Teamwork

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

This weekend, while Cassio and the rest of Team Werneck were competing in Las Vegas, my daughter and I participated in The 2017 Hood To Coast Relay, which covers the nearly 200 miles from Mt. Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon, to Seaside, OR, on the Pacific coast. It’s a tremendous event that draws 12,600 runners from around the world and raises over $500,000 annually for cancer research and patient programs at The Providence Cancer Center.

The 199 mile course starts at 6000′ on the side of Mt. Hood, at Timberline Lodge. (remember the hotel in The Shining?) It drops down out of the Cascade Mountains through small towns in the coastal forest on it’s way to the city of Portland, where it makes it’s way through the city.  The course then meanders down (and back up, and down again) mountain roads and small highways as it crosses the Oregon Coast Range on it’s way to Seaside.

We didn’t run the entire course alone, but were part of the 12 member team Run or Die. Each member runs three legs of the 199 miles, with the legs varying from about 4 – 8 miles in length. Each team of 12 is divided into two vans of six, and these also rotate through, with van 1 covering legs 1-6, van 2 covering 7 – 12, and so on. Once a runner is done with their “leg,” they pass of to the next, and then jump in the van to get to the next exchange ahead of their teammate. So what you end up with is a half dozen tired, hungry, sweaty people piled into a vehicle over about a 30 hour period. Such conditions are a true test of teamwork, not simply in sharing the task of running 200 miles, but also in cooperating with everyone and supporting one another, while hungry, sleep-deprived, dirty, and cramped in a confined space.

Also consider the logistics of putting on this race. 1,050 teams translates to 2,100 team vehicles, and 12,600 runners converging within the constraints of the course over a short 30+ hour period. 3,600 volunteers work the exchanges, stand at intersections to keep the runners on course, and direct the traffic all along the way. Don’t forget about the Honey Buckets – approximately 600 porta-potties can be found at each of the 36 exchanges, and the Honey Bucket trucks can always be seen, maintaining such vital equipment.

Such an event simply wouldn’t be possible without the combined efforts of everybody involved. While individuals can accomplish great things, an individual’s capacity pales in comparison to what is possible when people work together.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” –Andrew Carnegie

 

 

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Congratulations to everybody who competed at the World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Las Vegas, NV this past weekend! Team Werneck was well represented by all who competed, as well as the teammates who were there to support them.

  • Cassio Werneck – Gold
  • Derek DiManno
  • Jaime Jara – Silver
  • Steven Anderson
  • Brandon Heath
  • Juan Punsalan
  • Nick Ramirez

 

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REMINDER: We will be closed this Saturday and the following Monday in observance of Labor Day. Have a great weekend celebrating with family and friends!

Integrity

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

Last week while waiting for the gas pump to signal mission completion with it’s customary click-thump, I heard the sound of crinkling wrappers, which drew my attention to three teenage boys leaving the station with the candy they had bought. It was a common enough scene for the burbs, but as I had nothing better to do, I amused myself with watching them stroll across the lot bound for the mall; three young guys, one fair-skinned with the acne of adolence, another with his boxers prominently displayed out of the top of his over-sized shorts, and the third with his baseball cap askew. I reminisced on my own youthful years of insecurity, as I and my friends tried to appear to be the men we just hadn’t yet become. Then it happened; fair-skinned boy nonchalantly hung his arm by his side, took a subtle look to the left and right, and with no-one in sight, dropped his wrapper in the middle of the street.

This seemingly insignificant act said volumes about that boy’s character. Obviously, he doesn’t really care about how his debris might effect the rest of the citizens he shares this community with. I’m sure the argument would be something about how “it’s just a little wrapper.” Surely we all can see the fallacy of this line of reasoning; the results of such individual acts lead to the truck-loads of garbage we see lining the fences and hedge-rows all along our roadways.

What is truly striking to me, however, is the fact that he looked around to see if anybody was watching before he dropped his wrapper. This demonstrated that while he may not have cared about how his actions impacted the rest of us, he was aware of the unacceptability of his act, but was still willing to do it, so long as no one witnessed it! This young boy is lacking a key component of an honorable citizen: Integrity.

Integrity is defined as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” It also means “the state of being whole and undivided.” Therefore, it’s not just about being honest and telling the truth, but about being consistent, in both actions and words, with that truth. In his book Shattering the Glass Slipper, Charles Marshall wrote,

“Integrity is doing the right thing when you don’t have to – when no one else is looking or will ever know – when there will be no congratulations or recognition for having done so.”

Warriors have recognized for eons the importance of a moral code to balance the violent nature of such a class. The Bushido code of the Samurai, and the Code of Chivalry from medieval Europe both espoused a moral code which emphasized Integrity. Today, each branch of our modern military has a code of conduct, and each includes the concept of Integrity. Our martial art schools should be no different. It is our obligation as martial artists to live up to such a code as well, otherwise we run the risk of becoming nothing more than thugs with skills.

As parents and coaches, our integrity is vital to our success in teaching our children and students. If our message isn’t consistent with how we lead our lives, they will soon come to see the hypocrisy, and then confidence in our teaching will be eroded. We must maintain the integrity of our art, our school, and our families. We need to lead by example. We need to “walk the talk.”

We need to have integrity.

This weekend is the World Master Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship in Las Vegas. Good luck to Cassio Werneck, Derek DiManno, Jaime Jara, Steven Anderson, Brandon Heath, Juan Punsalan, and Nicholas Ramirez –  GO TEAM WERNECK!

ALSO PLEASE NOTE: The 6:00 a.m class will be cancelled this Friday (8/25) and Monday (8/28)!

Grit

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

It is said that, “Life is hard.” Even within the context of our modern era, and all the luxuries that we enjoy these days, there are those who succeed and those who fail, those who appear to have it pretty easy and those who struggle. On this spectrum one can find families who are financially secure and those who struggle to make rent, or world-class athletes alongside poor folks who are too obese to get out of bed.

There are many factors that lead to such disparity. Many are out of our control, such as our genetic predisposition, or where we were born, whether geographically, or socio-economically. As I’m continually reminding my children, fretting about these things is a waste of time and energy. Focus instead, on the things you can do something about, and get busy doing something about them. In this regard, Life is hard – it requires a concerted effort over a long period of time in order to achieve higher levels of success.

Take world-class athletes as an example. Ask anybody who has competed at the World-Championship or Olympic level in any sport and they will tell you the same thing. It is a long, hard road. Having some talent doesn’t hurt, but at the end it’s about who is willing to put in the long, hard hours, day-in and day-out, year after year, in order to reach their goal.

Thankfully, there is plenty of research on this subject. Indeed, self-help/self-improvement is a multi-billion dollar industry. While there are many factors recognized as being keys to success, one constant is Grit: dedication, indefatigability, perseverance, steadfastness, tenacity, or stick-to-itiveness. Whatever you wish to call it, one undeniable fact is: those who keep trying keep succeeding.

Check out this great Ted Talk on Grit.

 

This week the Little Samurai and Junior Jujiteiros will be working on escaping the side control and mount positions, while Adults Level 1 will be working on arm bars and arm bar escapes.

See you on the mats!

Put In The Work

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

The past two weeks we discussed the importance of being your own CEO and Manager. While these roles help you develop a great vision and a strong plan, they don’t get the work done. Strong leadership and effective management still need talented labor to provide a quality, finished product. All the dreaming and planning in Organization trianglethe world is just that. If the work isn’t being done, well, nothing gets done. See that girl above with the shovel? She’s the one that “gits ‘er done!”

Try as we might, there’s no escaping this part. You can manage yourself well, work smarter, thereby being more efficient with your effort, but in the end, you’ve still gotta put in the effort. You’ve got to batten down that cap, put on your gloves, and get to shoveling.

For the jujiterio, this means mat time. You can dream about that gold medal around your neck, and plan on training twice a day. You can pay close attention to your professor, ask lots of questions, and theorize about strategy. You can watch videos on YouTube, and cheer on your favorite fighter in the latest UFC. None of that can replace the key component: mat time. You’ve gotta put in the work. Don’t get me wrong, that other stuff is fun, and it’s important – but it falls into one of the first two categories. After you’ve done all of that, get on the mat and put in the work!

The Little Samurai will be working on the fundamental movements of break-falling and the technical stand-up, as well as their self-defense application. Junior Jujiteiros will be reviewing basic attacks from the closed guard and learning a couple passes. The Adult Level 1 class will be working on some fundamental take-downs from more of a self-defense perspective.

See you on the mats!

Management

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

Last week we talked a bit about the business model as it relates to our personal lives. This week, we’d like to touch on the second part of the model: Management. Management is in charge of developing a plan to achieve the desired goal, and guiding the progress along the way. If management does a poor job, then the organization is inefficient, or completely ineffective in achieving the goal.

Organization triangle

Once you’ve established the big picture, or your vision, it’s time for “management” to figure out a plan of action. How are you going to get where you’re going? What steps must you take in order to bring your dream to fruition? Will it take you weeks, months, or years?

In order to check your progress, this roadmap should have some measurable goals, or checkpoints, along the way. Break down big goals into smaller, more easily achievable ones. If your goal is a week out, you may need daily goals; if a year out, perhaps monthly checkpoints are in order. However you decide to do it, these checkpoints are vital, as they help you make sure you’re on the right path, and are powerful motivators.

Your plan should also be flexible. It’s good to have some contingency plans, because sometimes “life happens.” Unforeseen circumstances, if not adjusted to, can disrupt our pursuits. Without flexibility, it’s difficult to adjust to the change and continue moving forward. Recognize when circumstances change, modify your plan accordingly, and stay the course.

Finally, surround yourself with like-minded people, both peers and mentors. There’s nothing quite as uplifting as the support from a group of folks who are traveling the same path, and experiencing the same trials and tribulations. Finding a mentor can provide the guidance and reassurance needed to stay focused on your journey.

All of this planning is a critical step in the process of being successful. Not only does it help you be more efficient, and effective, but knowing you have a well thought-out plan helps keep you motivated along the way!

The Junior Jujiteiros and Adult Level 1 classes will be focusing on a number of sweeps from the closed guard this week.

See you all on the mats!

What’s your Vision?

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

Behind every successful organization one will find three essential roles that helped lead to victory. Whether a multi-national corporation with thousands of employees, or a sole proprietor, Leadership, Management, and Labor are all necessary parts of the whole. Without any one of the three, an organization will struggle to accomplish it’s intended goals, and more than likely fail all together.

Organization triangle

This business model applies just as well to each and every one of us as individuals. The better we are at embracing all three roles in our personal lives, the better we are at achieving our goals. You have to be your own CEO, Manager, and Laborer.

Leadership provides the ultimate goal, product, or Vision of an organization. Without this, there is no business to begin with. These are the folks that dream big, look for opportunity, and envision the final outcome.

So what is your vision? What do you want to do with your life? Each of us needs to take the time to dream, and decide what it is we want for ourselves. As the leader of your life, you have to ask yourself the eternal question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Starting big and general, work your way into a more well-defined, specific picture. Where do you want to live? Profession? Education? Married/single/family?

You have chosen to pursue this Brazilian jiujitsu thing. What does that mean to you? Do you want to get in better shape? Learn to defend yourself? Have fun? Become a world champion? Your goals are yours alone. However, as a member of our school, you’re surrounded by like-minded souls on similar paths. We can all help each other achieve success, however each of us may define it. What is your vision?

We’ll be talking about this life-skill in the kids classes this week. We’re going to work on a few ways to break the opponent’s closed guard in the kid’s classes and the Adult Level 1 classes.

See you on the mats!

Obrigado

Posted on by moderndayzendaddy

At the end of every class, the students and instructor bow, and repeat the school motto, “Força e Honra,” or Strength and Honor. We then shake hands, and thank one another with an “Obrigado/a.” Obrigado is short for the more formal Eu sou obrigado, or “I am obliged.”

While this little ritual will become part of the daily routine, with the tendency for participants to simply go through the motions, the hope is that this demonstration of gratitude helps remind us to be thankful for our time on the mat. Obviously we want to thank our teachers and training partners, for without them we wouldn’t be training in jiu-jitsu. We’re also quite fortunate to train in the facilities we have. Ask Cassio some time about the canvas mats he used to train on in Brazil!

As a parent, I’m keenly aware of how vital the idea of gratitude is. We are bringing our children up in a time and place of unbelievable wealth and prosperity. Living here in the burbs of NorCal means we have immediate access to food 24 hours a day. Today’s children have television, the internet, smart phones, and swimming pools, while living in houses with running water, flush toilets, and a/c. Needless to say, such a luxurious lifestyle is lost upon someone who knows no different, which makes it easy for people to be unappreciative. Honestly, which one of us doesn’t take these things for granted?

Consider the early immigrants to this country, or to what was at one time simply thirteen colonies. Those people left Europe with nothing, risked a months-long ship ride, starving conditions, exposure to new diseases, knowing there was little to no infrastructure awaiting them. They came with nothing, knowing it was all on them to make a new life for themselves. If they wanted a house, they had to build it. If they wanted to eat, they had to hunt or harvest it. There was no safety net, no agency, for them to fall back on. Can you imagine how they would perceive the world we now live in, with the comforts we take for granted?

This week we will be discussing Obrigado in the children’s classes, as well as having an “attitude of gratitude.”

Last week we focused on passing the guard and knee-on-stomach in the children’s classes and the Adult Level 1. This week we’ll be looking at the other side. We’re going to work on re-constituing the guard, as well as some basic attacks from closed guard.

Cassio and his family are returning from Brazil this week, so you can expect to see him back on the mats soon! Many thanks (Muito Obrigado) to Dan Goodwin, Mark Kamizaki, Dan Martin, and Sean McCandless, who all did a great job covering his classes while he was away.

See you all on the mat!