Have you ever talked to yourself mentally prior to stepping on the mats or at any other moment in life? From a wedding, a job interview, or any moment in your life that would be considered a life changing moment? I don't know what goes through y'alls heads before stepping into a tournament, but I know for me, I've sometimes thought about what could happen if my opponent gets put to sleep, or if something snaps. I look back at my old Judo coach and one of my coaches dad said to me this year, "their failure to tap is not your responsibility" "outside of an OBVIOUS tap or a ref breaking it up, if you start thinking and being hesitant, they will do everything thst they can to hurt you and go for the sub or torture you". It sound crazy to someone hears it who never really thinks about the risks they take in life or doesn't have that competitive mind set or that fight mentality, but for me who has high functioning Autism, if had to be taught growing up that because society is not willing to always be patient or understanding about my problems I face, it's up to me to make sure that I'm 💯 with it mentally and physically. To this day, I've had to teach myself that because my opponent won't show any mercy when they have the moment to submit me, I can't either. No hesitation No mercy *here's a link to a teaser on my Instagram incase anyone would like to check out my journey as well I hope everyone is doing well this year! Much love to everyone 🙏🏼 https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dcv--uROtMO/?igsi=ODg4YXp0aDRxYTF0

I wanted to share our brand-new logo with all of you! Jujutsu for Anyone has been a vision of mine for years, and as we continue to grow, evolve, and build this community together, there will always be changes along the way. Every change we make is with you and the community in mind. As much as I loved our old logo, I feel like this new one brings the energy, excitement, and direction of where we’re headed. It’s more than just a logo it’s a representation of what we’re building together. We’ve got a lot coming soon! 🎙️ Next week, we’ll be launching our first Mat Chat podcast episode featuring one of our own, @Cody Phillips . We’ll sit down, learn more about Cody’s story, and of course get some rounds in together. 👕 We’ll also be introducing new swag and affiliate opportunities for members of the community. Most importantly, thank you all for believing in this vision and growing alongside us. Jujutsu for Anyone wouldn’t be what it is without every single person who steps on the mats, supports others, and helps make this community special. Keep an eye out for more announcements, and as always, drop a comment below and let us know what you’d like to see next. I know a lot of you have been asking for a monthly live stream we’re still working on making that happen! The best is yet to come. Let’s keep growing. Let’s keep rolling. 🥋

As I arrived at the venue in the District to check in for the NFC JJ 17 event, I received a text message from a friend of mine who needed a spot filled for his team for the three-man, four-team tournament. Well, I didn't have my gi with me, let alone my belt. Luckily, there was a gi for me and a purple belt; and I'm not going to lie, I was nervous because I had no idea who I was going to be standing in front of in my match. Luckily, they didn't know who they were going to be standing in front of. And I'd be lying to you if I said that I wasn't nervous, considering that I already had a superfight of my own. But, you know, the one thing that came out of that tournament is that sometimes you have to just step in there to see what you're truly made of in situations where you don't know what you're up against. Sometimes you may surprise yourself in that process. I learned a lot in my first match, such as that you don't stop until you get to a point where you know you can no longer protect yourself. In my second match, I learned that regardless of the outcome, making sure that you yourself are safe, and when it gets to where you know you are at risk and you can't get out, that it's more than okay to yield than to chance causing serious harm to yourself. All that to say is that I'm thankful that I took that step of faith, stepping in at a time where I could have been justified by turning this down. But, you know, it helped me prepare for what I need to get done in my superfight. I'm very thankful that I took the chance because, as I say to myself so many times, it doesn't matter who's in front of you on the mat. Your toughest opponent is always going to be yourself.

We’re 5 months into 2026. Real check-in… where are you? Not where you said you’d be. Not where you wish you were. Where are you really? Have you been consistent? Have you been showing up when motivation disappeared? Have you been sharpening your body, mind, and spirit… or making excuses? Jiu-Jitsu exposes the truth. You can’t fake preparation. You can’t fake discipline. You can’t fake growth. Every round reveals who you are becoming. Maybe you’re ahead of your goals. Good. Stay hungry. Maybe you’ve fallen off. Good. Get back on the mats. The beautiful thing about Jiu-Jitsu is every roll is another chance to improve. Another chance to evolve. Another chance to become dangerous in all the right ways. 2026 is not over. The question is: who are you becoming before it is? 🥋🔥

Thinking of getting a new mouthguard. What recommendations does everybody have for brands?