Today Chelle and I had the opportunity to meet with, and train under, a living legend in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. GM Francisco Mansor came to our gym and gave a 2 hour seminar for Coach Thomas. GM Mansor is in our direct BJJ "lineage" and is currently the most senior black belt in all of BJJ. The seminar was amazing. He spent the two hours focusing on the basics (which I LOVE), specifically controlling someone in side control, scarf hold and north/south. It was the details that he provided that really made the positions. It was awesome to see someone who even after 55 years in jits still focuses on the basics of a position instead of the "fancy stuff."
However, I think that the real meat of the seminar came when GM Mansor talked about life, focus and family. It was refreshing to see someone in martial arts really talk about reassessing your priorities and putting your life in focus first for your jiu jitsu to be worth anything. He talked about touching other peoples lives through kindness and always being open to improving the well being of friends, family and strangers. "Jiu Jitsu is about being happy, not angry." His point was that "angry" jiu jitsu is bad for you, which means if you're focusing on jiu jitsu as "one fight" and not as a life long journey then your focus is completely out of whack :)
I've been to several seminars during my 25 years of martial arts training and have had the chance to meet some pretty big name people...but GM Mansor is by far my favorite. Its his life philosophy that connects...not his technique. I think his amazing jiu jitsu is just a by product of a life put into perspective and balanced correctly.
Chelle, GM Francisco Mansor, and Me
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