12/19/2024
This smile is the reason we do what we do. Elowyn came from another school with 4 stripes already on her white belt. She would always ask me when she would get more, and as hard as it is to explain to a kid that we didn’t agree with that, she kept on swimming. I would always tell her to keep on working hard and don’t give up. Some schools do stripes different than us, they will reward you for time on the mats, attendance etc…. (To each their own) We have always kept it old school, just like at Carlson Gracie in Rio, where you have to earn those, show and put the work, work hard for them. In a world, where everyone gets a trophy, we still believe , that kids need to understand that rewards, come with a price. That bjj, just like in life, it’s not easy, and you need to work hard for the things you want. She took upon herself to restart her journey and show up with a brand new white belt with no stripes. She didn’t give up, she would show up to class and work hard, always with a big smile on her face. Yesterday I was able to witness a very special and emotional moment for her. She got two stripes on her belt, under us. Her huge smile and her tears made me cry with her, because I know it’s hard but I also know that the she understood the purpose of what we do and what she did. She reminded me on why we are there, because we are not there just to teach them Bjj. We are there to make them strong, physically, mentally and emotionally. We are there to make them believe in themselves. We are there to remind them, that when things get hard, you don’t give up, you stand tall and keep on going. We are there to hold them tight when the training and the day are hard but also to make sure they understand that nothing special in life comes easy. They are all my kids and I’m their Bjj mom. They drive me crazy sometimes and I’m sure they are responsible for most of my grey hairs, but they make me so proud and moments like yesterday, reminded me on why we do what we do. This young girl has shown me strength and resilience at such a young age and I can only hope she reminds herself of all of this when life gets hard and to never give up. Very proud of you Elowyn ❤️!