On July 7, 2021, I started training in martial arts, specifically BJJ. And let me say, my 3-year Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey has been a whirlwind. I’ve learned how to defend myself, been bedridden with crippling injuries, trained worldwide at some of the best martial arts facilities, and learned from World Champion martial artists.
I never thought this path would take me this far. I initially took up BJJ just to test myself and learn a self-defense discipline. However, it completely revolutionized my life. And as a result, I picked up a few life lessons along the way, which I’ll get to in a moment. But first, I want to share my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey.
Why I Started My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey
I felt high and mighty about myself when I took up this discipline. At the time, I had accomplished a string of goals back to back. I ran a marathon, self-published a book, and landed my dream job as a remote content writer, all within a few months of each other. As a result, I began asking myself a pressing question: What else am I capable of?
I had considered taking up martial arts for some time. However, I hadn’t gotten around to taking the plunge, as the idea was still percolating in my mind. But once I hit those previous goals, I felt ready for the next challenge!
New Beginnings: The Start of My Martial Arts Story
This photo is of me on sign-up day, the day my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey officially began. It represents a huge turning point in my life.
It was then that my self-improvement took a significant leap forward without me even realizing it. I never thought I’d have the experiences I had and go to the places I went to because of this sport.
But when I donned that chalky white belt, it began a new era in my life.
If you look at most martial arts academies’ taglines, mottos, and mission statements, you’ll notice a pattern repeating across the board… The pattern is that these fighting organizations desire to help their students unleash their full potential through the power of martial arts.
It doesn’t matter whether the discipline is Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Judo, or (in my case) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The promise is the same: Develop yourself through martial arts training.
And the image above is a snapshot of the moment I committed to that process.
Making new connections
My Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey began with making new connections with the training partners at my gym. Many BJJ gyms are toxic, with almost cult-like cultures. They won’t let you cross-train or wear Gis (training uniforms) from other gyms. However, my gym was open, friendly, and welcoming.
The owners and training partners didn’t “haze” new members or make the weird demands that many other BJJ gyms tend to make (I once heard of a gym where the owner would have new students bring him food or escort him around).
This mentality comes from the old-school martial arts traditions of students showing respect to their “senseis.” There was none of that nonsense at my gym. Only normal people who liked an abnormal activity—Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Globetrotting Martial Artist: Training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Around the World
I don’t know why, but martial arts gave me the confidence to go beyond my “neighborhood.” Before taking up BJJ, I had only left Canada a couple of times (and both of these times, I only went to California). However, after training for only a few months, I got this compelling urge to get out there into the world. And so that’s exactly what I did…
Evolve MMA in Singapore
This is where my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey gained momentum.
I had the crazy idea (and compelling urge) to see and train at other gyms. But I’m not other gyms across the street; I wanted to see other gyms across the world. Most specifically, Singapore in Southeast Asia.
Why Singapore? There is a gym there called Evolve MMA. It’s Asia’s top martial arts organization with first-rate World Champion instructors.
The coaches there are the best in the world at what they do! And I wanted to learn from them.
So, in 2023, I took the biggest leap of my life by selling my possessions, giving up my apartment, and traveling to Singapore to train at Evolve MMA. In hindsight, I probably should have taken a more balanced approach to this ambition. But hey, you live and you learn. The most important thing is that I went for it.
Bangkok Fight Lab in Thailand
After training in Singapore, my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey branched out to Thailand, specifically Bangkok.
I’ve never been to a more chaotic city. And having the opportunity to train there was an experience that I’ll never forget.
The image to the right is of me (I even have the Evolve MMA shirt from Singapore on!) and a gentleman I rolled with at Bangkok Fight Lab, one of Thailand’s top martial arts academies.
I had an awesome time training there.
And the best part is that I still use some of the techniques I learned in my game today. When people ask me what country I enjoyed the most during my travels through Asia, I always tell them, without hesitation, Thailand.
It’s a place of excitement and chaos, and that’s what makes it beautiful.
AZ BJJ in the Maldives
After Thailand, my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey brought me to the Maldives, a small nation comprised of thousands of islands in the Indian Ocean.
I spent about two weeks training there at a gym called AZ BJJ.
The cool thing about martial arts—BJJ in particular—is the love and passion each practitioner shares for the sport.
As a result, we all bond based on that mutual passion, which makes it easy to connect with others.
Although I’d experienced that while training in Singapore and Bangkok, it was when I was in the Maldives that that concept really became apparent. I bonded with my training partners at this modest gym, and it opened my eyes to just how powerful BJJ can be in bringing people together.
You may have nothing in common with the person you’re rolling with; you may come from entirely different worlds. However, those discrepancies disappear the moment you step on the mats. You and your training partner immediately connect through this shared physical language that you both “speak.”
I’ve never experienced anything like it…
Monarchy MMA in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia is a country I’ll never forget. The people are welcoming, the weather is perfect, and the training is world-class.
I spent ten days in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia’s capital), training at Monarchy MMA.
This martial arts gym is one of the fastest-growing academies in Malaysia. I’m not going to lie: It’s always a bit intimidating to walk into a new gym for the first time.
You don’t know what to expect…
However, I felt completely at home when I walked into Monarchy MMA. I was greeted by the students and instructors.
The training was excellent. I learned from Diego Vargas and Mehdi Bagheri, world-class BJJ and wrestling coaches with decades of experience. As a result, I took home a few new cool techniques and had a great time in the process.
Earning my BJJ blue belt
I earned my blue belt in June of 2023.
This achievement was a major milestone for me, as I had been working toward it for two years. I’ll be honest: there were many times during that period when I felt like it would be impossible to reach this level…
But I held the line and kept showing up.
Eventually, I reached my goal. Of course, the blue belt is still a beginner belt in BJJ (with the first advanced belt being purple). However, I still felt extremely proud of accomplishing this objective on my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey.
Dela Riva in Abu Dhabi, UAE
In December 2023, I flew around the world, from Canada to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to complete my first Spartan race.
The day before the big race, I stopped in for the open mats at Dela Riva BJJ, Abu Dhabi’s first international Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy.
I rolled with everyone, young and old.
Then I got to Jimmy (in the photo). We rolled, and he even taught me a new technique that I still use to this day in my game.
But the most interesting part?
Jimmy used to live in Canada; in fact, he lived in the city where I currently reside—Calgary, Alberta. We connected on life in Canada and shared our stories about how we got started in BJJ. Visiting Abu Dhabi, training at Dela Riva, and meeting Jimmy made me realize that as broad and far-reaching as the world is, we’re more intimately connected than we think.
The Important Life Lessons From My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey
A lot has happened after three years of BJJ. And the exciting part is that I know this is only the beginning. I see this sport as something I’ll be doing for the rest of my life, God willing. However, looking back on the past three years, I’ve learned a few lessons I’d like to share.
Lesson one: Explore new things
I started jiu-jitsu when I was 29. It’s usually at this age—the late 20s to early 30s—that most people start “packing it in.” They stop trying new things, lose their curiosity, and become complacent in the warm refuge of a stable career and an everyday life. Now, I’m not knocking careers; they are crucial aspects of life (I have one myself).
But there’s more to living than punching the clock every day. Here are some advantages of exploring new things in your life:
- Learn, grow, and develop personally and professionally
- Form new connections and relationships
- Have unexpected experiences
- Cultivate new skills and abilities
- Become more confident and self-assured
- Open the doors to unforeseen opportunities
- Turn your life into an exciting adventure
My Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey has taught me that exploring new things is essential to growing, remaining spiritually youthful, and keeping life interesting. For this reason, you should prioritize doing those things that stimulate your curiosity.
Lesson two: Value the journey more than the destination
Training in BJJ has taught me the value of enjoying the journey.
For example, earning my blue belt had been a goal of mine since I started training. I didn’t want to be a white belt. Being a beginner meant I was the “punching bag” for everybody else, which made me detest my time as a white belt.
As a result, I wanted to get out of that rank as fast as possible. I wanted to be the hammer instead of the nail.
However, I quickly learned that not much changed—fundamentally speaking—once I earned my blue belt. Sure, I had the edge over most people just starting their Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey, but I was still getting folded like a lawn chair by the purple, blue, and even some white belts.
And this made me realize that reaching my goal, as awesome as it was, didn’t really change anything.
Once I reached it, I went right back to training and continued getting smashed by more skillful practitioners. As a blue belt, I’m okay with where I’m at. I’m no longer worried about “trying to get the next belt as quickly as possible” because I now place more value on learning than the end goal itself.
I want to savor every moment, every day.
Lesson three: Be humble, or you will be humbled
Okay, I first heard of this lesson from Jocko Willink, but I learned it while training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. When you get some training experience, you also get some success on the mat. You become a little trickier to submit and also begin submitting others. As this happens, it becomes easy to think you’ve got it down pat—even if you’re still only starting your journey.
It’s ironic: you’ll dominate an opponent one round (and think you’re unstoppable as a result). But then, in the very next round, you’ll go against a different opponent who turns you into a human pretzel. No matter how good you get at an activity, there’s always someone somewhere out there with more skill and ability.
I don’t say this to deter or discourage you but rather to help you keep perspective.
Final Thoughts On My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey
I’ve only been practicing this discipline for three years—I’m still in my infancy. As I continue my Brazilian jiu-jitsu journey, more lessons will reveal themselves. And that’s what makes it so appealing to me: It never ends; there will always be new things to learn.
But with that being said, if you’re looking for additional self-improvement tips, tactics, and life lessons, sign up for The Motivated And Disciplined Newsletter below.
