I have been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for about 12 years now. Tonight, Marcello Monteiro promoted me to brown belt.
What's amazing to me is that I feel like I'm just beginning to understand the art. Jiu-Jitsu is beautiful to me. It's something that I want to spend the rest of my life practicing and teaching.
I am excited to write the next chapter in my life: From Brown to Black =]
God Bless Underground
James Terlecki
Next Level Martial Arts
www.YOUNGSTOWNMARTIALARTS.com
wtg man. great accomplishment.
Congrats on that man 8).
One of my buddies trains at gym that falls under his umbrella through a local blackbelt. He was telling me that there is a testing system for belt promotions. Do you guys do that or is it just for satellites?
excellent work, are u an affiliate? or do u train directly with him?
Congrats!
great stuff man..congrats..
Congrats !! So begin's the first step of the longest mile .
nice job. how old were you when you began training?
Congrats James!!!!
congrats James..
Thanks everyone =]
Yes, i am an affiliate school of Marcello's. His testing is based off of a curriculm of over 400 techniques, as well as him rolling with you to see where you're at. His academy is about 5 1/2 hours away from me, which allows me the opportunity to travel there and train with when i can. What i really appreciate about Marcello is that he cares about your game. He wants to see you always improving. He wants me to visit his academy at least once every month or two.
I am 33 years old. I began training in BJJ in 1998 at one of Royce Gracie's training associations in Cleveland Ohio. I used to travel an hour and a half there and an hour and a half back home.
I would just like to encourage everyone who trains to stick with it. Keep working hard and have fun. I think the best advice i could give everyone is to grow in humility and die to pride when you're on the mat. If every roll is about you tapping your opponent out jiu-jitsu will no longer be enjoyable to you. To be honest, my game did not start to improve a lot until i quit worrying about tapping. When i set my pride aside jiu-jitsu began to open up to me. My mind was finally freed to start seeing things, things that were previously veiled to me by my own ego.
Also, learn to meet your training partners where they need to be met. What i mean by that is that some people need to be humbled, and some need to be greatly encouraged. Most of the people that train at my academy need encouraged. Imagine if you're rolling with someone whose been bullied his whole life and lacks confidence...if you just tap them out every 30 seconds you probably won't be seeing them much longer. My advice to you is to set your ego aside and be a help to them as you roll. This will build their confidence and love for the art, and will provide you with a very good training partner in the future.
Lastly guys, i am working on doing some free instructionals to post on my website. I am going to shoot about 4 videos a month. As soon as i do, i will post them on the forum. If you guys like the videos i will continue to post them for free on the Atama forum.
Thanks Everyone,
James Terlecki
www.YoungstownMartialArts.com
NEXTLEVELBJJ - Thanks everyone =]
Yes, i am an affiliate school of Marcello's. His testing is based off of a curriculm of over 400 techniques, as well as him rolling with you to see where you're at. His academy is about 5 1/2 hours away from me, which allows me the opportunity to travel there and train with when i can. What i really appreciate about Marcello is that he cares about your game. He wants to see you always improving. He wants me to visit his academy at least once every month or two.
I am 33 years old. I began training in BJJ in 1998 at one of Royce Gracie's training associations in Cleveland Ohio. I used to travel an hour and a half there and an hour and a half back home.
I would just like to encourage everyone who trains to stick with it. Keep working hard and have fun. I think the best advice i could give everyone is to grow in humility and die to pride when you're on the mat. If every roll is about you tapping your opponent out jiu-jitsu will no longer be enjoyable to you. To be honest, my game did not start to improve a lot until i quit worrying about tapping. When i set my pride aside jiu-jitsu began to open up to me. My mind was finally freed to start seeing things, things that were previously veiled to me by my own ego.
Also, learn to meet your training partners where they need to be met. What i mean by that is that some people need to be humbled, and some need to be greatly encouraged. Most of the people that train at my academy need encouraged. Imagine if you're rolling with someone whose been bullied his whole life and lacks confidence...if you just tap them out every 30 seconds you probably won't be seeing them much longer. My advice to you is to set your ego aside and be a help to them as you roll. This will build their confidence and love for the art, and will provide you with a very good training partner in the future.
Lastly guys, i am working on doing some free instructionals to post on my website. I am going to shoot about 4 videos a month. As soon as i do, i will post them on the forum. If you guys like the videos i will continue to post them for free on the Atama forum.
Thanks Everyone,
James Terlecki
www.YoungstownMartialArts.com
well said and congrats!
Congrats James. Dave Miller, a mutual friend, has always spoken very kindly of you and your skill.
Congrats !!!
Thanks Bull_in_chinashop i appreciate that. Dave is a great guy =]
Congrats James
12 years
nice to hear a guy putting years into that brown belt
congratulations!
Thanks guys...and yes, it's been a long time, but i'm ok with that. There are way too many guys getting promoted too fast. I don't like where this is heading, as far as belt promotions.
There's a school nearby where the instructor just got his purple belt and has only been training a few years. The sad part is that the association head (very well known) has never even rolled with him. No big deal, but it saddens me that this is the way our art is headed.
Take Care,
James Terlecki
NEXTLEVELBJJ - Thanks guys...and yes, it's been a long time, but i'm ok with that. There are way too many guys getting promoted too fast. I don't like where this is heading, as far as belt promotions.
There's a school nearby where the instructor just got his purple belt and has only been training a few years. The sad part is that the association head (very well known) has never even rolled with him. No big deal, but it saddens me that this is the way our art is headed.
Take Care,
James Terlecki
well keep doing what you're doing. I look up to guys that put the mat time in. Over the years my jiu jitsu approaches have varied so much i'm a completely different grappler from year to year. So holding out will allow the practitioner to mature their craft.
thats why i love jiu jitsu