Heiho Dojo

What an amazing time we had at XFC XII this last weekend. Amazing fights from local talent, and out of province. We want to give Chris a huge shout out to all the work he put in the get him where he is. Chris fought a very tough opponent and made it last all three rounds. Shout out to his opponent Dylan for taking on the challenge. Great people, great event. And lots to chalk up to experience. Chris, you are a savage, we love having you as a part of the team!

This is a photo of a cat. Now that I have your attention, this is what I wanted to talk about.

As Musashi said, “Many years in the way have I been training.” Come to think of it now, it’s been 35 years.

I’ve trained in many different styles and got to meet a lot of really cool people along the way. And now that I’m at a different position, looking at martial arts as a whole, I tend to see it with different eyes.

I used to look at people just through the filter of their athleticism and wonder what kind of animal we could produce with intense training.

That seems almost laughable to me now. Not that athleticism isn’t important. But I personally value people’s personal growth and achievements in all aspects of life rather than just the ace-kickers they can deliver.

I see someone do something that they believed they couldn’t. Another getting an award for perseverance right after a little bit of a low time in their life. Somebody else going through life-shattering changes. And yet another throwing their first successful roundhouse.

All these things paint an amazing mosaic of the things we get to experience shoulder to shoulder as training partners, and me specifically as a gym owner.

The way I think of it is something like a world map. What I mean by that is there was this small deli in the heart of downtown Victoria when I was a young child that had a very cool world map on the wall. It was the first time I had ever seen something like this. Most youth wouldn’t understand, as the internet didn’t exist as it does today back then. But that map had many tiny little red pins spread across it that the owner told me were from all the various places on Earth people had visited his restaurant from.

That blew my mind and obviously left a lasting impression.

Anyways, my analogy is this: there are many places on the world map that I’ve never heard of or didn’t even know existed. Just as there are many things in life that I’ve never experienced or known that a human being could go through, I have had people share those experiences with me, and every time I’m pretty humbled that they’re still walking upright.

rest of the post in the first comment.

Wahoo!

May's Highlight Reel - BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU 🥋
⭐️Connor Lilley competed in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the ADCC West Coast Trials in Los Angeles, California, a prestigious no-gi grappling tournament in a grueling, single elimination open event featuring over 700 top grapplers. The Gold medallist in each of the 8 weight divisions earn invites to the ADCC World Championships.

Connor has achieved his Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He began his martial arts training in karate and then started with BJJ as an athlete at the age of 8. At Heiho Dojo he’s grown his skills as an athlete and has also become a Training Partner and Coach.

For more Highlights check out gpsportconnect.ca/blog

Competition can be a funny thing. It can bring out the best and the worst in you, and trying to find a balance in the middle of all that chaos can be elusive.

So why put yourself through all that physical and mental stress?

I’m always curious to ask athletes this question: Why?

When you get below the surface, you get different answers all the time. Some people are trying to prove something to themselves, while others are trying to prove something to somebody else. Others are trying to rectify something that was wronged earlier in life. Some want to know if they can do it, or if they can handle it.

Regardless of the reason, the athletes who are able to rise above all of those motivating factors and stick to a real long-term training regimen seem to be the ones who go the furthest.

And I’m not just talking about competition either, but training recreationally for life as well.

There are multitudes of people who don’t compete but fight a different battle. All kinds of responsibilities pull us in multiple directions, so showing up and making time for a class that is probably one of the hardest things you’ve ever done takes a lot of gusto.

Maybe it’s stubbornness that gets you through. Maybe it’s a health goal that helps get you to the end. Either way, whatever the beginning, it’s always easier with a team for support.

Being in the position that I have been, I’ve had the pleasure of working with tens of thousands of people from all kinds of backgrounds. Their origin stories have always impressed me. But I’ve traditionally been even more impressed by their longevity stories.

What keeps you going?

Welp, the gym just got the biggest upgrade we’ve ever took on. The shower system has a whole new feel. We want to make sure you train hard and don’t smell hard.