On May 20, 2008, Barack Obama won the state of Oregon. No matter what opinion people made about Obama "not being ready to lead" a bi-racial man with a Muslim father and a Christan mother had taken one more step toward entering the Oval Office. The mauling he gave Senator Clinton in several predominantly White states in massive numbers seemed unthinkable. Or was it? http://hiphopnews.yuku.com/topic/821
In an era where young people are less likely to be in church and more likely to be influenced by hustlers, rappers and movies like Scarface, things have changed. The 48 Laws of Power by author Robert Greene, has emerged as the hustlers Bible in hip hop. I have personally met people in the rap game that can quote Robert Green's Laws by number, more readily than they can quote any other book intended to refine their life. Any independent would be music mogul without The 48 Laws of Power is a pawn of those around him. Robert Greene replaced The Autobiography of Malcolm X as the book of choice on the block. Busta Rhymes, Bruce George, T-KASH, Jay-Z and 50 Cent are just a few hip hop icons that consult this book when battling on wax, the block or the boardroom. 50 Cent could easily be considered its most adept student. 50 has not only left peoples reputation and bank accounts in shambles, he has made more money arguably than any other rapper in the history of the art.
Which is why it makes sense that Greene's next book is entitled The 50th Law, co-authored by none other than 50 Cent. In this interview, Adisa Banjoko talks with Greene about how his book became today's street Bible, and how The 50th Law can help you step up your game.
Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the more flexible and adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it. - Lao Tzu
Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) first touched down in the United States in the late 80's. At first, like everything else, it was ignored. But soon after its arrival, we saw suave speaking dudes with very little in the way of threatening physicality demolish men of brawn with ease. It made American martial artists rethink everything they had been doing all the years prior. Most American audiences left the first MMA matches confused, but respectful of what they did not understand. "What did that Royce dude do again?" was echoing across the plains. But then, eventually, the Americans caught on. Once we got bit by the Brazilian grapplin' bug, we never let go.
Remember now, this is America. Love us or hate us, American's are innovators who break rules and shun traditions. We do what we want, because we know we can. So when an unknown guy named Eddie Bravo began beating some of the top Brazilians with moves like The Twister- we saw things changing. Not long after that, we watched in awe as that same guy forced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu living legend Royler Gracie to tap out at the ADCC World Grappling Championships!
It was like Eddie was from another world! His approach was beyond what we had seen. Soon after, Eddie Bravo opened 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. His system most known for the ever popular Rubber Guard, and his approaches to The Twister is one of the most genuine examples of American improvements on the Brazilian model. Eddie Bravo is the author of two books "Mastering the Rubber Guard" and "Mastering the Twister" as well as a 3 DVD series on his system. It's undeniably powerful in style and approach. Eddie Bravo knows his system well and transfers the system effectively.
Eddie's root approach to jiu jitsu exploits flexibility.
By refining his use of flexibility, Bravo designed a new matrix of possibility of how someone can attack a man fighting from the bottom. This gives the practitioner new perspective on what it means to use formlessness in combat. Its refreshing to see in an MMA world where more and more we see weak, passive guards being the downfall of many BJJ "expert". At the same time, critics argue that the 10th Planet deviate too far from traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. That it has some authentic applicable aspects, but an equal amount of weaknesses. One some argue, is that everybody will not, and cannot be extremely flexible. Besides, original BJJ was cool because you did not need a great deal of strength, speed or flexibility to be effective.
When Bruce Lee introduced Keet Kune Do many were sold on it be cause of how powerfully effective Bruce was with it. However, since his passing and the evolution of MMA into a mainstream American sport, JKD has all but disappeared. Some say its because Bruce was its only true innovator. They say no one was courageous enough to carry the torch for the system to help it advance. The 10th Planet system has some convincing up and coming grappling stars, like Denny Prokopos among others. But it may be some time before we have a clear understanding of the 10th Planet impact on ground fighting.
There is one thing is for sure though, Eddie Bravo has changed the face of contemporary BJJ.In this interview we have an in depth look at Eddies journey to becoming a jiu jitsu innovator, and how he has used jiu jitsu to further his true passion in life- music. Talk about a guy with a life strategy...
HHCF: How did 10th Plant Jiu Jitsu start? How was your jiu jitsu system born?
EB: Well, I got my black belt in jiu jitsu from Jean Jacques Machado in traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But by the time I was a purple belt I was already morphing my style of jiu jitsu into a whole different style in itself. So when I decided to open my school, I was already thinking more about no-gi than the average jiu jitsu guy. I was a no-gi fanatic. I hated the gi. I hated training in a big bath robe. There was too much stalling. It was too slow.
So when I got my own school, I dropped the gi. No gi was more fun, and I wanted to have more fun. At Jean Jaqu Friday nights were fun. I wanted every day to be fun. The head of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation, is Carlos Gracie Jr. He felt like I was dissing or betraying the gi, by not teaching in it. He thought I was a traitor.
I said "Well, I don't need any of those Brazilian politics anway". I decided to start my own school, with my own ranking system- and go off on my own.
HHCF: OK so Carlos Gracie Jr. was not a fan. Were there any other hurdles that you did not expect?
EB: First of all, this whole jiu jitsu thing was an accident. My whole goal since I was ten, was to produce music. Jiu jitus was just a way to stay in shape, so I wasn't a fat rock star. I moved to Hollywood in '91. Put together a band. I did not wanna be a fat rock star. So, I got into martial arts. I went from karate to jiu jitsu after I saw Royce Gracie beat all the karate guys. I got obsessed with the jiu jitsu.
But my plan was never to open up a school. It was like "If nothing else works out, I'll have jiu jitsu". It was a last resort. I thought the music was gonna blow up first. The jiu jitsu blew up first. Once I tapped out Royler Gracie that changed everything for me in the jiu jitsu world.
HHCF: Wait! You are moving too fast. That match really defined you as a fighter- would you say that?
EB: It made it possible to teach jiu jitsu and make a living off of it. I was working for The Man Show. I was a writer for The Man Show for one season. During that time, I knew the show was gonna get canceled- it was terrible. I thought, "What the hell am I gonna do? I'm probably gonna have to start taking some MMA fights. My dream was never to do MMA. The reason I got into no gi was because in the back of my mind it was like "If the music has not popped yet, and I have a choice...Between getting up at 5 AM in the blue collar days, or doing MMA- I'm gonna do MMA.
I wanted to open up a school in LA, but all the legends are here. Rickson is here, the Machado's are here...Many Brazilians came to LA to set up shop and just crumbled. They have had to go to Wyoming, or Tenesse, or Virginia- then they are gods out there. 'Cause there is no competition. Its so hard to get anything going in LA. So that was not an option for me as the man show was winding down.I'm thinkin', "I gotta fight man. I gotta fight! F***!!
But it was while at The Man Show, that I went to Brazil and tapped out Royler.
Eddie Bravo Vs. Royler Gracie at ADCC 2003 Grappling Championships
HHCF: I don't wanna stop you. But I have to ask, what did you do to prepare mentally for the match against Royler Gracie?
EB: Mentally? Whew! I'd never been a professional athlete. I never competed. It was all for fun and just to test myself. It was more like "Lets go to the Abu Dhabi Trials and see what happens? Oh, I won? I'm going to Brazil? Maybe I should start weight lifting and doing the things that athletes do."
Mentally, I did not prepare in any special way, the way Randy Couture does. I was nervous, but I felt confident that I could handle myself. There was a chance that I could do well. There was a chance that I could get smoked. It would not have surprised me to beat Royler. It wouldn't have suprised me to get smashed.
But once that happened I was able to open up a jiu jitsu school in LA. Right away I was able to open a school and make a living. Im right here in LA right next to Rickson and Jean Jacqu. I'm not ballin' outta control or anything. But I am making some money and I am able to work. The main thing was not going back to the blue collar life. I'm opening affiliates all over the world. I'm teaching seminars all over the world.
So now, all the money I made in jiu jitsu is funding my studio in Van Nuys, CA. I'm producing five different acts. I'm just using the jiu jitsu to blow my music up. Jiu jitsu was always an accident. I was just lucky enough to beat Royler Gracie. Thank God I don't have to fight! I can teach jiu jitsu, make money and concentrate on our music.
HHCF: Do you remember what Royler said to you after the match?
EB: He didn't say anything to me. He gave me a respectful hug. I was told after he did an interview on the sideline and said "I'm not a machine. I made a mistake. What are you gonna do"?
HHCF: Looking at the youtube videos you have on training, has revealed a lot to me. Mostly, about my own laziness. You've got students like Denny and an armada of fighters you are grooming. If you had some core advice for anyone about what they could do to improve- what would it be?
EB: I'm not an awesome strength and conditioning coach. All I'm good at, is teaching folks how to submit people without the gi. Thats what I'm good at. But my drills and classes and strategies- they work. But when it comes to training fighters to be champions? That comes from within. Like Denny, the guy you mentioned- he has a champions mind. He studies the fight game like a rookie quarter back studies a playbook. He's always training and always thinking. You either got that or you dont. People know what Denny got. Still they try to be champions. But Denny just pushes further than others. I'm just guiding. Denny is doing the real work. I'm just steering.
10th Planet Brown Belt Denny Prokopos (music by Dilated Peoples)
HHCF: As amazing and innovative as your system is, there are critics. They say that you ignore the basics of the art. They say you rely too heavily on flexibility. Do you agree?
EB: Anyone who says I don't teach the basics- they don't come to my school. They have never seen me teach. I mix it all up. Also, consider that its hard to look at something new, and still consider it basic. If its valid, you look at it and you think of it as high tech. The rubber guard actually isn't that hard. It just takes work. Like the open guard or any other aspect of jiu jitsu. You teach someone open guard its gonna take a while before they get really good at it. I already got guys that have been training for six months that are using mad rubber guard. See, thats basic at my school. Its just not basic to anybody else.
To say that my style relies on flexibility is like to say that Cro-Cop's style relies on flexibility- because he kicks to the head. People think you need all of this crazy flexibility [to do the rubber guard]. Not many people have it. But nobody really used it 'cause no one really needed it. Its like the rubber guard is discovering that you can kick to the head and knock people out. But no ones been doing it. So no one can kick to the head. You gotta get flexible its part of your game. Its not like there are bones in your groin that keep you from being rubber guard flexible. You just gotta get off you a** and stretch.
I got plenty of guys that cant do rubber guard. They work on their stretching. They do yoga or whatever- stretch in their free time. To day that my style is all about flexibility is true. But at the same time anybody can have that flexibility.
HHCF: So for you, developing flexibility is just as important as cardio, strength or another aspect of fighting?
EB: Yes, explosiveness, cardio, all that. Its all the same. If you want dangerous head kicks you gotta stretch. You wanna do the rubber guard, you gotta stretch. Its just so new, that people don't know how to take it.
You got instructers all over the planet. They're not gonna teach it. Because they are not going to promote a system and style they cannot teach. They're not flexible. So they are not gonna teach it. For an instructor who is not flexible and cant teach rubber guard- its GOOD for him to tell people it does not work. "Its a waste of time"...Thats good business for them.
EB: I am really, a music producer, whos ventures are being funded entirely from martial arts. Thats the real story. I moved to Hollywood in 91. I started training jiu jitsu in 1994. My friends who I grew up with...They are just finding out what this jiu jitsu thing is and cant believe it. They look at me as a wannabe rock star.
I got back from Abu Dhabi and my mom is like "How'd you do baby?" I'm like, "I lost the tournament but I beat Royler. Shes like, "Awwww, maybe next time". She didn't know what that meant! [laughs].
My uncles are like "I know a guy at work who does jiu jitsu and he does not believe that I know you. What's going on? What did you do"?I never really explained to my family what it meant. You talk to people that knew me, they'd be like "Eddie Bravo tapped out a Gracie? No way that guys is a p****. He's writing books on the art of strangulation and joint manipulation. They remember me as a long haired dude moving to Hollywood trying to be a rock star.
Jiu Jitsu dudes are like "Awww, he's trying to do music now. How is it possible that this guy is doing jiu jitsu and he's good at music"? But I rammed it down their throats. I made music videos and sprinkled them in my instructional videos. Before it was like ten percent of my jiu jitsu fans liked my music. Now its in the eighty to nintey percent. Anybody can reach me by hittin me at www.myspace.com/thetwister !!
In the past year or so, two MMA related films have come out. One is Never Back Down, the other is Red Belt. There has been a lot of talk about the legitimacy of these films. These films have one thing in common- MMA. Outside of that, they have very different approaches to the life and motivations of an MMA fighter.
Never Back Down
Never Back Down is the story of a new kid (Sean Faris) moving to Florida. After being beaten up in a fight at a party, he decides to learn MMA to better protect himself. Through his training with his MMA coach (played by Djimon Hounsou) he learns that what he's fighting against is bigger than the bully he has to contend with.
When this movie first dropped, many in the jiu jitsu and MMA community wrote it off as a MMA version of Fast and Furious. It does have elements of that in it. But beyond that, it told the compelling story of what brings a man to fight and the responsibilities that come with the power of being a fighter. I found it to be an exciting film.
Red Belt is the story of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor and his quest trying to make an honest living (Chiwetel Ejiofor). One night in his academy, an unexpected turn of events changes his life, and the lives of those around him. He deliberately stays away from the MMA fight scene. Unfortunately, circumstances get so bad he is forced to enter the ring against his wishes. The outcome is beautifully shocking. Tim Allen and Randy Couture are also have roles in the film.
When Red Belt first hit the scene, there was a lot of hoopla about it. After it came out, the only people I knew who went to see it were jiu jitsu or MMA practitioners. There were two camps, lover and and haters. It seemed many wanted the movie to have more fighting. Some felt it was too long. Others loved it and said they felt a deep emotional connection to the lead character.
After seeing it, I realize that Red Belt is not a movie about fighting. Its about the philosophy of a true martial artist. This is something that Guerilla Jiu Jitsu author Dave Camarillo has written and spoken about powerfully before. This is a movie about a man who suffers not for fighting, but philosophy. Red Belt is a movie about persevering with principles- not matter what they consequences. There are very few action scenes, but the ones they have are very well done. I thought the movie was well written and that ultimately, everyone in the film did a great job.
Conclusion
MMA is brand new to America. These films, are the first courageous attempts at capturing the real essence of what it means to be a fighter AND what it means to be a martial artist. Considering how new MMA is to the American audience, its amazing that they even got made. The end reality is that you will like these films not based on their authentic quality, but for where YOU are in your life right now.
If you are new to MMA and jiu jitsu and you practice, a young hot blooded guy is gonna love Never Back Down. However, if you are a guy who has been training a while, or, is attracted to the philosophical aspect of the martial arts then Red Belt is for you.
I talked to a friend of mine who is s well known rapper. He said he felt that the corruption of the fight game heavily mirrored the record industry. So, he identified as a struggling artist, watching the main character struggle.
As much as a lot Hip-Hop folks hate to admit Breakin' , Krush Groove and Beat Street while not the best films, were important to the rise of the culture. Such is the same here.
I applaud both films for different reasons and I hope to see more MMA movies come out of Hollywood in the coming years.
***Please be aware that both movies are not intended for young children. Parental discretion is ALWAYS advised.
Urban radio has come to highlight some of the worst music, from the worst artists lately. But many do not know how the collapse of urban radio took place. Long time scribe Eric K. Arnold illustrates the story of how that happened. Check it out, and do check back. - Adisa Banjoko
The Effects of Media Consolidation on Urban Radio
By Eric K. Arnold
May 16, 2008
Urban Radio: What It Is and Who's Down
Let's cut to the chase: urban radio sucks. You know it, artists know it, and programmers know it too. It offers little room for creative programming, tends to favor established artists at the expense of new voices, and kills any halfway-decent song that does manage to land in rotation by playing it as much as three times an hour. Most of all, urban radio sucks because it rarely meets the needs of the local community from which its listeners are drawn. Commercial stations and their advertisers are more than happy to have passive listeners who don't complain about programming decisions. But the truth of the matter is that people have a right to demand greater accountability from their neighborhood stations. Since all broadcasters use the public airwaves, they need to honor their responsibility to serve the public interest. Urban radio is no different, yet its lack of localism is even more appalling since stations often market themselves as being informed by street-derived culture.
Generally speaking, urban radio is defined as programming whose primary demographic targets people of color living in urban areas. This listenership is often broken down into three somewhat overlapping market segments based on age: "Hot Urban" (12-24); "Rhythmic AC" (18-34); and "Urban AC" (25-49). Hot Urban stations tend to spin current rap and contemporary R&B, while Urban AC stations rarely play much rap, preferring a mix of vintage soul and R&B with more recent neo-soul and R&B. Rhythmic AC stations fall somewhere in the middle: typical stations in this category program for both younger and older listeners, so playlists include contemporary artists as well as older, "heritage" acts.
Urban Radio is a multibillion-dollar industry controlled by a handful of large media conglomerates which program the majority of the genre's stations across the country.
Before most people cared about the UCF and MMA culture, only a chosen few saw what what coming. These are the folks who would trade VHS tapes (remember those?) with other people across the country and meet on message boards to try and find the latest scoop on fighting, fitness training and gear.
Then came OTM. It was founded by two Brazilian jiu jitsu guys known in the fight world as "Scotty and Gumby" in the sunny Bay Area. Since its early creation tean years ago, On The Mat has arguably become the number one fight news and culture brand in the business. They recently opened a chain of OTM Fight Shops across the country.
Almost any fighter you know about was first seen on OTM fight DVD's and videos before you knew them. Here I talk with Alan "Gumby" Marques about the the business of the MMA and BJJ fight world.
AB: How did you first come to learn about jiu jitsu?
G: I ordered the very first UFC PPV event out of curiosity, and although I knew the importance of ground fighting from a limited amount of judo as a kid, I was blown away when I saw Royce Gracie march through the tournament. A few years later, when I was ready to pursue the martial arts again I was fortunate enough that Ralph Gracie, cousin to Royce and a famous fighter in own right opened up an academy a few blocks from my house. I signed up, fell in love with the art and the rest as they say is history.
AB: How did learning about jiu jitsu turn into the creation of OTM?
G: When you get into something as much as we did, you either have a desire to find out as much about it as you can, or share with others as much as you can. At the time Scotty and I created OTM, there weren't a lot (if any resources) for Jiu Jitsu out there and we felt that creating a webpage (which we knew a little something about), would be a good touchstone for getting some connections in the Jiu Jitsu community for ourselves, which right off the bat it did so amazingly well for us.
Fast forward to ten years to the present, and honestly one of the most gratifying things to hear is when someone tells me how much OTM has meant to them, how we've helped the sport and their own progress within it.
AB: When you began were sales good, or was it hard to keep alfloat?
G: I had a day job when we started OTM, so sales were not my first priority. Actually 10 years ago the Silicon Valley was booming and a lot of people seemed to have more money than they knew what to do with. I've never been in THAT category, but I was comfortable enough that I didn't need OTM to turn a profit right away. Around 2000/2001 work and opportunities began drying up in the Valley in a major way and I came to the realization that the little side hobby website we had created was technically generating more profits than any of the well funded companies I had been working for. So it made the choice of pursuing something I am truly passionate about a fairly easy one.
AB: What is your biggest selling DVD to date and why do you think it was so successful?
G: That would definitely be the 101 Submission series of DVDs and I think it was successful because it made our Jiu Jitsu accessible to everyone. While I LOVE watching Jiu Jitsu, many matches take a least a bit of prior knowledge and interest in the art to appreciate. The idea was to create a video that if someone asked you what Jiu Jitsu was, you could play this and get them excited regardless of their prior knowledge. At the same time, the material would also be interesting to people who were already well versed in the sport. I can't tell you how many times some one has told me that they've watched these videos dozens, if not hundreds of times and how they are proud to show it off to all their friends.
AB: Now you guys have fight shops set up across the country. Tell me about what people can expect when they go to an OT fight shop?
G: I guess it's a little unusual for a a virtual/web based business to move into a brick and mortar style retail shops, but with the explosion of MMA across the world, it actually makes a lot of sense to do so, and how better to do than the guys who've been at the party for ten years already?
AB: Will you guys still be doing the grappling DVD's ?
G: We'll have some new videos, for sure, but I think the market is moving away from DVDs now. This trend is true in the entertainment industry as a whole, videos on demand are going to become the norm. We are in the process of revamping our website to take advantage/be ahead of this trend, and will either offer the footage we shoot as an enticement for coming to the website, or offer some pay per view type options.
It's actually a little bit ironic, we started off putting videos on the web before anyone really did this, I'm speaking of the internet as a whole in this case. We were really the only source to able to watch a lot of these matches and see jiu jitsu, it's not like you were able to go to the store and even buy jiu jitsu matches. So by demand we began to make videos for sale (first VHS, to show you how long we've been in this). Now we're going to move back to emphasizing videos online.
AB: I know you think that the Bay Area is one of, if not the top places to train MMA or jiu jitsu. Why is that?
G: This area has a long history of attracting top talent in the martial arts, any martial arts you happen to have an interest in, there is a pioneer or leader in the field based out of the Bay Area. As far as the Jiu Jitsu and MMA scene goes, I think we were lucky enough to have a first generation here (Cesar Gracie, Claudio Franca and of course my own instructor Ralph Gracie) who set a high standard and produced a number of top notch students and competitors. More so there is a second generation of home grown talent now that adheres to those high standards and are proud of the fact they came from the bay area. There are equal measures of rivalry and respect in this area which makes everyone stronger I believe and I look forward to seeing the scene in the Bay Area continue to flourish.
AB: Whats next for Gumby? I know you just got your black belt from Ralph Gracie. Do you have any specific fight plans?
G: As far as fight plans, I plan to enter a few competitions per year as my schedule permits. I just love being out there. No plans on fighting in MMA however, I received my black from Ralph well over a year ago now, it ranks among the biggest accomplishments of my life and it meant a hell of a lot to get it from him . I tried not to give myself too much time to bask in the glow, after all I'm always trying to learn more, and share what I've gained over the years. Jiu Jitsu to me is a marathon, not a sprint after all!
FULL DISCLOSURE: I have known Gumby and Scotty since they trained with Ralph Gracie many years ago. I was a music director for some of their early DVD's. They have also sponsored my non-profit HHCF several times.
Josh Waitzkin was going head to head with the worlds greatest chess minds at the age of 6. Today his a world champion tai chi master. His bestselling book, The Art of Learning covers the blending of chess and martial arts principles to empower your life. Many business folks love the book, so I interivewed him just for FC!!
AB: The Art of Learning is an amazing book about personal transformation. Why do you think so many in the business world find it so empowering?
JW: Interesting question--maybe because the ideas of the book emerge from the trenches as opposed to an armchair. One thing about the business and investing world that I connect to very intimately is that there is little room to deny the harsh realities of your mistakes. A bad call can lose you many millions. On the chess board, a single subtle error can cost you a world championship. In a martial arts ring you can go from domination to a broken limb or unconsciousness in a blink. So we have to keep it real, and that is something I have cultivated in my life and tried to do in my book. I didn’t gloss over the bad times, the broken bones, the brutal losses, the heartbreak, because frankly I believe those moments were the most defining of my life. From what I gather, people have found the authenticity of the book to be moving, and I take that as a great compliment.
AB: Many chess lovers believe the game enriches their business acumen. Do you see a correlation?
JW: Yes, I absolutely see a correlation. There are the obvious connections such as the interplay of tactical and strategic thinking, the need for internal balance in external chaos, the absolute necessity of presence, the ability to come back from defeat, and so on. But frankly I think these are ideas that are critical on the path to mastering any discipline. I tend not to dwell on the parallels between chess and business, chess and the martial arts, or any two things for that matter, because the truth is that all pursuits are connected if we gain an eye for the thematic links. A large part of my book is the plunge into principles of learning and performance psychology that cross the boundaries of specific disciplines. In my case I moved from chess to the martial arts—the mental to the physical. That is a good launching point for my thesis because from the outside these two arenas could not be more different.
A central idea of my book is that all life experiences can enrich our professional lives, and our work experience can inform everything else. We just have to break down the artificial barriers we have created in our minds, and then the learning process becomes exponentially more dynamic. A critical step in making that happen is to gain a thematic eye so we can get creative in the process of reconnection. That is the beauty of what we are doing with the Hip Hop Chess Federation. Who would have thought that world-class hip hop artists, chess players, and martial artists would have such common ground? But once the dialogue starts rolling, the walls disintegrate, and people come out inspired with a whole new perspective on learning.
AB: I know you speak to many business leaders across the nation. What do they seek to gain from sitting with you?
JW: I think, if anything, I have a knack for unhindering creativity. Too many students, workers, children, athletes, investors, people have been boxed into cookie cutter molds that just don’t fit. This is a central flaw in our educational system. In order to succeed at a high level you have to learn and perform in a manner that is tapped into your unique nuance of character. If there is anything inorganic about your growth process—if you’ve swept anything under the rug in your introspective process, if you haven’t built your game around your natural strengths—then it will come out when the pressure and resistance is fierce enough to push you to the brink. Guaranteed. On the other hand, if you address your weaknesses as a way of life, if you acknowledge your natural rhythms and build a highly personalized game around them, then when the pressure is on you just keep flowing.
One of the main focuses of my training sessions is to help individuals find their unique voices in the learning process. We all have our strengths, our weaknesses, our styles of learning, our personalities. Developing introspective sensitivity to these issues is critical to long-term success. And once we are hitting on all cylinders, we can have a healthy working relationship with our intuition and that is where things really get dynamic.
One of the most important chapters of my book is the second to last, where I describe my training for the 2004 World Championships. I break down how in the months of training camp, I used creative leaps to raise my technical foundation, and so over time my entire repertoire was built around my own inspiration. Then, when everything was on the line, a hostile arena in Taiwan, powerhouse fighters trying to tear my head off, refs who would do everything possible to stop a foreigner from winning—I had an internal compass that fit me like a glove.
Much of learning is unlearning bad habits. If I can help release people from self-imposed shackles, I’ll have done well. And as you know, I speak from experience on this one. My chess career ended with a crisis that largely emerged from losing touch with my natural voice and style as an artist.
AB: Is The Art of Learning a book for people aspiring to be CEO's and board members or is it made for the entry level worker?
JW: I’m not sure what the distinction is. The entry level worker becomes the CEO. The principles that drive us to the top only become more essential and difficult to live by once we are in positions of power. This brings up an important point. People often live with a certain spirit during the climb, and then get all locked up once they have something to protect. You see this in martial arts schools all the time. A so-called “master” trains for years to reach a certain level, and then opens a school. His students start putting him on a pedestal and he grows fearful about shattering the perfectionist façade…so he stops training, stops sparring, stops learning, and starts to embody the opposite of what gave him Quality in the first place. Is there any more horrible strategy than the prevent defense? If CEO’s stop taking themselves on, if they lose their beginner’s mind and get brittle in the learning process, then their businesses fall apart. I didn’t write this book with any one audience in mind, and from what I gather it is helping people at many levels of many fields.
AB: Much of your book looks at taking highly adverse situations to take yourself to the next level. Can you give us an example of that?
JW: Absolutely, that rhythm has been a defining one in my life—a setback plants a seed that evolves into a defining strength. For example, in late 2001 I entered the super heavyweight division of a regional martial arts tournament. I was the middleweight Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands National Champion, and had to defend my title in seven weeks. I was around 170 pounds and often gave up a lot of weight in competition for the extra training. One could argue that entering this tournament 7 weeks before Nationals was a bit hubristic and I wouldn’t disagree.
Anyway, in the finals I was matched up against a 230 pound powerhouse, and in a wild flurry with a little under a minute left in the final round, my right hand shattered. I felt it break, and then time slowed down in my mind. It was a wild experience. On the video his hands are coming at me like bullets, but in my mind they were floating like clouds. I was able to easily win the match with one hand—and the experience became a beacon in my training. If I can slow down time in my mind when injured, how can I learn to do this at will? In the years that followed, I developed a method of training that systematically altered my perception of time—nothing mystical here. I describe it in a chapter called “Slowing Down Time.” Anyone can do it—the process simply involves incrementally passing information from the conscious mind over to the unconscious so you can consciously focus on less and experience it in more frames than an opponent. Time feels slowed down which can be a tremendous competitive edge.
So that is one example of a setback inspiring me to new ideas, but there are many stories like this in my life. Just about every big win has its roots in a loss and lesson learned. My path has had nothing to do with perfection.
AB: Any last words?
JW: Yes, one thing. I’m in the process of opening up a nonprofit foundation, designed to help disadvantaged children, teens, and young adults get their footing in the learning process. I am tremendously passionate about the project. If anyone reading this works in or has connections to this field and believes the educational philosophy of my book The Art of Learning can make an impact on their group or school, please contact me on my website www.joshwaitzkin.com and I’ll do my best to help out with curriculum integration and by donating copies to teachers, families, and students. Thanks man. It’s been a pleasure.
Hip-Hop Chess Federation Teams with MMA Fighters Jake Sheilds and Ralek Gracie, RZA, Rakaa, IM Josh Waitzkin, for the “Mind Over Matter” Chess & Grappling Exhibition
HHCF brings together top entertainers and fighters to inspire today’s youth
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Jose, CA March 19th 2008– The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) the world’s first non-profit fusing music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and nonviolence is proud to announce the Mind Over Matter Chess and Grappling Exhibition. Some of the biggest stars from the Hip-Hop, Chess and Martial Arts communities will gather for this one of a kind event.
Mind Over Matter will be held at the Riekes Center for Human Enhancement at 3455 Edison Way, in Menlo Park California on April 12th 2008 from 12 noon to 5 PM. Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, chess icon and two time tai chi chuan world champion Josh Waitzkin, Rakaa of Dilated Peoples and Casual of Hieroglyphics . Other artists attending “Mind Over Matter” include The Jacka, Paris, T-K.A.S.H., Prince Ali, Director of “Straight Outta Hunters Point” Kevin Epps and many others.
“There is little more beautiful than the eyes of a child lighting up with inspiration, making new connections, falling in love with learning” said Josh Waitzkin. “Educators must take note of the rise of the HHCF. Adisa Banjoko is creating some of the most dynamic, innovative and empowering events for our youth- and “Mind Over Matter” will raise the bar once again. Blending chess, Hip-Hop and martial arts we are generating a dialogue about learning that begins with the love, embraces the unique flavor of each individual, and break down the divisive false constructs some have imposed on our culture, our schools, and our youth. I am honored to be part of this movement.”
“The HHCF’s Mind Over Matter chess and grappling exhibition is going to be a historic on several levels” said Adisa Banjoko, HHCF CEO. “There will be world class grapplers, chess masters and martial artists interweaving the highest aspects of these arts to improve the state of America’s youth. MC’s B-boys and B-girls, Graff writers and DJ’s and chess lovers from all over the planet are returning to the Bay to celebrate the union of these arts.”
In addition, RZA, Josh, and MMA Champion Ralek Gracie will host a panel entitled Martial Arts As A Path to Nonviolence. The panel will outline how students of chess and martial arts are trained to incorporate numerous options outside of violence.
HHCF Life Strategies panels are in high demand because of their intensity and philosophical depth. Previous panelists include San Quinn, Rakaa of Dilated Peoples, Josh Waitzkin, Dr. Daaim Shabazz of thechessdrum.net, RZA, DJ QBert, DJ Kevvy Kev, Balance, Immortal Technique and DLabrie from Hip-Hop Congress.
Additional events of the day will include, MMA Champion Jake Sheilds and No Gi World Champion Denny Prokopos of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu SF hosting an exhibition to showcase some of today’s most effective grappling techniques. For more updates visit www.hiphpochess.blogspot.com !
Sponsors for Mind Over Matter include online chess community Chesspark.com, Ubisoft, Brazilian jiu jitsu news outlet Onthemat.com, Luna Bars and Hip-Hop Congress.
