Writing
Essays
On Jiu Jitsu, philosophy and the work of becoming who you are capable of being. 216 essays since 2013, free to read. Get new essays by email.
216 essays
2024
- Your Life Doesn't Have To Look Good On InstagramOn listening to your inner voice in the noisy crowd and avoiding the traps in court of public opinion
- What Feeds You? My First Lesson From Being A DadOn the things that we must do to keep our souls alive
- Discipline Isn't What You Think: An Alternative Approach To HealthOn understanding the upside of a few simple distinctions about health that lead to radical change
- The Most Reliable Way To Avoid Deathbed Regrets (And It Can Be Done During Your Morning Coffee)How to live a life that is essential and make saying "no" easy
- The Best Way I Know To Get Clear On Your Vision and Avoid DistractionsOn a simple exercise to get clear on your vision and avoid the distractions of the modern world
- The Fastest Way To TransformOn a simple approach to creating lasting and meaningful change
- The Big Four: A Simple Approach To SuccessOn the importance of success in the primary areas of life and what those areas are
- Freedom From Frustration In Jiu JitsuOn the necessity of proper definition of success and failure in Jiu Jitsu
- The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make In Jiu JitsuOn the two types of students in Jiu Jitsu and the massive difference in the skills they acquire
- The Most Important Lesson I Will Teach My SonOn the importance of engaging in voluntary struggle
- The Power of "No": How To Avoid Distractions On The PathOn the importance of saying no to protect your path
- Stay On The PathOn the importance of constant improvement
2023
- How to Find More Joy In This MomentA call to presence
- A Simple Idea about Meaning and PurposeDetermining Your Function
- Our Interest Is the CompassSomething that stands out for me is the simplicity and truth of pursuing “interest.” You cannot control what you are interested in.
- The Marriage of Personal Agency and FateDon’t Forget the Hand That Holds You
- A Crazy Fact I just LearnedThe Uniqueness of our Western Mythology
- Mindfulness or Mind-full-nessA Different Way to Approach the Difficult
- Advice from Rudyard KiplingDream and Not Make Dreams Your Master
- Advice from Ernest HemingwayMaking the Complex Simple
- You Are Doing Great! No One Told Us How Hard This Would Be!Do not underestimate how hard creation really is
- Seeing The Bright Side of Endless WorkA Great Reminder From Biology, the Military, and Alice in Wonderland
- Dealing with “Haters”Seeing The Criticism of Others In A New Light
- Mindfulness Without MeditationUsing The Body To Free The Mind
- How To Be Less StressedA Biological Hack For A Better Experience
2022
- A Different Approach to ProductivityThe Knowledge Worker is a Knowledge Athlete
- A Cheat Code for Energy and FocusThis has been the single greatest ROI for me
- Feeling Guilty About What You Do Or Don’t Read? Don’t.Common Wisdom is Wrong. Your Depths Are Right.
- Greatest Lessons From Greatest Books Read: Shackleton’s WisdomShackleton’s Wisdom
- How To Make Time Your AllyLearning To Reframe Our Experience of Time
- How To Make Work PlayLearning To Play Rather Than Work To Experience Joy
- Jiu Jitsu And IdentityUnderstanding The Traps of Jiu Jitsu
- Jiu Jitsu and The Ego – HumilityUnderstanding A Healthy Relationship To Mastery
- Jiu Jitsu and The EgoChanging Our Relationship To The Ego
- Freedom Through ResistanceChanging Our Relationship To The Difficult
- Follow The SmilesA CTA For My Friends
- A Permission Slip To Read Less (Sort Of)Find the Books that Light You Up
- AttentionGuarding and Sharing Your Greatest Gift
- Where Modern Stress Comes FromIdentification with the Thinking Mind
- Introducing the New CurriculumA Journey to the East
2021
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 10: Conclusion of Maps of MeaningBecoming the Hero of Your Story
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 9: The Only Optimistic Thought That Peterson Derived From PsychologyMeaningful Engagement Is Your Compass
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 8: The Adversary Within YouDo Not Look Away!
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 7: ApprenticeshipUnderstanding the Pathway To Mastery
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 6: The Great FatherReframing Our Relationship to Society For Better Health
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 5: The Great UnknownReframing Our Experience For Optimal Living
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 4: The Strongest Force In Your PersonalityHacking Your Psychology For Optimal Living
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 3: Be the Hero of Your Own StoryAncient Wisdom For Modern Living
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 2: Confront Life’s ChallengesThe simple framework to give you the tools to succeed
- Maps of Meaning, Lesson 1: The World as Forum for ActionJordan Peterson’s Maps of Meaning, I believe, is one of the most worthwhile and necessary books ever written.
2020
- Introducing Chris Matakas's New BookFriends, this winter I wrote the book Improve: Grow As If Your Life Depends On It.
- Carnivore Diet: Week 2 RecapI'm half way through this experiment, and in all ways but one, the second week HAS BEEN MORE BENEFICIAL than the first. The following is a quick run through of the pros, cons, and reflections of the experience.
- Professor Chris Experiments With The Carnivore Diet: Here's What He's FoundDue to a blend of curiosity and the need for discipline and simplicity, I gave the carnivore diet a shot.
2019
- Professor Chris and Coach Amber got Hitched!On September 21st, I married the love of my life. Amber is a gift that I did not think I would ever receive.
- A Letter to Our Students and Parents: Reflections on Our In-House TournamentI am proud of each and every one of you. You showed great effort and persistence while competing, humility in victory and grace in defeat.
- An Introduction to Hero: Professor Chris’s latest book about using Jiu Jitsu as a Vehicle forI wrote On Jiu Jitsu in the winter of 2017, a book about how Jiu Jitsu impacts our character and the process by which that development transcends across the entirety of our humanity.
- On The Fortune Of Being My Teacher’s StudentA great teacher shares a wisdom and perspective that comes from looking back down the path on which we trudge ahead.
2018
- On Dealing with Difficult TimesProblems are gifts if you learn from them. This is the maxim of Tony Robbins who reminds us that life is always happening for us, not to us.
- On Aiming UpOne night last week, there were about eight of us on the mat working on submissions from side control.
- Rule #3- Learn How To LearnOur first two rules were big ones, embracing the growth mindset and codifying Jiu Jitsu in an accessible way.
- ON RESOLVEThe practice of Jiu Jitsu is the cultivation of resolve. Jiu Jitsu presents limitless problem sets and each one has an optimal solution.
- ON HUMILITYOther than Professor Almeida, I am usually the most tenured person on the mat, and yet, I am surrounded by teammates who all understand certain aspects of grappling better than I do.
- THE PROBLEM JIU JITSU SOLVESMany today complain about the millennials. We criticize their work ethic, attention span, and their seeming aversion to effort as concern grows for the future of this country.
- Rule #2- Narrow Your Immediate FocusThis art is vast, but simply codified: there are only four major positions in Jiu Jitsu.
- Rule #1- Remember That You Are A Work In ProgressThe greatest initial obstacle to skill development is often one’s mindset. Many of us inherit expectations and beliefs from our culture.
- Toward What Shall We Aim?Before we discuss the five rules for white belts, we must first understand what these rules are attempting to elicit; we need to have a clearly defined goal.
- A Journey Back to Jiu JitsuI spent last summer alone in the national parks out west. I didn’t train Jiu Jitsu once and rarely even thought about it.
- Why We Need Jiu JitsuThe human individual derives much value from the practice of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
- Trading Up Bad HabitsEach month we do a character exercise with the kids. This is the application of using Jiu Jitsu as vehicle for personal development outside the academy.
- On the Cultivation of Strength in the Service of OthersThere’s an old Zen saying that describes the aim of the Jiu Jitsu practitioner: “Its better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener at war.”
- Jiu Jitsu And Freedom Through LimitationNietzsche believed that you had to be a slave before you could be free, that a discipline was necessary to mold the individual and serve as the foundation upon which he or she could attain their true freedom.
- “What Are You Working On?”My life has been a constant balance between Eastern and Western teachings. The East advocates the importance of being, of full immersion in and acceptance of the present moment.
- Pain is Inevitable. Suffering is Optional.Pain is inevitable. Suffering is Optional. It’s an old maxim echoed across all physical disciplines, and like most cliches, expresses a great truth.
- Schopenhauer on HealthWith our first post in this series, Schopenhauer’s taught us how to achieve happiness.
- Re-examining Old Truths: The Debate of Position Over SubmissionTradition states that in the beginning, Jiu Jitsu students should focus on position before submission.
- Jiu Jitsu: Batching Personal DevelopmentAs I meditate on how to best use my finite time, my thinking inevitably returns to the fundamental function of my life: teach Jiu Jitsu to bring more Good into the world.
- Schopenhauer on HappinessWith this first of four posts concerning the major themes in Arthur Schopenhauer’s The Wisdom of Life, we will learn what the great German metaphysician taught about the construction of one’s own happiness.
- Introducing Our Series on PhilosophyWe are excited to announce a new series of posts purposed toward the application of ancient philosophy in our modern lives.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Part 4- My GoalWe have covered a lot in our first 3 posts: first, why setting goals is important; second, how to set the goals appropriate to your individuality; and third, how to stick to the goals you’ve set.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Part 3- Sticking to GoalsIn our first post in this series, we discussed the fundamental importance of goal setting on the way to achieving our highest selves.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Part 2- Which Goals to SetIn the first part of this series, we discussed the world as a forum for action, the presupposition of a value hierarchy which accompanies it, and the fundamental need to pursue our highest selves through the implementation of goals.
- Goal Setting and Achievement: Part 1- Why We Set GoalsI am currently reading Maps of Meaning by Jordan Peterson, a book about the creation, implementation, and importance of belief systems.
2017
- Why Jiu Jitsu and Egos Do MixThe Jiu Jitsu community has written about the ego ad nauseum, and I posit, has completely missed the point.
- A Parallel between Life and Jiu JitsuI am always looking for the parallels between life and Jiu Jitsu. There are so many, and each time I connect the dots, I come to a better understanding of myself and my world.
- Efficiency and an Analogy for the Beginning StudentWe ran a normal class schedule Halloween night. Since just opening in September, we have no established protocols with which to best navigate holidays.
- Jiu Jitsu and FriendshipI have done my best to articulate the value of Jiu Jitsu as a tool for personal development.
- Respect: Bowing to our Latent PotentialRespect is a cornerstone of the martial arts academy. Before every training session, we bow to our partners as a way to honor them and show our concern for their safety.
- Jiu Jitsu, Focus, and our Children’s SuccessIf you observe a kid’s class at Matakas BJJ, you will hear the word “focus” repeated often.
- Taoism, Aldous Huxley, and Learning Jiu JitsuStudents often ask, “How do I get better at Jiu Jitsu? The answer is as true as it is simple: by practicing Jiu Jitsu.
- For The New White Belts: Safety, Trust, and UnderstandingFirst and foremost, congratulations. When you begin randori (live training), you truly begin your practice of Jiu Jitsu: learning to use the techniques you have acquired against a resisting opponent.
- Redefining the Value of Our Training PartnersYour training partners are not your opponents; they are problems to be solved. Navigating human relationships is always difficult, and when those relationships are centered around the practice of a martial art, there are some uncommon variables to be navigated.
- 3 Reasons We Need The Community Jiu Jitsu ProvidesWe can only achieve our highest selves within a community. We need the alternative lenses, the support, and accountability that a community provides to fully actualize ourselves in our own unique way.
- Jiu Jitsu, Education, and a Conceptual FrameworkMy higher education began the day I started Jiu Jitsu. This is not hyperbole. I graduated university with high marks, but always felt that organized education was a haphazard formality feigning true learning.
- Injuries: Learning Your Personal HierarchyThere seems to be no way to avoid injuries in pursuit of becoming a high level Jiu Jitsu practitioner.
- Why Couples Should Train Jiu JitsuIntimate relationships are a beautiful thing. They require hard work and attention and always give more than you put in.
- Jiu Jitsu and MeditationSince the 1960s, eastern teachings have gained favor in the west, with their proponents advocating meditation as a tool for mindfulness.
- Jiu Jitsu Trains Life Skills: Problem SolvingI have always tried to understand things on the simplest level of abstraction. I believe Jiu Jitsu is best learned when we see specific techniques for what they are, the manifestation of underlying principles.
- Our Goal for This Academy: CommunityI have been blessed with the opportunity to teach Jiu Jitsu for a living. To best use such an opportunity, I have taken to the words of Stephen Covey as I seek to “begin with the end in mind.”
- The Real Benefit of Jiu Jitsu: SimplicityMy growth as a human being has been directly proportional to my progress as a martial artist.
- The Top 3 Reasons You Should Try Jiu JitsuJiu Jitsu is a martial art designed to give us the tools to defend ourselves against a larger aggressor.
- On Why Adults Should Learn Self-DefenseMuch of the western world is governed by a Christian ethic which encourages the proper treatment of our neighbor.
- Why We Should Train at a Slower Pace: ContinuedIn part 1 of this 2 part series, we discussed how performing the bulk of our training at an intensity of 50-75% appears optimal for skill development.
- Why Our Students Want to Clean Their RoomsI just organized my room for the first time in years. I did this because I realize my environment is an extension of my being and either aides or impedes the achievement of my goals.
- 3 Reasons You Should Train at a Lower IntensityI have been reevaluating the way I train in an effort to maximize health, wellness and skill acquisition.
- On the Need for NecessityA 37 year old friend told me he’s in the best shape of his life because he has to be.
- On Points, Going Inverted, and Longevity in TrainingThe realization that I will be training Jiu Jitsu for the next 40-50 years has me reevaluating my practice.
- Begin With The End In MindThis week’s blogs are grounded in lessons derived from reading that have applied directly to my practice of Jiu Jitsu.
- On Incremental ProgressIn this week’s blogs, I went to the bookshelf to share some books which have influenced my Jiu Jitsu.
- Injuries and Jiu Jitsu: Understanding our Time HorizonIt seems to be a fundamental truth: if you are going to achieve a high level of technical competency in Jiu Jitsu, you will accrue injuries along the way.
- Play, Rather Than Work, Jiu JitsuOne of my greatest obstacles to happiness is that I am so hyper-focused on becoming that I often neglect being.
- “Savage”: Why We Need A New VocabularyIf writing has taught me anything, it’s that words matter much more than we are consciously aware.
- Why My Kids Will Train Jiu JitsuWhen I am a parent, my kids will train Jiu Jitsu because a maturing human being needs to purposefully meet resistance to optimally develop.
- Jiu Jitsu, Humility, and The “Big 5” of Academic PsychologyJiu Jitsu is the vehicle through which we achieve self-mastery. It’s complexity and difficulty create the perfect environment to mold our character.
- Jiu Jitsu, Death, and Self-OptimizationI spent a great portion of my twenties studying Buddhism and Stoicism, both of which heavily value the theme of death.
- Why We Must Train BJJ ConsistentlyWith Matakas BJJ opening next month, I have been purposefully training less so as to let my body rest for the many training sessions to come.
- How BJJ Teaches Kids To Delay GratificationThere is an experiment known as “The Marshmallow Test,” in which children are seated at a table with a marshmallow in front of them and are told that if they can wait ten minutes to eat it, they can have two instead.
- Jiu Jitsu and PersistenceWhile discussing my athletic career, my mom reminds me, proudly, “You always won the Mom Awards.
- What The Dragons of Mythology and Garry Tonon Taught Me About Jiu JitsuI have recently found much value in my study of Mythology. Myths are more than stories, they are windows into the collective unconscious, revealing the archetypes we inherit and act out, often with our complete unawareness of doing so.
- 3 Reasons Your Child Can Benefit From Jiu JitsuJiu Jitsu is more than a martial art with which to defend yourself; Jiu Jitsu is a tool with which to mold yourself.
- What is Jiu Jitsu?I was at a wedding this past weekend and so many friends offered a similar sentiment, “Congrats on your new Jiu Jitsu school! … but what’s Jiu Jitsu?
- Our Logo: An ExplanationI felt an explanation of our logo was necessary. Traditionally, Jiu Jitsu schools use an apex predator to symbolize their strength in the dominance hierarchy, a perfect representation of Jiu Jitsu’s superiority relative to the effectiveness of other martial arts.
- Our Tagline: Why We Chose It and Why It MattersOur tagline is “Where we pursue individual goals as a collective. I wanted to briefly discuss why we chose it, what it means, and why it is so important to the health of the community.
- MBJJ Welcome LetterAfter a long and arduous process of almosts and not quites, we have signed a lease!
- Joseph Campbell’s Favorite StoryJoseph Campbell taught at Sarah Lawrence College for 38 years and is widely considered the leading mythology expert of our time.
- How Jiu Jitsu Taught Me To ReadThe most efficient way to learn Jiu Jitsu seems to be to focus on concepts rather than techniques.
- Why I Wrote “On Jiu Jitsu”I wrote “On Jiu Jitsu” because the most worthwhile growth which the training of Jiu Jitsu provides is often the hardest to articulate.
- Three-for-Three: Practicing Gratitude Through FacebookThe world is in a tumultuous time and many of us bear that weight, often using the only mouthpiece we have, social media, to voice our pain.
- When the Music StopsOne of my favorite joys is to read with classical music on in the background. I find the music instrumental to my extended concentration.
- The Battle, The War, And Something MoreHumility is the cornerstone virtue of our fight team. Frankie and the crew arrive each day to improve their Jiu Jitsu by putting themselves in the worst positions with the best training partners.
- We are Part of a Larger WholeI believe the best use of one’s finite life is to cultivate our unique strengths so that others may benefit.
- After Competition, CooperationThe Jiu Jitsu community is divided. This makes us less effective in sharing the immense value we have found in this art.
- Jiu Jitsu and PrideI am currently reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity in which he describes Pride as the worst sin, as there is no greater impediment between ourselves and others.
- Guard Passing: The Trojan Horse of Personal DevelopmentThe mindset of disciplined guard passing has allowed me to be more productive in every area of my life.
- My Favorite Passage from SenecaIn closing our study of Seneca, I had originally written a lengthy text about the importance of Stoicism.
- Seneca on Continued EducationThe Stoics believed that our true education is a lifelong pursuit. This unending pursuit of self-development is the foundation of Stoic Philosophy.
- Seneca on VirtueStoicism is a doctrine of equanimity. We are in control of our own happiness, and in his 74th letter to Lucilius, Seneca shows how the cultivation of virtue makes this possible.
- Seneca on Philosophy For EveryoneThe quality of our thoughts determines the quality of our lives. Our thoughts shape our philosophy; our philosophy shapes our world.
- Seneca on Living SimplySeneca’s philosophy has survived nearly two thousand years and continues to be a source of wisdom for all those willing to heed his words.
- Seneca on FearA common theme recurring in the works of Stoicism is navigating one’s fears. The purpose of philosophy is to learn to live well, and Stoicism teaches that this is found through the cultivation of our virtue on the way to self-mastery.
- Seneca on Saving TimeWith our study of Seneca having commenced, we examine his very first letter written to Lucilius, On Saving Time.
- Introducing SenecaWith our study of Marcus Aurelius having come to an end, we stay in ancient Rome but go back to the first century AD to study the great Stoic, Seneca the Younger.
- Summary of Marcus Aurelius’s MeditationsWe have learned much from the private journal of the great emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
2016
- Marcus Aurelius on AcceptanceSo far in our study of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, we have discussed that self-mastery results from mastering one’s thoughts, and that in living according to one’s own nature, our greatest respite from the world becomes turning inward into our own self.
- Marcus Aurelius on Self-MasteryIf I were stuck on a desert island and had to choose only a few books to help shape my personal philosophy, Meditations would be at the top of that list.
- Marcus Aurelius on Living According to One’s NatureA major theme throughout Marcus Aurelius’s writing is the need to live according to one’s own nature.
- Marcus Aurelius on Retreating Into One’s SelfThe Stoics believed that a man’s philosophy is revealed not in what he says but how he lives.
- Top Ten Books of 2016I love to read. It one of my most beneficial and enjoyable practices. Each book is a tool for my utility belt, giving me a better understanding of the world in which I live and adjusting my lens with which to better navigate my experience.
- Introducing Marcus Aurelius’s MeditationsAfter spending some time in Ancient Greece with Aristotle, we now travel to Rome, Italy, at the end of the second century AD, to learn from the great emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
- Summary of Aristotle’s Nicomachean EthicsThe Nicomachean Ethics has proved to be Aristotle’s most popular work on the subject.
- Thanksgiving and the Power of GratitudeI am thankful that I have a warm, dry place to sleep at night in a safe neighborhood.
- Aristotle on FriendshipWith the first three posts in this series, we discussed that we become virtuous by exercising virtue, that the virtues of character are a mean between the vices of excess and deficiency, and Aristotle’s views on happiness.
- Aristotle on HappinessWith the first two posts in this series, we discussed that we become virtuous by exercising virtue, and that the virtues of character are a mean between the vices of excess and deficiency.
- Aristotle’s Golden MeanIn our first post on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics(public library), we learned that we become virtuous by practicing virtue.
- Aristotle on VirtueWith our study of Henry David Thoreau now complete, we turn to Ancient Greece at the time of Aristotle to study his great work, Nicomachean Ethics(public library), a treatise on living the good life.
- Henry David Thoreau’s Walden in ReviewWith this series on Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, we explored some of the major pillars which upheld Thoreau’s philosophy and mode of living.
- Thoreau On PhilosophyThis is the fourth post in a series of posts examining Henry David Thoreau’s seminal book Walden.
- Thoreau on Self-RelianceThis is the third post in a series of posts examining Henry David Thoreau’s seminal book Walden.
- Thoreau on Personal DevelopmentThis is the second post in a series of posts examining Henry David Thoreau’s seminal book Walden.
- Thoreau on SimplicityIn our first post of this series, we will discuss one of the major themes in Walden(public library), the necessity of simple living.
- Introducing Henry David Thoreau’s WaldenWith our first series on Schopenhauer’s The Wisdom of Life complete, we now turn toward 19th century New England to learn from famed transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau.
- Summary of Schopenhauer’s The Wisdom of LifeIn the past series, we discussed some major themes of Schopenhauer’s The Wisdom of Life (public library).
- Schopenhauer on the Opinions of OthersSo far we have discussed three major themes in Schopenhauer’s The Wisdom of Life, that the greatest source of happiness is one’s self, and this is pursued through self-actualization of our particular gifts made possible by good health.
- Schopenhauer on Self-ActualizationIn our first two posts on Schopenhauer’s The Wisdom of Life, we learned that happiness consists in what a man is rather than has, and that health is the foundation which makes such joy possible.
- A Fasting Two-Day 30-Mile Hike Through The Yosemite WildernessI have just returned from a fasting two-day 30-mile hike in the Yosemite Wilderness.
- Rocks, Sand, and Our Greatest FreedomWith the second post from my experiences on this trip, we will discuss a very different kind of adventure, not of mountainous landscapes but of the mind.
- How I Celebrated my 30th BirthdayA few days ago I celebrated my thirtieth birthday, in a way I had never imagined.
- SNEAK PEEK: Chapter 1 of The Tao of Jiu JitsuWhile writing, I find myself always returning to Jiu Jitsu. I have made an effort to focus my writing on fiction, for I believe this to be where my future lies, but I am ceaselessly compelled to write about this art.
- The Knight in Rusty ArmorIt’s commencement day I’m tasked to go at it alone As a token of my progress They gave me armor like stone.
- A Movement Toward The MeaningfulAs the world becomes increasingly connected, we will continue to find more opportunities to express ourselves.
- The Significance of StorytellingStorytelling remains the backbone of our education. We grow up begging for bedtime stories; as adolescents, we yearn for television and movies; and, in adulthood, many of us turn to books.
- On Writing and Work EthicWriting is difficult and intimidating. Nothing makes you question your worth like a blinking cursor on a blank page.
- On Jiu Jitsu and EffortJiu Jitsu is a skill. All skills are fostered through intelligent repetition. There is no substitute for mat time.
- Modern StoicismAll undesirable circumstances afford us the opportunity to practice virtue. It is the moments in life we least enjoy which are our greatest assets.
- The 10 Books Which Most Shaped My PhilosophySince publishing “On the Importance of Reading”, I have received many inquiries for book recommendations.
- The Gift of FearThe truth of adulthood is that few people care whether or not you pursue your dreams.
- Five Ways Stephen King Can Improve Your Jiu JitsuThis week I read On Writing by Stephen King. The premier instruction manual for the aspiring writer, King shares his thoughts on what constitutes good writing.
- On The Importance of ReadingWe read not to understand the author. We read to understand ourselves. We read because it gives us a language to articulate what we feel but previously could not find the words to say.
- The Implicit Impetus of Jiu JitsuIn the martial arts community there exists a tacit truth which goes unspoken because it is so socially repulsive.
- The Instructor-Student RelationshipI have witnessed first-hand the many benefits of its practice in my own life. In so doing, I feel obliged to share those benefits with our students.
- An Open Letter To All Of Us On Social MediaIf you have seen the movie or read the book Into the Wild, then you are aware and perhaps forever altered by these words.
- What Sylvia Plath taught me about HappinessI recently finished reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It was a beautifully-written, tragic tale of a young woman battling her own demons along with those inherent to all whom embrace this human condition.
2015
- Why your New Year’s Resolutions will FailEach year many of us attempt New Year’s resolutions. Each year most of us fail. We fail because a new month, a date on the calendar, and a new year are all social fictions.
- What Makes a Hero?If you want to know the psychology of a culture seek to understand its heroes. From the Aztecs to the Greeks, from the Bhagavad Gita to modern day athletics, what a culture celebrates reveals what it values.
- When I ReflectWhen I reflect upon my life On my brightest and darkest days The times accompanied with strife Served me more than times of praise.
- FriendOur God must favor me to send A man of which I can depend, To see the way in which you’ve grown A will so strong the fates must bend.
- High Atop your Gilded Throne- PoemHigh atop your gilded throne Basking in the summer sun, Enjoy your time in the light For it will soon be done.
- The Fallacy of WordsWe humans are a beacon of intelligence and reason. Among all the sentient beings of this world, we stand among the top of the intellectual food chain (and we constantly remind ourselves of this fact).
- One of the Many Ways Jiu Jitsu Has Taught Me HumilityOne of the prerequisites to becoming highly skilled in Jiu Jitsu is that you must first lose extensively.
- What the Wright Brothers Taught Me About PurposeI spent the last week of August in Nags Head, NC, and had the most humbling opportunity to visit Wright Memorial Park.
- 5 Key Tools to Master the Art of ReadingThere are innumerable works covering the vastness of human activities, so much so that we can become highly educated in nearly any area of human study through solitary learning.
- The new My Mastery has been released!As we have done with my previous books, we wanted to give you a peak inside my newest book, My Mastery: Continued Education Through Jiu Jitsu.
- On The rewards of meditation and the surprising obstacles (It’s not what you think)The following is a letter I wrote to a dear friend in response to his questions concerning my practices of meditation.
- A Poem for Jiu JitsuA poem to Jiu Jitsu, to celebrate Chris's seven year anniversary to the sport.
- A Lesson From SocratesAround 2,400 years ago in ancient Athens, mankind was dealt a humbling blow to our collective self-confidence, and it came by the way of Socrates.
- The Real Reason to Earn a Black BeltI have been given the rare opportunity to teach Jiu Jitsu for a living. This is a privilege that I wake up everyday grateful for, and a responsibility that I hold dearly.
2014
- #Human: The PrefaceWith extreme gratitude we announce the release of my new book #Human: Learning To Live In Modern Times.
- We Are All ArtistsMany, many generations ago, when man existed as wanderers across the land, and hunted in packs, societal acceptance was an absolute prerequisite to survival.
- On the Oneness of All ThingsTrue intelligence and awareness is gazing at a bee on a flower and understanding that the two are actually a single organism.
- Independence Day: Living Up to the NameOn this day 238 years ago, we declared our independence from the kingdom of Great Britain.
- Why I Train Jiu JitsuIn the past few days I have been asked numerous times why I train Jiu Jitsu. My inquirers expect answers involving arm bars and berimbolos.
- On the Polarity of ThingsIn life we too often focus on the foreground, and forget the background. We view things in space to be more real than the space itself.
- Impermanence: Building Castles out of SandImpermanence is a beautiful thing. Actually, more accurately said, Impermanence is that which makes every thing beautiful.
- Humanity & Sport: The Common Ground of Jiu JitsuI have been blessed to be a member of an incredible team at RABJJ for the past six years.
- Why you should define your vision statement todayA few weeks ago I sat down with the hopes of clearly articulating my message. How could others understand my message if I could not concisely describe it for myself?
- Jesus was not a carpenter forever. Will you be?While on the path of personal development one inevitably comes to the point where living for one’s self just seems too menial.
- The ‘Haves’ and ‘Have Nots’: How to find purpose in your lifeHalf a decade ago I graduated college. Upon being thrown into the real world, my friends and I began to start our careers.
2013
- Ten Important Life Lessons from Martial ArtsI have been incredibly fortunate to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with the best in the world for the last half decade.
- The Thinking MindThinking, like any of our inherently given abilities, is a skill. And this skill serves a very specific purpose.
- Embrace Dichotomy. Embrace Yourself.1. A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
- Forgo Public Praise in Pursuit of a Better YouThere exists an unfortunate paradox of being human: When you win a game, you receive a trophy.
- Drops in the Ocean: What Will You Contribute to the World?We are bound by the narrowness of our existence. Our empathy confined by only those experiences with which we have shared.
- Values & Happiness: Define the Terms YourselfI believe you will never be truly happy until you know what happiness means to you.
- Life Lessons at the Eye Doctor’sFor the second time in my life I have committed to wearing contacts. I say second time, because about ten years ago I attempted this feat to no avail.
- Empathy: It’s Nothing PersonalSometimes it becomes difficult to see the common ground we all share. On the surface our lives are so full of contrast that we often forget just how much we have in common.
- The Pareto Principle: Accomplishing goals with purposeWhile living our incredible busy, alarmingly finite lives we must be sure to use our time efficiently and effectively.
- Bar stool advice from an old friendI recently ran into the father of one of my former students at a local bar. After exchanging the usual words and sharing a few beers, we delved into the nitty-gritty of what it means to truly live.
Nothing matches that search.