A blog about my experiences as a father, husband, military professional, and martial artist.
Starting over can be a daunting task, especially when you are leaving an environment that brings out the best in you and your family. My family and I have left El Paso and are now living abroad for a time to be determined, but as somber it is to bid farewell to our family and…
In the midst of uprooting my family to begin our next journey in a country far, far away, I had to stop and reflect on the accomplishments of my teammates in the past week. We had several members of our Zen Martial Arts El Paso, Texas Family received stripe promotions on their white belts. Seeing…
To compete, or not to compete… that is the question? I’ve struggled with this question on more than one occasion as an older student of the art, and I will tell you testing your game against an unknown opponent going full speed will give you the immediate feedback to application you’re searching for. You will…
It takes a village… in combat sports we often see the journey as that of the individual walking the path. There is, however, a very large support team behind the end product, which is any martial artist who finds success in their craft. The network available to newbie jiujiteiros and martial artists from other styles…
We start learning from the moment we enter this world, we die once we stop, and it’s up to us to make the time in between count for something. Time is the one constant we all share and it’s up to us to make the most of our days in existence. When I woke up…
What is a legacy? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, legacy is “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.” However, I would offer not all things transmitted are monetary, or material possessions. I would argue the greatest legacies are from the stories of relatives who struggled through and overcame…
Children are dependent on their parents, adults can operate independently from others, and professionals understand the importance of interdependence to get to Dream Team status. Interdependence is the connectivity of systems, or people, to accomplish a goal, vision, or mission for an organization. Fostering an understanding of interdependence across the team will instill a sense…
When it really comes down to it, the only thing we have in this world is our knowledge and our word. Both take a long time to build and both are key attributes of our reputations in society. Your word, however, is the most critical component to your credibility and is the easiest to compromise.…
It’s very common to here the phrase, “I’m ready to die for my family,” as a term of endearment, or to express a strong commitment to loved ones. Although it may be a true statement for many of those who wield this sentiment, I’d like to raise the stakes and say that I’m willing to…
Know your craft, know your organization, and be a team player… words of wisdom from a senior leader in my branch of service, which has proven true throughout my career. It’s easy to believe others are getting ahead of the pack because they are somehow genetically superior, or because they simply have the personality to…