Potential Athletics

In 2005, I saw a piece of paper on the mirror of this dingy gym in Brandon, Manitoba:

“Want to fight in a cage one day?”
“Sign up for class in the back room.”

The back room felt about as big as a four-person sauna. There was no real structure, just learning basic techniques from a DVD tutorial and then rolling around trying to choke each other out.

I’ve always been pretty good at motivating myself and putting in the work. Grinding is probably one of my better qualities, but somewhere along the way, that’s all I did. I didn’t really take the time to truly learn more about Jiu Jitsu. I had a goal of becoming a black belt one day and it’s about time I start working towards finishing that goal.

Jiu Jitsu has evolved so much since I was doing it all the time, so much so that I honestly feel like a white belt again. It’s humbling and exciting.

I’m so grateful to have Tristan James Parker helping me with that. The amount of dedication and detail he puts into learning and teaching Jiu Jitsu is remarkable. It shows in what he’s built at the Fort and in his performances in competition.

I’m going to use this time away from running to rehab properly, get healthy and strong for the Boston Marathon in April, and put more time into getting better at the art that is Jiu Jitsu.

I can’t wait to see what comes of it.

Jaylen approved.

Proper shin angles aren’t just about good technique, they’re about putting your body in the best position to produce force.

Whether we’re sprinting, jumping, or changing direction, the angle of the shin influences where force is applied.