in public and such.

00:38:52.092 --> 00:39:03.420
But, like you know, there is an element of respect in martial arts and it was to me again it was an honor to be, you know, accepted among his teachers and professors, regarded for the teacher part of it.

00:39:03.420 --> 00:39:05.327
Like you can be a black belt and not instruct.

00:39:05.628 --> 00:39:05.789
Right.

00:39:06.219 --> 00:39:14.391
So you know that was quite honorable for me and you know so we'll see going forward how that works here.

00:39:14.391 --> 00:39:21.474
Certainly when there's instructor black belts on the mats, you know I would require, you know Lou comes down, he's a professor.

00:39:21.474 --> 00:39:23.304
You know, we don't call him Lou.

00:39:23.606 --> 00:39:23.766
Right.

00:39:24.019 --> 00:39:28.492
You know there's a on the mats is where we exercise our discipline and respect.

00:39:28.731 --> 00:39:28.913
Right.

00:39:29.420 --> 00:39:38.728
So yeah, that was kind of funny and um, you know again, you know, professor, professor and I just me, I get you.

00:39:38.768 --> 00:39:40.753
He's like I think he's talking to you.

00:39:40.753 --> 00:39:41.434
What owner?

00:39:41.454 --> 00:39:41.719
like what?

00:39:41.719 --> 00:39:42.963
Are you the head instructor there?

00:39:43.744 --> 00:39:46.090
right, that was fun, that was a great day.

00:39:46.170 --> 00:39:49.907
It was a good day, great day very happy to be part of, uh, you know, lou's team.

00:39:49.907 --> 00:39:58.152
Um, you know I trained there yesterday, at a minimum right now, because of my work schedule, you know, I get out there every other week.

00:39:58.152 --> 00:40:05.103
When we go into november and december, I'm going to try to, uh, you know, take vacation days and get out there like on a monday and a friday.

00:40:05.103 --> 00:40:08.961
You know, try to close the year out by getting there at least twice a week.

00:40:08.961 --> 00:40:11.648
Um, reinvigorated with jiu-jitsu.

00:40:11.648 --> 00:40:17.351
You know, had I I told lou um, and we messaged all the time and I said you know, I had so much fun.

00:40:17.371 --> 00:40:24.182
I haven't had that much fun in a long time right and you know he was happy to hear that and you know so yeah, and that's that's.

00:40:24.262 --> 00:40:25.867
We'll wrap up with this because I know we got it.

00:40:25.867 --> 00:40:33.554
We're time sensitive today, but one of the things and I started this for me to hear your level of enthusiasm right.

00:40:36.360 --> 00:40:36.440
And.

00:40:36.762 --> 00:40:40.431
I think I put it like this to you yesterday when you were on your way back and we were talking.

00:40:40.431 --> 00:40:41.782
I said man, listen.

00:40:41.782 --> 00:40:44.431
I said I love your feedback.

00:40:44.431 --> 00:40:52.635
You were telling me like a debrief of your training, because you remind me of how I sound after we train.

00:40:52.635 --> 00:40:58.527
You know like I'll get home Tuesday, thursday evenings, saturday afternoons, and you know my wife's like so how was it?

00:40:58.527 --> 00:41:02.150
She started that like when we first started the world hey, how was grappling, how was it?

00:41:02.150 --> 00:41:05.068
I was like, oh babe it was great, even if you're exhausted.

00:41:05.420 --> 00:41:08.304
Even if you're, I'm like, babe, it was great, we learned this.

00:41:08.304 --> 00:41:11.076
In a way, you feel like, um, like a little kid.

00:41:11.076 --> 00:41:17.083
Well, in a way, you are right, you feel like a little kid again at the end of school and mom's like how was, how was your day, it was great, we learned this.

00:41:17.083 --> 00:41:17.824
We learned this.

00:41:17.824 --> 00:41:22.420
And to me, doesn't matter if it's 21, 31, 61, doesn't matter.

00:41:22.420 --> 00:41:25.548
You still have that level of enthusiasm from something.

00:41:25.548 --> 00:41:29.264
Then you know you're doing the right thing and you're doing it with the right group.

00:41:29.545 --> 00:41:31.889
You know, mike, obviously to our audience.

00:41:31.889 --> 00:41:33.693
You know we're looking to grow.

00:41:33.693 --> 00:41:37.083
We want to encourage people to come in, give it a try.

00:41:37.083 --> 00:41:39.170
You know, grow our student base.

00:41:39.170 --> 00:41:46.385
If I can't be on the mat and enthusiastic and enjoying what I'm doing, how can I expect people to come in here and want to do this?

00:41:46.405 --> 00:41:47.288
That's exactly right.

00:41:47.288 --> 00:41:48.711
That's exactly right.

00:41:54.019 --> 00:42:03.088
It invigorated me to go back and train more, you know, so I'm personally training like I mean, would you want to learn from a guy that doesn't train himself and learn new things and innovate and you know, excuse me, no, no way.

00:42:03.108 --> 00:42:10.054
No, you get a college degree, then you go for a master's and a phd and that's what I consider myself doing now.

00:42:10.054 --> 00:42:13.586
Going under loo is, you know, advancing my continuing education.

00:42:13.586 --> 00:42:22.313
I, I would call it but like, if I can't be enthusiastic and you know, mike, you know again for the audience how I run a class and you know lose.

00:42:22.313 --> 00:42:33.844
The same way, if I don't come in with high energy and I'm not being thankful to the students, grateful that they come and train with us and trying to impart some sort of energy back in, why would you?

00:42:33.885 --> 00:42:35.751
want to come here and again.

00:42:35.751 --> 00:42:40.045
The parallels between crossfit and jiu-jitsu are virtually identical.

00:42:40.045 --> 00:42:43.331
It's a different medium but the parallels it's community-based.

00:42:43.331 --> 00:42:48.976
It's the type of community that you promote, that you, that you develop, that you allow right.

00:42:48.976 --> 00:42:55.103
I've had people come in, our own members, who have traveled and trained elsewhere and I do love feedback.

00:42:55.103 --> 00:42:59.052
But I don't like I do love feedback, I don't like negative feed.

00:42:59.072 --> 00:42:59.722
That sounds stupid.

00:42:59.722 --> 00:43:04.742
I love when they travel and they're like hey, man, we went to here and I wore my crossfit pittsburgh shirt.

00:43:04.742 --> 00:43:07.188
Here's a picture of me with the other coach, that type of thing.

00:43:07.188 --> 00:43:07.789
I love that.

00:43:07.789 --> 00:43:14.373
Then other times they come back and they're like man, we dropped into such and such over here because you guys were closed on Memorial Day.

00:43:14.373 --> 00:43:16.402
We have one workout Memorial Day.

00:43:16.402 --> 00:43:33.840
We do our Murph workout the Saturday of the weekend because, just our tradition, our community has a big Memorial Day service for veterans at the cemetery up in Oakmont, so we'll have one class on Memorial Day Monday, cemetery up in oakmont.

00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:34.784
So we'll have one class on memorial day monday.

00:43:34.784 --> 00:43:45.603
Well, we've had people travel locally and they're like man, like we went to such and such affiliate, like you know what a bunch of dicks yeah, they're completely clickish, completely standoffish, almost critical, and I'm like you do realize we're all crossfit.

00:43:46.043 --> 00:43:48.230
No, no, like you do realize we're all crossfit.

00:43:48.230 --> 00:43:49.291
Right, you, you get that.

00:43:49.291 --> 00:43:51.545
So what in the world you know?

00:43:51.545 --> 00:44:00.007
Yeah, I think it would be the same, like if I would go to a school, a jujitsu school, if I would find one like that, I wouldn't go back, absolutely not no, right.

00:44:00.168 --> 00:44:07.869
And again, you know, um, if you train jujitsu, you know, if you're local and you're not part of evolution or any of the schools in lose footprint.

00:44:07.869 --> 00:44:14.817
I would say go out and train with lou, see how he runs a class, right from beginner to advanced, see how he treats people.

00:44:15.237 --> 00:44:38.326
And if you don't come out of there invigorated about your own training and like feeling good and everything and I don't know where you can train at, because right like that guy will motivate you, the level of intensity and any of his classes, I mean I seriously, you know, even if you again, if you're not part of his affiliation or you train under somebody else, get out there and train with Lou and you'll be invigorated about your own thing.

00:44:39.382 --> 00:44:48.490
Well, you know what, like I said I've said this here, I've said it after his plays I've never felt so energized After being so exhausted.

00:44:48.490 --> 00:44:49.378
Yeah, absolutely.

00:44:49.378 --> 00:44:51.519
Like if that makes any sense at all, I don't realize three hours.

00:44:51.739 --> 00:44:57.730
So I've been out there a couple times now since and I'm going to continue to go, but like that day you're speaking of was our first introduction.

00:44:57.730 --> 00:45:04.634
It was an affiliate day where and I think it was Lou's first affiliate day where he brought all the affiliates together meet each other.

00:45:04.634 --> 00:45:10.773
Everybody got along so well, you know, being able to bounce ideas off each other and help each other.

00:45:10.773 --> 00:45:13.420
You know being able to bounce ideas off each other and help each other.

00:45:13.760 --> 00:45:22.791
And so that day was a three-hour training day and I remember, you know, I mean I have a policy that I try to do for myself but like just the way that Lou's place is, it's not possible to have a phone close by.

00:45:22.791 --> 00:45:30.465
But, like you know, whenever I train I try not to look at my phone, you know, and so there was no clock in the room.

00:45:30.465 --> 00:45:30.585
That.

00:45:30.605 --> 00:45:34.371
I recall that's right, that's right and I remember who I was partnered with.

00:45:34.411 --> 00:45:35.434
I was saying what time is it?

00:45:35.434 --> 00:45:37.547
He's like bro, he's like it's 2 o'clock.

00:45:37.547 --> 00:45:39.545
We started at like 11,.

00:45:39.565 --> 00:45:40.809
I think, yeah, we sure did what.

00:45:41.579 --> 00:45:44.610
And didn't feel like three hours had passed.

00:45:44.610 --> 00:45:48.784
Again, that was like one of the most exhausting sessions.

00:45:48.784 --> 00:45:52.228
I don't know that I ever had like a three hour jujitsu session.

00:45:52.769 --> 00:45:56.514
I know when you and I trained alone, there were times we'd go for two hours.

00:45:56.594 --> 00:46:04.414
in the beginning we'd go for two hours, but you know again because it was just two of us and you were the teacher and the student level of intensity.

00:46:04.414 --> 00:46:05.981
Lou brings in a class and you know I'm looking forward.

00:46:05.981 --> 00:46:09.847
I'm going to message him here shortly and ask him hey, when are we doing an affiliate day again?

00:46:09.847 --> 00:46:12.893
Because like that's one of the best experiences I've had.

00:46:12.893 --> 00:46:20.208
You know again the camaraderie, you know the family atmosphere, you know training with like-minded people, everybody's helpful.

00:46:20.208 --> 00:46:30.465
Lou even says like the, what differentiates him is the intensity and he's like got to have the intensity and there's definitely high intensity in his classes.

00:46:30.505 --> 00:46:32.311
But you know enough of that.

00:46:32.311 --> 00:46:36.409
Like you know, again, extremely happy, you know, be an affiliate there.

00:46:36.409 --> 00:46:37.853
Of course, we have our own school.

00:46:37.853 --> 00:46:39.804
We run it in accordance with.

00:46:39.804 --> 00:46:42.311
You know the techniques and everything how Lou teaches them.

00:46:43.081 --> 00:46:45.590
I would like to take a moment to talk about evolution.

00:46:45.590 --> 00:47:29.226
Yeah, that, um, you know, originally the school was going to be my name, which, which you know, kind of got Americanized Sorayo, but it's actually Sorau, it's pronounced S-E-R-R-A-O and you know, for the longest time, you know the guys, when I taught Mike in our club let's call it outside of where I trained at, they got me shorts and they called it Sorayo Jiu Jitsu, and you know it was great and um, then, when it was time and you know it was great, and um, then when it was time, you know mike's like hey, okay, so it's time we're gonna do surreyo jujitsu and I'm like I don't think so because I felt like you know, I've, I've matured myself to the point where, um, I thought using my name was a little bit pompous, like you know, you know, lou was a professional fighter.

00:47:30.447 --> 00:47:45.047
He's grappled in some high-end, you know tournaments and you know definitely you know, I would say qualified to use his name Alarmanzani Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

00:47:45.047 --> 00:47:54.110
For me, I felt kind of pompous using, you know, my own name for the school and I wanted it to be something more than myself.

00:47:54.110 --> 00:48:09.958
So I threw some names around and evolution made sense, because when I started jiu-jitsu, as all of us, if you're the same person 10 years later that you were 10 years ago, you're doing something wrong.

00:48:10.360 --> 00:48:11.684
And I think there's a famous quote.

00:48:11.684 --> 00:48:15.447
Muhammad Ali says that, something to that effect, and it's true.

00:48:15.447 --> 00:48:17.186
Right, you should evolve as a person.

00:48:17.186 --> 00:48:20.469
And you know your martial arts should evolve.

00:48:20.469 --> 00:48:22.083
You're doing CrossFit.

00:48:22.083 --> 00:48:24.650
You should evolve from day one as a CrossFitter to day 20.

00:48:24.650 --> 00:48:27.907
And you know, evolution made sense.

00:48:27.907 --> 00:48:39.992
And you know there were some people that I trained with over the years, and one person in particular that, um, I would say, had a big influence on me in my life socially.

00:48:39.992 --> 00:49:06.192
Um, you know again, not to go into details, but you know particular beliefs and things like that, and I evolved as a person and became a better person, I would say, through training jujitsu with people and learning from people and understanding that you know, maybe, maybe you know thinking conservatively or liberally, like whatever, like you know, if you have a particular mindset, you need to evolve past that.

00:49:06.420 --> 00:49:06.599
Right.

00:49:07.021 --> 00:49:10.005
And you know honestly, like using jujitsu as a vehicle, it changed my life.

00:49:10.005 --> 00:49:11.927
And you know honestly, like using jujitsu as a vehicle, it changed my life.

00:49:11.967 --> 00:49:16.554
You know, you hear people say look online, jujitsu saved my life, look that up.

00:49:16.554 --> 00:49:25.780
And there's so many people you know, drug addicts, that they needed a positive vehicle and they did jujitsu and literally gave them something else to get addicted to.

00:49:25.780 --> 00:49:48.315
And so I would say, like you know, I didn't have those particular problems, but it did change my life that you train with all people, different walks of life, extremely liberal people, extremely conservative people, and then you see people fighting, sometimes over politics and start realizing hey, when we're here, we're like one family and we're not going to argue politics.

00:49:48.460 --> 00:49:50.507
We're not going to marginalize women.

00:49:50.507 --> 00:49:51.242
We're not going to do politics.

00:49:51.242 --> 00:49:52.326
We're not going to, you know, marginalize women.

00:49:52.326 --> 00:49:53.068
We're not going to do these things.

00:49:53.068 --> 00:49:55.297
And you know, I evolved as a person and, you know, just became a better person.

00:49:55.297 --> 00:49:56.099
I think through.

00:49:56.099 --> 00:49:59.206
You know you take some ass beatings in jujitsu.

00:49:59.206 --> 00:50:07.650
You get beat down sometimes and also you know, sometimes people can socially teach you things right so so long story short.

00:50:07.650 --> 00:50:13.331
Evolution to me was more than just a name for exactly, exactly evolution of you know.

00:50:13.351 --> 00:50:19.945
So, like the shark that we have as our emblem right now, currently, that's the beauty of evolution is that we can change and put different things.

00:50:19.945 --> 00:50:30.907
The name is what it is but, like, the symbol can be something different, but currently it's the shark and all the the colors of the belts are represented in there and representing your evolution as a martial artist.

00:50:30.907 --> 00:50:33.360
But you know, I am not.

00:50:33.581 --> 00:50:53.974
I don't consider myself, um, you know, a teacher that I'm going to teach people how to be good people and things like that, but I would hope, like through our interactions with all these different people, that, like you know, maybe we learn something from each other I think it's an absolute, like it's an unavoidable byproduct, a very healthy, an unavoidable byproduct, a very healthy, healthy, unavoidable byproduct.

00:50:54.074 --> 00:51:04.342
right, particularly, like I said with my son, you know, I mean he's a good kid, I believe my wife and I taught him well, raised him well, but you can't.

00:51:04.342 --> 00:51:06.128
You know, life doesn't happen in a vacuum.

00:51:06.280 --> 00:51:07.184
It's his own evolution.

00:51:07.184 --> 00:51:09.052
You know, from a young man to an adult.

00:51:09.052 --> 00:51:10.181
My son the same way.

00:51:10.181 --> 00:51:11.623
From a young man to an adult, my son the same way.

00:51:11.623 --> 00:51:24.155
Mike, I've heard you talk about military training, whether it was in flight training or intelligence officer, when you exited with special operations and then things you did overseas Training evolutions right, right.

00:51:24.175 --> 00:51:25.496
We call them training, evolutions Exactly.

00:51:26.260 --> 00:51:27.222
When we're on the mats?

00:51:27.222 --> 00:51:29.469
How many times do you hear me say okay for this evolution?

00:51:29.510 --> 00:51:30.371
That's exactly right.

00:51:30.719 --> 00:51:36.552
So it's a very encompassing word, I think, and for me it was ideal to say like look, I am not.

00:51:36.552 --> 00:51:46.103
I am nobody to use my name like people gonna look it up and say sireo, jujitsu, big deal, there's so many names out there right that, you know I I'm just.

00:51:47.567 --> 00:51:50.092
I wanted to be more yeah, and well, you nailed it.

00:51:50.391 --> 00:52:25.536
I mean, you nailed it our mission and my mission is to help people not just evolve as martial artists but, if they're willing, evolve as people and human beings and how we treat people and how we relate to each other, maybe being a little understanding of that person that's extremely liberal, or maybe having a person that's extremely conservative, having those people together and understanding why and where they're coming from and you know, kind of just respect each other, right Evolving as people like exactly no divisiveness, you know, and all that stuff, but anyways, evolution meant more to me than using my own.

00:52:26.159 --> 00:52:36.128
Yeah, and I have to tell you when we did that, you know, for me I wasn't really thinking beyond that because, as rob said, you know when he started teaching us at the, you know our small group level.

00:52:36.630 --> 00:52:59.744
I remember I did, I, I found the shark logo, I kind of, you know, jimmied up the graphics a little bit, sireo jujitsu, and I had, I think the first I had shorts made right, the mma shorts, and we all went out for dinner and I remember I gave a bag, jen jen gifted him up like little bags and everything, like she does, but gave one to, uh, mike kamaniak right, we gave one to him, one to you and mike's like oh it's, I say wait, wait a minute.

00:52:59.784 --> 00:53:04.742
I said rob has to open his first right and you did, and it was like, oh, that's neat, that's it.

00:53:04.742 --> 00:53:06.306
We all wore them, we all wore them.

00:53:06.306 --> 00:53:08.452
But that, to me, was another lesson.

00:53:08.452 --> 00:53:10.264
That was another lesson for me.

00:53:10.264 --> 00:53:14.143
I was like, no man, this is your school, you've always wanted to do it.

00:53:14.143 --> 00:53:18.641
And I was, you know, again selfishly, I just wanted to train with you again.

00:53:19.202 --> 00:53:24.302
Yeah, so when I was like hey, but you know what, while we're talking about it, you always wanted your own place.

00:53:24.302 --> 00:53:25.045
We could do that.

00:53:25.045 --> 00:53:25.648
We don't have to wait.

00:53:25.648 --> 00:53:26.612
We could do that now.

00:53:26.612 --> 00:53:34.213
I thought that next lesson very humble and I understood it Like after you explained.

00:53:34.460 --> 00:53:37.817
At first I'll tell you this I was a little bit disappointed that you said no, yeah.

00:53:37.817 --> 00:53:46.289
But then, once you explained it to me, I just literally I was like you know what, because I'm one step removed, it's not my name, right.

00:53:46.289 --> 00:53:51.806
But then I was like dude, that is both brilliant and humbling at the same time.

00:53:51.806 --> 00:53:55.893
When you're like and you even said you're like who might use my name.

00:53:55.893 --> 00:53:57.447
I never fought professionally.

00:53:58.641 --> 00:54:02.360
I would say I'm more than a hobbyist Jiu-Jitsu became a lifestyle for me.

00:54:02.360 --> 00:54:05.606
I'm a pretty serious practitioner, but I don't compete.

00:54:05.606 --> 00:54:15.088
I've never fought professionally other than some of the kickboxing and things we did and boxing, but there's people that have done that Well, like you said, they should use their name.

00:54:15.168 --> 00:54:16.014
Right, like when you said it.

00:54:16.014 --> 00:54:16.699
They're blue Exactly.

00:54:16.699 --> 00:54:18.547
They should use their last name Exactly.

00:54:18.659 --> 00:54:43.018
For me, it was more important that I encompass something like evolution and that you know when I make our posts in terms of the schedule, I always end with you know, come start your evolution with us or come evolve with us and you know, again, it's your martial arts evolution, but also as a person, if you're willing, like I'm not going to preach to people and try to say don't do this, don't do that, and you should be a better person.

00:54:43.179 --> 00:54:55.387
But, like, hopefully through your interactions with you, know all the people you train with that maybe you will learn something, and maybe you will learn something and maybe you will treat people different.

00:54:55.387 --> 00:54:55.987
Right, you know and evolve.

00:54:55.987 --> 00:54:56.148
Exactly.

00:54:56.148 --> 00:54:56.949
All right, brother, listen, thank you.

00:54:56.949 --> 00:54:58.032
I know we went over, but you know what, so be it.

00:54:58.032 --> 00:55:03.385
I mean, it was a good show and literally I would love it, I love it.

00:55:03.385 --> 00:55:15.711
I know the plan is that he'll come down and run a class for us, a training session for us, but I'd love to get him in here as well, hear more of the adventure, right, more of the story, interesting stories.

00:55:15.731 --> 00:55:22.172
You know he trained a fighter, he got to go to Russia and, you know, brought his fighter to Russia, which is quite a story.

00:55:22.172 --> 00:55:23.123
Maybe he'll tell us that.

00:55:23.324 --> 00:55:23.585
Awesome.

00:55:23.686 --> 00:55:23.947
You know.

00:55:23.947 --> 00:55:28.003
So you know, lou has a lot of experiences in combat sports, more than us trust me.

00:55:28.302 --> 00:55:28.623
For sure.

00:55:28.643 --> 00:55:33.032
Professional level, so so for sure I'm gonna tell some of those stories all right, all right, listen.

00:55:33.072 --> 00:55:33.873
Thanks for joining us.

00:55:33.873 --> 00:55:34.635
Hope you enjoyed it.

00:55:34.635 --> 00:55:38.664
If you did, um subscribe, because we're dropping knowledge all the time.

00:55:38.664 --> 00:55:39.748
You don't even know it's crazy.

00:55:39.748 --> 00:55:41.699
But um, come check it out.

00:55:41.699 --> 00:55:45.907
Uh, free, uh, free drop-ins, uh, first timers, you know, give it a try.

00:55:45.907 --> 00:55:52.739
And uh, as of right now, we've got gi jiu-jitsu, tuesday and Thursday evenings, 730 to 9.

00:55:52.739 --> 00:55:59.469
More classes coming soon, more classes coming, and Saturday is no Gi and a little striking for MMA.

00:55:59.469 --> 00:56:02.597
All right, thank you brother, thank you man, I appreciate it.

00:56:02.597 --> 00:56:03.077
Thanks everyone.

00:56:03.077 --> 00:56:05.043
Thanks everyone, we are out.