Hero's Journey

The world needs it’s heroes.
The Geelong Cats just won the AFL grand final – the first time in over 40 years – and the town has gone ballistic. More than twenty fours after the glorious event, people are still roaming the streets, toasting all who pass by, cars are flying the Geelong colors. Even though I do not really follow the AFL, I do find myself grinning with pride at the fantastic effort the local lads have made. What an achievement! Perhaps it’s because I’ve had the pleasure of training Cat star, Jimmy Bartell this year; a personal relationship always makes it easier to relate. But I suspect it’s simply because we all have an inbuilt need for hero-worship. And I do not mean this in any negative sense at all – it’s true, the world needs it’s heroes.
As Joseph Campbell writes on the hero’s journey:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

Since time immemorial, we have all wanted to share in the tale the hero has to tell. It is a part of our nature to live, in some small way, vicariously through the journey of the heroes we admire. Whether this be in film, whether it be through the victories of our sporting legends or through the words in books. Hero’s inspire, they light fire’s in our bellies, the take us to a higher place. We all see further when we stand on the shoulders of our heroes.
I despair when great fighters come ‘out of retirement’ only to lose, and sometimes, lose badly. For me, this is sad – not because of the loss they endure; rather because I prefer to remember them as they once were – invincible – at the top of their game – hero’s incarnate.
Go Cats!
JBW

The Time Trap

One of the things about being self-employed and setting yourself up as a category-of-one, is the problem of time management. if you are providing a type or level of service that no-one else provides, demands on your time will ever be on the increase. This certainly is my experience. Already my calendar is fully booked out till June next year, with it being impossible to fit anything else in, no matter how lucrative or enticing the offer.
On one hand, I like it - as I pretty much love the work that I do. It is highly varied, very challenging, financially rewarding and lots of fun. But that's in a perfect week; and doesn't allow for stuff like injury, illness and the other little hiccups that life throws at us all. I figure that eventually, something will naturally 'GIVE' - perhaps someone will quibble on the price of a seminar and I'll take the opportunity to drop it and ease my schedule a bit; perhaps I'll have someone take over some of my workload - things have a way of working out.

The first book in my new series is nearly printed; I take delivery of it mid next week. I am very excited about it. A publisher in England has shown interest in it already; who knows, I may have to hand it over to them and get it on the international stage. If that happens, I'll need to get cracking on the next two and finish it. Though this is something I plan to do anyways. I probably start in a week or two.

You can nearly always fit more into your year than you think you can - I say, pack it in!
Time's a tickin, the calendar is fillin. Enough said, I need to hit the mat, students will be arriving in minutes. Live well.
JBW

Savouring the Sunrise

I have just arrived back from a bit of a break. For those who know me, you know that this most often means some trip into the wilderness somewhere. On this occasion, I went to the cook islands, then to a smaller outer island by plane, then a 12 hour boat-ride in big seas (yuck) on an expedition vessel to a small uninhabited atoll called Manuae.
There I camped on the beach with some friends and fly-fished the pristine white flats for bonefish in the daytime. I caught (and subsequently released) a world-class , 12 lb bonefish on the fourth day - an amazing experience.
Stil, as most of my readers aren't flyfishers, I won't bore you with details. Suffice it to say, it stands alongside my 12 lb brown trout caught earlier this year, as a highlight of my flyfishing efforts over the past 12 years or so.
One of the wonderful things about being so far away from so-called civilization, is the feeling of being isolated and remote. For me, this affords me a sense and feeling of my actual place in the world as a small part of a larger living eco-system. Without the trappings of my daily life - e-mail, phones, car, laptop, etc - I begin to ponder the time I have and the way in which I use it to interact with the world at large. Sitting under some palm fronds on the sand as the sun comes up over an iridescent ocean is a beautiful time. In me it arouses a sense of wonder about the this amazing world we live in. I wonder how many sunrises I have left to me. I realize, more than ever, that the time I have left here is a limited thing and should not be wasted.
How easy it is to be caught up in the daily rituals of life and let the days slip by unnoticed. How many sunrises and sunsets do each of us have left? Not many of us know the answers to such questions - for those who do, usually people with terminal illnesses, etc - life acquire a whole new meaning - each day, each hour, each moment becomes precious beyond measure.
So as our financial advizors talk about wealth building and income streams, it is important to also consider the 'how' and 'why' of life and living.
I continually remind myself about the importance of living each and every day of my life to the fullest. This doesn't always translate into 'packing' each day full with activity - it more often means, 'being there', or being engaged in the wonderful act of 'living' - sometimes, t means sitting on the sand watching the sun come up over a pearlescent ocean in the middle of the pacific - other times it means going and checking the letterbox with my 8 year old son - or sitting on the side of the mat watching a new blue belt pull off his first omoplata.
Money has nothing to do with it - the type of car we drive has nothing to do with it - there are millions of unhappy rich people out there also.
For me it is about passion, purpose and living in the moment.
Put it in your diary to see at least one sunrise a year - if this is something you never do. if you can do it in a remote location - away from phone and fax, then all the better.
Time's a tickin ...
JBW

God is the grocer - but you are the chef!

Whatever your personal concept of god – whether it be the end result of natural Darwinian forces or whether it be the divine hand of intelligent design – you have been brought into existence to the point of being self-aware. This alone however, guarantees you nothing. Life comes with no instruction manual. It is up to each and every one of us to carve our niche in a world of chaos and opportunity. To a large degree, each of us is in charge of our own fate. Sure, the dice roll at every turn and fate/god/chance does play a role as the maps of our lives unfold; but our choices and passions are what ultimately determine the paths that each of us walk.
It is profoundly sad to me that many people take no initiatives to make their lives better and more rewarding. To see people floating through life, with no purpose or desire, seems to me a great waste. Think about it; each of us is the ultimate product of countless generations of our ancestors, all of whom had the skill, will and good fortune to survive long enough to procreate and bring yet another generation into existence. Each and every one of us, is the end-result of this generational miracle. To not fully engage in the wonderful journey we call life – especially considering our amazing survival pedigree – is a sin against nature. It is incumbent upon each and every one of us to find our purpose, embrace our passion and make all that we can of our brief time here on planet earth. We have all come into the universe with pretty much the same basic makeup – it’s what we do with what we have been given, that makes the difference. God is the grocer – but you are the chef. Make something wonderful – create something grand.
I’m off for a few days in my continuing quest to do just that.
Warmest regards,
JBW

Another Aussie World Champ

Local BJJ wiz, Maryanne Mulluhay, recently took gold at the prestigious World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu championships in California. Despite being up against sixteen of the best female grapplers in the world, Maryanne went through them all to become the first Australian women to bring home the gold from this event.
Tonight she was awarded purple belt at the behest of Rigan Machado after the advanced class in Geelong. Rigan pointed out that as she has already reached the highest possible plateau in her belt class (the world title) that 'it is LAW' that she now receive her purple. Maryanne is not only a fierce competitor, but a wonderful and highly valued member of the Geelong school. Will she be the first Aussie female BJJ Black Belt? Time will tell ...
JBW

Our Nats - what are they all about?

Our national champs have just finished for another year. Whenever we read about tournaments we tend to read things like 'Our best year yet', etc. But quite often, such statements are simply not true. I am commited to making each year better than the last - for everyone. And although tournaments are not my focus at all, I feel i need to give real value to the people who go out of their way to attend these events. I understand that we all work hard for our money, that our time is limited, and so i appreciate the effort it takes for people to give up a weekend and support the nationals; particularly, those people who have travelled from as far away as perth, new Zealand, Qld (even malaysia). So I try to do the best job I can - FOR THEM!
This year , we kept the entry price down - we offered better prize/sponsorship packs, and made Rigan Machado's seminar available and affordable for everyone. I also organized (with the wonderful help of some good friends) a business/school-owners seminar on Sunday, so that we can all move forward with the business as well as the technical aspects of martial arts. This was a huge success - this morning (the day after) i have already received half a dozen e-mails from various school owners, informing me that this was a highlight for them. Awesome.
Our event, apart from being a serious competition, differs from any other event I have ever seen, in that it is a social event as well. Everyone leaves the mat hugging and slapping each other on the back. there is absolutely no bad behaviour, bad sportsmanship or bad feeling. The atmosphere is one of a family get-together. With more than a dozen Will-Machado Black Belts in attendance, this was one very spoecial occasion. next year will be bette again - more treats are in store.
For comp results - see our news page.
Train well - train with passion!
JBW

Pic: Rigan reffing the match between Cam Rowe and Dave Hart.

Celebrating our diversity ...

A hectic week. Entry forms are still coming in for the Nationals to be held this weekend. Although I had planned to do the draw today, I am postponing it until thursday afternoon. So whatever forms I receive between now and then, will be processed in time.
The weekend is shaping up to be our best yet. A record number of competitors, the best prize/sponsorship packages we have had to date, and Rigans visit are all making it so. Great teams are coming in from New Zealand, Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Tasmania along with the usual suspects - so it is going to be one great get-together. The best thing about our tournament is the diversity it offers. Every mat and school brings something different to the competition. And diversity opens up everyone's thinking. Another great thing about our tournament is the social aspect it offers. I have seen competitors fight it our on the mat, then leave together, head over to the warm-up mat and share techniques. That is simply a sign of the culture we have in place with our organization. Our diversity, our willingness to share - these are rare qualities that we should celebrate. So I wish everyone a fun, learning-filled weekend. Rigan Machado's seminars on Sunday, will be the icing on the cake. I will be heading to Melbourne on friday to pick him up from the airport. He is pumped!
For those who are coming - see you there; everyone else, try to make plans for next year.
Warm regards,
JBW

Getting their attention ...

As a professional instructor, a part of my mind is always ‘ON’. I can be flyfishing on a remote river in the back-country of New Zealand and still a part of my thinking is allocated to musing over teaching and training strategies. The majority of the students that come to training each night though, are not professionals, they may be enthusiastic about martial arts training but they have other stuff going on their lives and the martial arts is simply not their top priority. As professional trainers, we need to acknowledge that this is the case, and not be overly surprised when the student comes onto the mat and his or her mind is elsewhere. Instructors need to be mindful that it can often be difficult for the student to ‘flip a switch’ in their head and become fully engaged in the learning process. I can have a broken bone, a piece of cartilage busted off and floating around in the joint, a dislocated finger, whatever – but when I tie on that belt and step onto that mat, I am almost always – 100% engaged in the teaching process; however, the student is very rarely, 100% engaged in the learning process – we never know what kind of day they have had, and most of the time, we have no idea of what else is going on in their lives – so getting them ‘on board’ with the high state of arousal that is necessary for optimal learning can be challenging.
Students tend to move toward a certain level of rapport with the instructor – so if the instructor walks onto with low-energy and apathy, the students will almost certainly follow suit. So rule one is simple – be enthusiastic and energetic, be animated – in most cases it will be contagious. Rule two – demand that the students be involved. When asking a question – expect and demand they answer it. I test them on what we have been doing, throughout the class – a quick question here and there testing their understanding of what we have done and why we have done it, does wonders. Have them answer the questions – if only to emphasize that you are doing this for their benefit. I want the students to take ownership of the knowledge I am presenting to them – and I want them to prove to me that they have done so. Ideally, I want each student to behave and interact as if there were just the two of us on the mat. I do not like students playing an anonymous role at the back of the class. Rule three, and I must say that I am often guilty of letting this one slip myself; if possible, make contact, both physically and verbally with each and every student present. This can be a challenge, especially if the class has large numbers – but it really makes a difference if their s some real and personal contact between the student and the instructor in each session. I see too many instructors standing out the front of the class and never moving from their ‘special spot’ – forget that, start moving, get in their and pat a few backs. This is martial arts instruction, not lecturing!
The teacher-instructor dynamic is a two-way relationship. Keeping this in mind, males for a more productive class and a more enjoyable and fertile learning atmosphere.
Great training,
JBW 2007