Y’all be safe this weekend! Hope if you can get some training in before this mess comes our way.

Quick share with the JJFA crew. I’m currently writing a TED-style talk that I hope to present on a big stage one day, and I wanted to give you guys a glimpse into how I think when I build these ideas—because this one feels way too relatable to Jiu-Jitsu. I’m sure we’ve all played the original Mario on NES. You grind through a level. You finally beat Bowser. You’re fired up… Then one of your so-called friends—the Toads—hits you with: “Thank you Mario! But Princess Peach is in another castle.” Bro… WHAT?! 😤😂 Same Bowser. Same fight. Same trash talk. Back to square one. And that’s when it clicked for me—that’s life. Bowser isn’t just an enemy you defeat once. Bowser is the same problem that keeps showing up: • the same bad habits • the same doubts • the same ego • the same fear • the same comfort zone And those Toads? That’s the noise. The opinions. The internal voice saying, “You should be further by now.” But here’s the truth… Every level you beat, you’re still better than you were before—even if it feels like you’re fighting the same boss again. That’s Jiu-Jitsu. That’s growth. That’s the grind. You don’t quit. You load back in. You fight smarter. And you keep going. Appreciate you guys letting me share a piece of what I’m working on. See you on the mats. OSS 🥋🔥

Good morning family! Thoughts for the day: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTl9C6hGLqB/?img_index=11&igsh=NGptbmhpemFtaGI3

JJFA family, as many of you know, I consider myself a motivational speaker of sorts. Maybe even could call it a hype, man.. I personally thrive off of the success of my friends. But there was a time in my life where I had all the wrong friends, and I wanted to share with you guys a speech that I am working on for a TED talk that I would like to do. This is a true story about how I faced my lonely era when I was leveling up my friend group. Anyways, I hope y’all enjoy. -Zac Sway The Lonely Stage Let me tell you something nobody warns you about when you decide to change your life. They warn you about hard work. They warn you about discipline. They warn you about failure. But nobody warns you about loneliness. When I first stepped into leadership, business, self-improvement—whatever you want to call it—I thought the grind would be the hardest part. I thought the early mornings would break me. I thought the sacrifices would test me. Nah. The hardest part was realizing that the people I used to call my friends… didn’t want me to win. They laughed at me. They told me I was crazy. They said it wouldn’t work. They said I’d be back at the sheriff’s office in a year. They said, “This is just who you are. Accept it.” And here’s the part that hurts the most: Some of them didn’t say it to my face. They said it behind my back. That’s when something hit me like a brick. I heard this quote once: “Your life is a movie. You cast the roles. You can change characters. You can add sequels. You can rewrite the script.” And I realized something brutal. Some people are not meant to be in the whole movie. Some people are just extras. Some people are just background noise. Some people are only meant for the opening scene. What matters is the plot. The journey. The mission. 🎬 And here’s the truth nobody likes to say out loud: When you leave your old circle, when you step away from the jokes, the comfort, the mediocrity, when you stop shrinking to fit rooms you’ve outgrown— It gets lonely.

With competitions coming up, I wanna open this up to the whole squad because how you prepare mentally is just as important as how you train physically. Everybody has a ritual. Some people don’t even realize it yet—but the best competitors do things on purpose to get their mind right before battle. This isn’t superstition. This is control. For me personally: 👉 I pray. I ground myself, give it to God, and remind myself that my worth isn’t tied to a medal. I compete free, not fearful. 👉 Then I play poker the day before. Sounds random, but it relaxes my mind and sharpens my strategy. It forces patience, discipline, emotional control, and decision-making under pressure—same skills we need on the mat. By the time I compete, my nervous system is calm and my brain is already in “solve problems” mode. No chaos. No panic. Just clarity. Some other powerful pre-competition rituals I’ve seen or used over the years: - Light movement or drilling, not smashing - Visualization: seeing the match go your way before it happens - Writing intentions instead of goals (“stay calm,” “dictate pace,” “trust my grips”) - Breathwork to slow the heart rate - Listening to the same music every time to create a mental switch - Reviewing ONE concept—not everything—so you don’t overload your brain - Early night + hydration (boring, but elite) The biggest mistake people make before competing is trying to add more: More techniques. More intensity. More stress. Winners usually do the opposite. They simplify. Competition isn’t about becoming someone new—it’s about expressing what you already have under pressure. So let’s help each other out 👇 Drop your pre-competition ritual below: - What do you do the day before? - What calms you down? - What flips the switch for you? - What’s something you never skip before competing? Someone in this group is gonna read your comment and it might be the thing that helps them show up sharper, calmer, and more confident on comp day. Iron sharpens iron.