I’ve been doing some work on myself.  It started in earnest after my trust fall earlier this year. And it’s part of my OLW — Grace.  Grace includes giving myself permission and space to be selfish and do things for me that help me.  Sounds simple right?  Yet, I am alarmed by just how many of us really don’t practice this art.

I’ve been going to MY “Average Joe’s.”  If you’ve seen Dodgeball then you are no doubt aware of the monstrosity that is Globogym — run by appearance driven and seriously shallow White Goodman (played by Ben Stiller) and of course there is Average Joes, run by the affable Peter La Fleur (played by Vince Vaughn).

I train at Easton.  Easton is an MMA/BJJ/Kickboxing gym here in Denver, CO.  When I started, I was seriously apprehensive.  These guys are martial artists.  They eat nails for breakfast and they can drop me to the floor with a stare. And… that’s just the men that train there.  Don’t get me started on the kids and women that train there.

I was afraid.

Afraid of the stares and the judgement, the hushed conversations wondering why someone like ME is somewhere like there. I was afraid of simply not being fit enough to participate. On ANY level.

Truth. 

None of that is true. Well… except the nail eating and the ability to drop me to the floor with a stare.

What I found is a community of people who are all walking their walk, fighting their fight, and being a constant support to the other “average joes” training at Easton.   And nothing like the experiences I’ve had at other gyms (and I won’t name them here….)  These people all of them, from coaches to members are among the nicest I’ve met.

So cheers… Peter, Jeff, George, Gwen, Garin, Sean, Tyler…. thank you for being anything but Average Joes! http://www.eastonbjj.com