Reflections of a Jiujiteiro: family

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 live for mine…

Fortune favors the bold.” ~Virgil, The Aenid

My boy, Dominic, and his dog, Shadow, running the playground in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 26. There is nothing more special than seeing your children grow.

Every day that I get to witness my children grow is a gift I will be eternally grateful to have experienced. There are many reasons to turn attention elsewhere at times for ambition, self interest, or even comfort just to name a few. However, the formative years we do have to spend time with our little ones should be given the highest priority, no matter what competing events that try to stand in our way.

The Clas Clan takes a family photo in the Plaza, downtown, Albuquerque New Mexico, July 26. Notice how Shadow is not even facing the camera. Finding beauty in the imperfections is what makes your love for your family unconditional.

Inspiration

You learn a couple of life lessons when your kids are still in the single digits. One, the tablet is a God send on long trips; and secondly, your children have zero expectations as to where the destination may be, just as long as they can envision the fun they’re going to have on the other side. TO that revelation I give you, the daycation!

Claudia and I took the kids to Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend to beat the monotony of the COVID-19 Special, pajamas and television, which has been the weekend family favorite for a while. Accepting the fact that everything is pretty much closed until further notice, we had to be a bit creative in our approach as well as sales pitch. Our son and daughter, Dominic and Brianna, have started to display a sense of ownership over the family dog, which has worked in our favor. Taking Shadow with us was enough to sway them both to sit back and enjoy the experience for the next 24 hours. They knew nothing about Albuquerque, but they did know they wanted to take Shadow there for a walk.

Brianna takes to the wheel at the playground in the Plaza Playground, downtown, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 26. The tire swing was the last event we shared before my last nine-month deployment to Korea in 2018-2019. One day she’ll understand.

I saw a documentary on BBC on child development a few years back. The message which still resonates with me to this day is that of togetherness. The father was playing a game of Hide-and-Go-Seek with his daughter, and he advised the rest of us, as we watched closely as he got away with a cheap rendition of Magic Mountain, while being on the receiving end of jealousy and hatorade from his viewership, is that it doesn’t matter if your playing with your kids in your backyard or at Disneyland, all that matters is that you’re with one another. This perspective has helped Claudia and I plan our lives together prioritizing togetherness over professional prowess. In hindsight, it hasn’t impacted our progression and it has been a significant reason why our hobbies have often become family routines.

Attention is the currency that assigns value to time.” Tim Ferriss, 4-hour Workweek

The Zen 5am Crew put in work at Zen Martial Arts El Paso, July 22. With our change-of-station countdown counting down quickly, I can honestly say I will truly miss my crew here, the El Chuco Jiu-jitsu Federation.

By Another Name

As our time here in El Paso begins to wind down we have reflected on the experiences we’ve shared with others of whom have made great impacts on our lives and our children’s lives. We’ve met amazing people here in the Borderland, and have grown a great deal with our teammates and coaches at Zen Martial Arts El Paso. Friends are just family you choose to have in your life. We are fortunate to have had such an amazing experience here in El Paso and intend to pay the positivity forward as we move on to the next chapter in our journey.

“The family is the test of freedom; because the family is the only thing that the free man makes for himself and by himself.” ~Gilbert K. Chesterton

Nothing says wake-up more than a 5am open mat session at Zen Martial Arts El Paso. We left it all on the mats on July 24, with a session of 20x minutes of Yoga, 3x 3min Round warm-up Live-rounds, 3x 5min Round Live-rounds, and a 3x 3min Live-round cool-down.

Jiu-jitsu has been more than a hobby for us, as it is to most practitioners… and why wouldn’t be? You are literally allowing someone else to bring you to the brink of death, or imminent injury, with mere faith that your partner will release you once you activate the tap-a tap-a skeleton key escape. There is a trust that evolves between you and your training partners which forms an informal bond to make each other better through the search for total destruction. It sounds pretty insane when you dissect the experience, but it’s what family is all about. There is no such thing as a happy family without a little dysfunction.

In a few years the Clas Clan will lay down roots in the Chicago-land area. We wanted to capture the beauty of the Midwest in our design and we chose the prism to account for the infinite journey of life and the pursuit of mastery. Zen Warrior Class… One Team, One Family!

Collateral Beauty

I’ve always wanted to be my own boss and live the entrepreneurial lifestyle. As I near retirement, which is still a ways away, but close enough to consider myself responsible for the thought, I have found a solid foundation as I transition to the next chapter in my military journey. As I said before, I’ve met amazing people here in the Borderland and they’ve helped me to realize my dream. A huge shout out to Alex, my teammate and genius behind the Art Is My Life label. His creative mind has been integral in outfitting many of the martial arts academies in the surrounding El Paso Community as well as the Zen Warrior Class logo, which I shall unveil here…

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