The Twelve blogs of Christmas: Longevity

Me and my buddy Dan.

What's up all! I'm pressed for time so i'm keeping it moving on these short blogs. Hope you and and your families are well!!
    On the fourth day of Christmas I was blessed to have longevity! While I never expected to be anything other than a guy learning how to kickbox or a student of Jiu Jitsu, i have far exceeded any expectations that I have for myself. I am truly passionate about what I do. I love combat sports and everything they entail. It's almost obsessive, but it has led me on a tremendous journey. I have met the most amazing people and had some crazy adventures. It's been the best outcome I could ever imagine.

Working with boxing coach Eddie Rivera 

Teaching MMA

    I started this journey years ago when I was introduced to Taekwondo and the feeling of the martial arts just never left me. When I was invited to a kickboxing class I had no intentions of teaching over a decade later. I was so taken by kickboxing and boxing that I gave up on basketball and literally trained almost everyday, first with some friends and then by myself for a number of years. I was not to be denied. At some point I was offered a job teaching a cardio class. I ultimately got turned on to MMA and before long I was teaching a basic MMA class. Some people I think are content to be a trainer but my mindset won't allow me to just mail it in on a regular basis. I made it my business to watch as much video as possible and learn as much as I could from every person I came in contact with. Eventually and much to my surprise people started to take me seriously.

Me and Eddie

    I started "Bomb 1st", which was a clothing line and website dedicated to fighting. At that point MMA was still considered human cockfighting. Nobody really even knew what it was. Ultimately this is about doing what they always tell you growing up, "find something you're passionate about and make that your job". It's not an easy task, however it is so worth it. Don't let them tell you're crazy, be ready to hurdle or trudge through the obstacles and above all believe in yourself. It's been a lot of years since I started doing this and I plan on this being the legacy of my life. I hope that you find what you love and leave something beautiful behind even if it's just a smile from doing something that makes you happy.