The CrossFit Pittsburgh Podcast
We have been a CrossFit Affiliate since 2006. We are one of the originals. My wife and I opened our doors when I was home between deployments to Iraq. It's been an amazing adventure spanning thousands of miles between us over the course of 12 years deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We formed amazing bonds. Lost good friends. And learned a lot about ourselves and our community. Throughout the course of this Podcast we will discuss all of that and more. We will talk about the people we have encountered along the way and the lessons we learned.
The CrossFit Pittsburgh Podcast
#33: Two childhood friends and the Evolution of Evolution Jiu-Jitsu, Pittsburgh
Ever wondered how a lifelong journey in martial arts begins with a simple need for self-defense? Join us as we explore this question through our personal stories, starting from the wrestling mats at Central Catholic with my childhood friend, Rob Serrao. We reminisce about our early beginnings in combat sports, from Isshinryu Karate to Boxing, and how an unconventional karate school run by Rocco in 1976 set us on our path. Just before the Navy called, I faced the black belt test, a pivotal moment intertwined with the closing of Rocco's dojo. Each memory is a testament to the unique, non-franchise approach that shaped our martial arts journeys.
The evolution continues as we recount our experiences moving up the ranks in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, from white belt to black belt. Life threw many changes our way, from career shifts to the global pandemic, but the spirit of martial arts kept us grounded. We created a community, a training club born out of a garage, which became a sanctuary for growth and friendship. COVID-19 brought its challenges, but it also led to exciting developments, like a family member's transition to varsity wrestling. The passion for jiu-jitsu is something we eagerly pass on to the next generation, realizing dreams of dedicated spaces and building a supportive environment.
Lou Armanzani’s influence on our martial arts journey has been profound, leading us to affiliate with the Armazzani Jiu-Jitsu Academy. His mentorship is invaluable and it reinforces the importance of perseverance and personal growth, whether on the jiu-jitsu mats, in a CrossFit gym, or in life.
Through shared stories and camaraderie, we celebrate the strength and respect imbued by these disciplines. Our narrative isn’t just about techniques but a broader vision of evolution in life. Looking forward, we host guest trainers and offer free drop-in sessions, inviting you to experience the community and empowerment found in martial arts.
All right, here we are.
Speaker 1:This is the actual episode one of the Evolution Jiu-Jitsu podcast. I snuck in a little preview by myself, but I'm here today with a childhood friend, brother Rob Sorreo, and it's one of those situations where, like I don't remember when I didn't know you. I mean like back to Stanton Heights, back to elementary school. You know and known each other over the years. Excuse me, probably our first experience in combat sports was Central Catholic. We were both on the wrestling team at the same time. I was a, I was a senior when you were a freshman.
Speaker 2:I think right.
Speaker 1:Correct, and so we had some exposure to wrestling back then, and shortly after that, rob, had you started training with Rocco already right In Isshinukurai.
Speaker 2:My first foray into martial arts was 1976 with. Rocco in his garage. I was being bullied, as a lot of kids are, and my dad thought that I should learn how to defend myself. You know he took me to Rocco's. It was a much, you know, shorter. Like you know my dad not fully understanding, thinking like hey, teach him the basics learn to defend himself. And then you know kind of quit, and then you know what was it? 1980, we started again, right, what was it?
Speaker 1:1980 we started again right, but like I said, you know, my first four it was actually 76. Yeah, yeah, and just uh kind of a little backstory there.
Speaker 1:Uh, rocco, his brother anthony and tony, tony lombardo, three black belts in uh, in ishinru. Karate, which at the time was I, was one of the things I always loved about it. When we really got into it in 1980 and beyond. It was not something that you see in every and I mean like no disrespect to anyone else, but it wasn't a franchise that you see in every strip mall where you know it's kind of like, uh, like, uh, like an assembly line, right, um, it was, it was a one-off.
Speaker 1:Now again one of a part of an affiliation, right, um, and issue, my understanding is it was very popular in the 70s, in the 80s, but I believe because it didn't mainstream, it didn't franchise and there's still some legitimate schools today and, um, you know, again, like lineage, like we talk a lot in jujitsu about lineage. So that was, yeah, my first exposure. You know, something I always wanted to do as a kid because of what you see in the movies and this and that I think the way we came up. Of course, then you and I almost simultaneously, we started karate and then we started boxing. You know, training for the Golden Belts If I'm not mistaken, it was at the Pittsburgh Press Newsboys Golden Belts and it was always a fall tournament, right and the Golden Gloves would have been like a winter tournament.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you know and.
Speaker 2:I mean looking back. I'm glad we did it.
Speaker 1:I am glad we did it. You know you learn. You had some grappling in high school. You know boxing and then, for me personally, later on, when I went into the Navy, boxing was a huge part of the core curriculum. So you know, imagine my surprise where I was like right, you know I could take a, not take a break.
Speaker 1:But like I'm in a curriculum right now, this phase, where I'm not out of my element, like aerodynamics, engineering a little bit out of my element, but you know, so it's a skill that I'm glad, but I think too for me Well, back up a notch. So so we both grow up, both grow up, we, we become adults, right no I make. I'm being, I'm using labels, I'm using labels, but um so I remember vividly I think we just talked about this yesterday I was a brown belt with four stripes, the black stripes.
Speaker 1:For those who don't know, like uh in in ishinru, the stripes you earn are the color of the belt you're going to correct, unlike jiu jitsu where the stripes are white on every belt. You know one, two, three and then the next four and then the next color. But I remember that and was so close. I was like a brown belt with four black stripes and I'm like I'm. I knew I was already accepted to the Navy. I was waiting for my departure date and I remember thinking like oh man, and I knew, I knew in my heart. I was like if I don't do this now, I'm never going to do it. I don't think I'm ever going to. When am I going to get the chance to take the test? It's not like I've got more curriculum. I've got a test and, as I recall, I left for the Navy in April.
Speaker 1:Yeah, april, and I think I was able to do my test in the winter, winter of so whether it was January, february, a couple months prior, you know.
Speaker 2:Well, concurrently, Rocker was closing the school. Right, so he was trying to get everybody up to black belt. Um a little bit different, um methodologies and how you would train. You know, what I came to understand now is in martial arts of like your journey just begins after black belt exactly, uh, you know where that was kind of ending. Yeah, there was no continuing education and stuff like that so a little bit of a different experience, I would say, but nonetheless an achievement, right, right and, and that is believe me.
Speaker 1:Now, now that I've kind of re-immersed, you know, in on the, you know, jujitsu path, that's something that I do.
Speaker 1:Really no regrets at all, because I knew even if the school wasn't closing and that is a valid point, it was closing. So the core group of us who were about to turn black right, I remember he even said he, he was like no, I'm going to, I'm going to get, I'm going to get those of you who are there, I'm going to get you through. But you know then, and it's natural, it's a natural selection, because his kids were getting older and his kids were getting older, they were getting involved in their activities and he spent a lot of time with us, a lot of time with us, teaching us, training us. So I understand that's a natural evolution. You know Evolution right. So, but again, it was a little bit bittersweet because I was, I was, I wanted to finish what I started, I wanted to get my black belt and I did. And I kind of knew.
Speaker 1:Then I was like well, even if there's an issue in your school in Pensacola, florida, I'm not gonna be able to go right, I mean aviation officer candidate school, flight school I'm like I'm gonna have my plate full, but I was glad that I finished that. But you're right, there was that like, okay, that's part one. The next part is and it's not just about the second degree, third degree, for it's not, but it is because that's now, you're a teacher but you're also a student, right, and it's that perfect balance. You know, it just keeps moving forward, um, so I knew that, I knew that going in and right about you know similar timeline. I'm in the navy you have, you know, we both starting to have kids, right, and I remember I don't remember what age Robbie was, but I remember you telling me you're like, hey, I found a school, so would you tell, tell how that happened.
Speaker 2:So, um, yeah, you know, my son Robbie, um, you know, really didn't take to sports when he was younger and, uh, you know, kind of felt like he needs to do something. You know I tried t-ball, couldn't stand it, you know, and really didn't want to try anything else, I think soccer and he just didn't take to it and I thought, you know, he should learn martial arts.
Speaker 2:And you know I thought about teaching him myself and realized that you know, I'm just too big to be able to do a lot of the things you know judo and different moves with him. Too big to be able to do a lot of the things you know judo and different moves with him. So, um, you know, I researched a school, found a place that was in sharpsburg, close to where I I lived at, you know currently live, and, um, you know, took him there. He took to it. He was, uh, just turned seven, okay, and um, you know, spent probably probably spent seven years training and then kind of um, fell out. Then he actually did find sports and you know, know got interested in middle school.
Speaker 2:You know, played football, wrestled in high school, played football in high school and so that's kind of like. But if I step back, you know the exposure was for him.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And then I you know, so it was karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and you know I became interested in it and thought and thought, I'm going to start doing it with him and I think, one of the best things for parents if you want your child to do it, is to train with them side by side, and I had the opportunity to do that and it was wonderful.
Speaker 2:I spent a lot of time together in family classes, kids' classes, then of course I would go to adult classes. You know, fast forward 16 years later. About three years ago, I, you know, got my black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You know, huge honor for me. You know what I consider to be a major accomplishment. And, you know, continued to train for probably three years at the same school that I'd been at. And then, you know, from that point forward, you know, always had some aspirations. I suppose, you know, just didn't know when I would do it. You know, maybe have my own place and you know, if we're at this point in the podcast, maybe we'll talk a little bit about that and what evolution became. Evolution became, you know, just to let the audience know that. You know Mike had presented me an opportunity to you know. Basically, have, you know, my own school, which was a dream, here at CrossFit right.
Speaker 2:So a lot of the barriers that you would have to enter into the market to start a martial arts school. I was fortunate enough not to have you know, investment in mats started martial arts school.
Speaker 2:I was fortunate enough not to have, you know, investment in mats. You know a building, a place, and you know he gave me a home to be able to launch this. And you know speak a little bit about the Evolution name. You know we originally so. You know what Mike didn't describe is that you know we trained together. You know I was teaching Mike jujitsu back in 2013.
Speaker 1:Well, that's the part. Yeah, I wanted to kind of like regress here for a minute 2013. Yeah, 2013. And what was happening was I was between, I was on a training contract for the Navy, so we would have gaps of time during the curriculum and Friday mornings right after the CrossFit class, and I don't even remember how it started. If you made the offer, you're like, hey, you know, if you want to train it, let's do it. Rob would come to our gym at CrossFit Pittsburgh our last location and as the CrossFit class is getting out, we set up a few mats I maybe three mats, you know and we would train.
Speaker 1:And it was, you know, for me and I told, I told my wife this, she, you know, she's like, well, how was it? How was it? I was like, jen, I can't, I can't describe it any more to you than this for me to train with you again at that time a different medium, jiu-jitsu instead of karate or boxing, but to be back training with you in combat sports, it was like. First of all, it was fantastic to be exposed to jiu-jitsu. To be exposed to Brazilian jiu-jitsu was amazing for me. But what was also very neat was like almost like therapeutic. It took me back literally like is that? As it sounds weird, I don't care, but it took me back to a time when you know you had like you.
Speaker 1:You know we were younger, we were, like you know, probably dumber, but just to be able to bond like that with my brother again on the mats, learning something different. And I remember vividly you were a blue belt at the time and I made disclaimers that you know?
Speaker 2:hey, I would never make aspirations or make statements that I'm a teacher and go out and try to teach people outside of the school, right? I remember telling you that, right, and you're like no, I still want to learn and train with you and we did that. Yeah, and it's funny and and when I look evolution of, like how I taught an armbar it's a blue belt versus how I teach it today.
Speaker 2:Entirely different, right, maybe two steps you know, at best you know, do this and this at a blue belt and now as a black belt, five, six steps maybe, decomposing the. You know, of course you get a better mastery, a better understanding how to teach and everything. But like it was crude in those days, right and but yeah, I cherish those memories that we got to train together. You know, whatever the circumstances were that I recall like couldn't do it anymore.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I think that's what happens is like I think my job changed. I was off the training contract and you know you always get a moment where you're like, hey, listen, I've been presented this new opportunity. I got to take it. Heck, if I remember correctly what it was, when we were starting up, there was a security company in Charleston, west Virginia, who decided they wanted to open an office in Pittsburgh. I get introduced to the owner by a mutual acquaintance and you know he makes me the offer hey, start and run the Pittsburgh office. And I said, okay, great, that was a long time commitment. And you know what's strange, it never occurred to me to go. Okay, so we change our training dynamic. You know I trained later instead of so it kind of got derailed.
Speaker 1:Our next link up, I mean, of course, you know we still socialized, stayed together, you know friends and all that. But our next time on the mats, son michael was 13 and I remember I'm thinking just like you said about robbie. You're like, well, he was, he was smaller, he was younger. So you find, well, I remember we had started. I'm like he's 13, but he's like, kind of, he'd like a growth spurt. So height was no longer a mechanical disadvantage. And I said, hey, would you mind know if we started to train together again? And I bring Michael, you're like, yeah, that's a great idea, because now this was fate, this was so cool, you had started training our old karate instructor, that's correct. Yeah, you know, one-on-one private lesson at his garage. Right, it goes back to Rocco's garage. You know, like we where it all still a different garage, but same rocco, um, and I said, you know what do you think? And you were like, yeah, come on train with us. So now for me to be able to bring my son to train with uncle rob, yeah, and then meet rocco, who was a mentor to us as as young men. You know roughly Michael's age, right, so that evolved, I mean evolved, right, that's why we knew it was the right name, you know. So we did that.
Speaker 1:And then, unfortunately, we trained right into COVID, right, I mean, like we were regular and we even built our little and it was not a business business, there was nothing financially to be risked or gained, it was a club. And you know you were the teacher and and you know it was just fantastic, fantastic to be now. But again, how time passes, we're blue belt. When we first trained together, I missed your entirety of purple belt I think, because when we started to train together again you were already a brown belt, correct? Yeah? So again, big gaps in my training, obviously not in yours.
Speaker 1:So michael gets on the mats and I'd say, over the years, you know, he gets bigger, he gets stronger, he gets more, you know, skilled and capable, and then, uh, covet ends. He never came back to jujitsu but he turned that into a varsity wrestling at high school and you know, first time on the mats he letters his junior year. Double letters is his senior year and you know it was uh for me to be able to watch that. I was like again, like bittersweet. I was like you know what, I'm not going to commit, going to commit, this is his time. He's going to be in college in a year.
Speaker 1:You know, and and really selfishly I'll tell you that the evolution of the beginnings of evolution, jujitsu, I think, was july. This past july I reached out to rob and I said, um, hey, man, I want to get back on the mats. I want to get back on the mats. You know, what do you think if we link up here at the gym? I was like we've got space, we've got mats, what do you think? And you link up here at the gym. I was like, we've got space, we've got mats, what do you think? And you were just getting ready to go on vacation and then I think it was one conversation. I'm like could we train? Excuse me, could we train together? Again, turned into you know what. I think there'd be an interest. Why don't we? You know? Because I guess in the back of my mind it really was.
Speaker 2:I knew how much you always wanted your own place, come here and teach you guys and figure out, you know, because then also your daughter wanted to do it right? I remember you distinctly telling me like hey, yeah, you know, I want my daughter to be part of it. You know, yeah, exactly, and I said, okay, you know, we'll figure that out.
Speaker 2:I said I have to figure out my time you know, because I'm occupied with my own training and teaching where I used to be at, and you're right, that's kind of like how it started. And then you know, hey, how about we do it as a business?
Speaker 1:Yeah and so, and literally not to trivialize it, but you know it was like bada bing, bada bang, bada boom.
Speaker 2:You know, and here it is, it's all in place kind of quickly. And here it is, it's all in place kind of quickly, very quickly, very quickly. And I'll tell you this, and I didn't understand it.
Speaker 1:I mean, I knew about it. I knew enough about the legacy of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. But again, how fast that happened. And then one of the things that happened I think equally as fast, but looking back I wouldn't have changed it for anything was our affiliation. So here we are, a brand new, freshly minted new jujitsu school. And you had mentioned hey, you know what we really should think of affiliating, for you know proper lineage, like what would you for those who don't know, what would you compare a lineage to?
Speaker 2:So a lineage, you know, kind of look at it as almost like a family and that family's teaching you and you're learning, I would say, whatever the techniques are or whatever you're learning from them, and that would be the originator of the martial art, or it could be cooking, you know whatever. Whatever that might be. And so when we talk lineage, what's your connection to the people that innovated? Right whatever it is that you're learning, and you know gordon ramsay.
Speaker 2:You know who did you train under well, I trained under gordon ramsay right so that's your lineage as a chef right you know, jujitsu, or martial arts, is no different right um, and generally, the closer you are to, you know, the originator of that art, the better. But, you know, jujitsu is branched off so much that you have so many different schools and I thought it was really important. And there's somebody that I admire significantly and that's Lou Armanzani. Lou, if you're out there listening, you know I love you and over the years I knew Lou from tournaments and you know being on the scene here a little bit and I said you know we're going under Lou.
Speaker 2:Armanzani reached out to Lou. He said absolutely, and I met. We talked through the details of how to become an affiliate, you know. So now we're a proud Armanzani affiliate and we will be, for, you know, the rest of our lives here. So you know that's now our lineage. You know, training under Lou Lou is a Team Paso, tony Paso prodigy or, you know, student now. That's his coach, you know. So that's kind of like how we're affiliated now me.
Speaker 1:like you said, what was you? You told me this, like maybe my first time on the mat and back in 2013, you know, so I'm probably I don't. Might be a record, I don't know I might be like the longest standing white belt in the history, from my first time. But but this is another thing too that I, I do, you know, and and I don't want to take a negative spin- on this at all.
Speaker 1:I really don't, but like crossfit, when I hear somebody go oh man, I'd love to do it, I'm too old, I want to throw us like not a hard one, not a real, yeah, but a little bit of a smack like like snap out of that all right, you're not and like you said it just today you know, um, it's not a sprint, it's not even a marathon, it's an ultra marathon.
Speaker 1:Right, it's the journey. One thing I've learned to are you injured or you hurt. That's a thing you know, way back for me, and in the Navy days, where I was seriously, are you injured or you hurt. A lot of things hurt. Rub some sand on it, get up, keep moving. An injury is a different story. Injury needs to be treated. It needs to be. But again, to what did I say? I was like I'm going to go as far as I can Today. Long term, go as far as I can.
Speaker 2:If I have to stop, I'm going to step to the side. You know, for the audience I mean everybody knows your podcast that you're a CrossFit affiliate. For the audience I mean everybody knows your podcast, that you're a CrossFit affiliate. And you know what I learned about CrossFit through you when you introduced me. You know, at your first box and you know a little bit of a few workouts I did with you and everything that you told me it's scalable. Right, Because I didn't think I could do it. You know I've never. You know I'm not a big weightlifter. I lift weights but you know I'm not, I would say, a serious hardcore. You know lifter and I remember, you know, you taking me through some of the workouts. I felt a little, you know, sort of intimidated and everything. And um, you told me, rob, don't worry, it's scalable do what?
Speaker 2:you can do and you know there's um, definitely a parallel to jujitsu, that it's scalable. And you know, look, we have, you know, one member. You know you know great guy and you know he's going to train different than our youngest member. That's a team, let's say our youngest student. You know you do what you can do and try to get through. You know, whatever the technique is, that's being done and it's no different than CrossFit, it's no different than anything in life, Like just keep moving forward you know, and exactly.
Speaker 2:And like what you judge people on, in my opinion, is just your own progression. I would say You're not competing against me or somebody else, You're competing against yourself.
Speaker 1:And I think it's the same way Exactly.
Speaker 2:Your measurement is against your performance, and yesterday you were able to do this, and today you have what you call PRs personal records and all that stuff.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, do this. And today you have what you call them prs, personal records and all that stuff. So, right, yeah. And I think too, one of the things that was really fascinating for me, because one of, again, one of the first things you ever said to me on the mat was in regard to, uh, teaching water is purest the closer you get to the source, right, and I remember when you first mentioned an affiliation, I'm like, hey man like the model business again, separate business from the, the art itself, the, the, the family relationship itself.
Speaker 1:Right so the crossfit affiliation, there's no doubt in my mind. Um, over the years crossfit has been, you know, started out really, uh, the garage gym. Anybody familiar with the crossfit, it's like the garage gym.
Speaker 2:So here we go back to jiu-jitsu started as well.
Speaker 1:The gracies came to, you know, california exactly the 80s or maybe even late 70s, and they were teaching out of their garage, exactly right and so you start like that and then it becomes this, like whoa, this, this thing, you know, um, the sport of fitness, and then it becomes competitive, but they're still, you know, like the sport of fitness. And then it becomes competitive, but there's still, you know, like we did it, when I found it, a lot of teams were using it, downrange, you know, it became more of a work thing that you're like, well, how do you train to perform, you know, in your capacity as a, you know, a military service member, law enforcement, first responder, what have you. Then it kind of became a sport. Similarly with jujitsu, right, it's like, I don't know, man, this is, this is fighting, this is ground fighting, this is formidable and it. Then it becomes a sport ish, but it's still still fighting, it's still.
Speaker 1:And I remember over the years you know, you and I talking, I think, maybe our first exposure to grappling well, wrestling, of course, in high school. But even when we were with Rocco, he would like to give us a little bit every so often of something different. I remember the first time we walked in for a karate class and there are mats on the floor. I'm like what the heck? What's this? And verbatim, he was like, okay, we're gonna spend some time on the ground tonight, because sooner or later usually sooner every fight ends up on the ground and you need to know what to do, right? But so you know, again, like looking at it in that perspective, so he went, you know, for me personally, from 2013 with you 2018, back with you 2024. Yeah, it was supposed to be hey man, let's just train, we'll get Alex on the mats, let's just train. And you know it was supposed to be hey man, let's just train, we'll get Alex on the mats, let's just train. And literally a phone call what if we did this? What if we did this? And we did. And the introduction to Lou you knew him, I didn't. And I was like, hey man, that's the way we're going, absolutely, I'm with you. And then we were invited out to his school a couple weekends ago. So it was five of us, I think five of us from here.
Speaker 1:We traveled out for an opportunity to train at Lou's school in Monaca, right, and there were other affiliates there. And I'll tell you straight up I walk in there as my little two stripe white belt and I remember Mark and I were. We went and got changed, we came back upstairs we're side by side and I'm looking around the room and I'm like, oh my God, I mean more. Well, you know, again, I'm a novice, but more more jujitsu black belts than I've ever seen in one place so far. And then I'm looking and I'm like I don't see any white and then finally a few white belts trickled in, you know, but what a great number one, what a great experience Meeting Lou personally.
Speaker 1:You know, the first time, meeting him. Awesome guy, fantastic, genuine. You know, like that kind of genuine guy that when you meet him and, let's face it, you and I are at an age where we've met a lot of people through our careers, through, you know, social events, things like this, and I believe this, there's only two types, only two types. There's a type that you're introduced to and when you're meeting this person, you're like God, please don't let me have to talk to this guy much this evening. Right, it's shallow, it's empty, right, first introduction, first introduction. That's a guy that when he's saying, hey, you know, nice to meet you, like you know it, you know that he means it and just, it was great to be able to see, you know, meet him, see him in his element, but there was not a single person I crossed paths with that day, not one at any rank level. That wasn't a genuine, good, solid person. Right, and what was neat, too, the way that there was a lot of folks so hold on if I could, yeah, please.
Speaker 2:I would like to give a shout-out to the other affiliates. You have OutKast Jiu-Jitsu. Right, you have Mondali.
Speaker 1:Right, you have Weirton Yep.
Speaker 2:And I think that's yeah, so we're the four. And us right CR Manzani Jiu-Jitsu Academy.
Speaker 1:So that's what makes up Lou's affiliation, yeah, and that's a good point to bring up because, as I said, we were invited so we drove from Pittsburgh to Monaca.
Speaker 2:But those other affiliates- one in from Ohio, one in from West Virginia.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know. Again, for those of you who don't know, and you know it's funny too, and I will bet it's the same dynamic in Jiu-Jitsu, those of you who don't know or in, and you know it's funny too, and I will bet it's the same dynamic in jujitsu. All schools are not created equal. They're not, and it is all about all black belts are not created equal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's, that's exactly right and you know what, what we have an expression in every, everything. I mean. We learned this years ago at the, at the you know folks I used to work for. Um, it sounds trite but it it's impactful. Right. Certified does not necessarily mean qualified All right. So even within our own CrossFit community, all right. Even within our own CrossFit community, you'll have someone who has the you know the certificates on the wall and that kind of thing. And then maybe you observe their class and you go, oh my God, okay, you know like I'll never forget this, uh, greg glassman's.
Speaker 1:Greg glassman said this once at a seminar in the early 2000s. It stuck with me because I've had the same thoughts over the years and just a different way of verbalizing it. But he was like you know, be mindful of the community you're a part of and how you represent it. He's like I have crossed paths with people over the years and seen the way they conduct themselves, the way they treat members, the way they treat waitstaff in a restaurant. And he said and there have been times when I've been tempted to say do me a favor, please take off my t-shirt and when he said that, at first I laughed, I thought it was funny and all of a sudden I'm like you know what, though? Yeah, yeah, you represent, you're a part of something much bigger.
Speaker 2:Let's use the term community standards. I hear that a lot today People getting in trouble on Facebook or whatever the social media platform and you get yourself kicked out or suspended and things like that, and they have their community standards and the communities that we represent have their standards as well.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:If you're under a particular affiliation and you do something that's particularly vile, you might find yourself no longer part of that affiliation. That's exactly right. And you know what? Violated community standards.
Speaker 1:That's exactly right. And you know what we should be. We want to hold young people to that. Yeah, we to hold young people to that, we need to be accountable ourselves.
Speaker 1:And one of the things, too, that I remember vividly about it was a great. It was a great Sunday, it really was. We went out there, trained for like three hours, trained for three hours and went out to eat, had a little brotherhood, a little fellowship. But one of the things that I recall vividly and this just goes to speak to volumes, right, so you have Lou as the, as the professor that he is, as the and remind me because you got to tell the professor story, because that's classic, I love that part but so you have Lou as the, as the person he is, as the professor he is, and you know the other affiliates that were there that day and again, like you're known by the company you keep right.
Speaker 1:So we we, you know, circle up, we do a thorough warm-up. You know we're getting it going, getting a good sweat going, and then we break off into pairs. So there was a young man, dominic, I remember. You know he and I are both white belts. He looks over, he's like pair up. I was like, yeah, yeah, so we did, but the group was so large, here's a nice big main space and then a room behind that, like just through a simple door, a door, open doorway, not a door. Um, then another mat room. It's okay, let's spread out. So we did. So dominic and I go back, maybe three other pairs, maybe we're working a progression, we're working a flow and we're working a flow and we're trying. He's like do you know how to do this one? I'm like, no, not really. He's like, yeah, me either. But we're watching the guys next to us.
Speaker 1:Brian was a blue belt, I think from the description you gave downstairs earlier today during training. I think the purple belt was the guy that you trained with yesterday Big, yeah, like head and shoulders over me, and a relatively new purple belt. That probably would be about right. I mean and I say this, I mean it in a good way Savage. I mean this guy was strong, he was fast and he knew his stuff. Well, they're the pair right beside us and you know, know, to his credit, man dominic was a scrappy guy. But the two of us like we're working a flow and we really didn't know the proper progression, like that, without even being asked, with the. You know brian and what was the? What was the other guy's name? Do you recall?
Speaker 1:uh, it's the person I'm thinking of jace, maybe, maybe, maybe and really real matter of fact and it was not condescending, it was not, it was the most genuine. They're like, hey, um, why don't you guys work with us? So we split up. I worked with brian, jace worked with dominic for the rest of the day, for the rest of the day, and I mean it was just such a great.
Speaker 2:And then what was cool, too, was done right in jujitsu you're not going to find a bigger group of helpful people right anywhere right.
Speaker 2:Right and when it's done right and you teach your students correctly and bring them up correctly, they're helpful exactly, and it's a force multiplier, because when you run a class and you have, you know, colored belts under you, you know blue and purples and browns, you know you want to empower them all to be able to help. You know, especially if you have a big class, that's who you pull on to help, kind of like help the younger not the younger people, but the less experienced and such. So yeah, yeah. Force multiplier, we'll call it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly, and it was, it was awesome. You know, those are the things too that you, you know, you share knowledge, you share experience. Um, and I, I think too and I know I said this to you yesterday because you had gone out to train at lose and we're talking and and I said, man, I gotta tell you I said, you know, I love, I love hearing you after a training session because, again too, you know, for me my journey is just beginning right. Uh, 61 years old, you know, I was not. I don't think I was a 61 year old you were referring to earlier. No, I think that's ray, yeah, who is a good dear friend, dear friend, one of our, I think he's one of our first members at crossfit, so we've known the family yeah yeah, a long long time, know same thing.
Speaker 1:I mean, we're both 61, but he's a wee bit like I think he's a month or two older than I am. I'm older than Mike, yeah, but like by like 60 days maybe. But that's the thing. You know, if we could do it and I don't think he knows this and I don't know if I want to tell him, but it's one of those things that, like you get motivation from everyone around you. You draw upon everyone, anybody who thinks you don't, you're doing it wrong. You're absolutely doing it wrong. So there are times when I'm like man, my back is killing me, my hip is killing me, like it's aching, it's hurt, and I look across the mat and I'm like, all right, ray's doing it, we could do this. You know, and you draw strength from one another. You know from experience and from heart. You know, and, and you draw strength from one another. You know from experience and from heart. You know, and, and I'm just I'm thrilled.
Speaker 1:I'm thrilled. And what else is neat too is his whole family was his daughter's married and living in Michigan. If she wasn't, you know, she and her husband would be here, because he's a scrapper too. But you know the, you know families training together, rolling together, you know. For me, I got to, you know, first of all the privilege to train with my brother right, and then to bring my son in.
Speaker 1:And then Alex, she doesn't get this from me. She really doesn't. You know I was a scrappy dude in the ring, but the mats are a humbling. It's the deep water.
Speaker 2:It's a humbling experience. She's going to be quite good and she's actually, you know, every class impresses me. That's Mike's daughter, alex. Really impressive. And I would like to dovetail into a statement you made. You know you're 61. I'm 58. You know not like I used to be for sure, but a friend of mine that I worked with, that actually I managed this person. We had some problems at work one time and you know, sometimes you don't want to buck the system, you don't want to go against management, and maybe you're dealing with an executive vice president, you're afraid to say something. And this guy, finally, was like hey, are you going to say something? How they're treating us? And blah, blah, blah. I'm like, and he goes you want to be a circus lion or do you want to be a lion? And um, you know, and I forget the comment I made, and he said old Indian gentleman, he goes, old lion, still a lion, you know it's your choice If you want to be a circus lion, right?
Speaker 2:Or do you want to go out and be an old lion? And you know, and, and you know what he was saying was like, you know, don't be afraid. Like, just because you're, you know, a lower, you know a lower title to these people, you know you have to stick up for us. And I did. You know what I mean. But in jiu-jitsu is the same that you know. We might be old lions, but the old lion is still alive. Right on you know, they can still be equally as dangerous.
Speaker 1:You know, maybe they've slowed down a little bit, maybe some skin is hanging or whatever that might be, but an old lion is alive, right on, right on, and that's you know, that's I mean I. I probably talk about this like 24 hours, you know, yeah one of the things I would love to do. I would love to do. We have to get our schedules to line up. I would love to have you and I and lou join us.
Speaker 2:Yeah so lou.
Speaker 1:If you're lou, hopefully you hear this at some point, my friend, but, uh, um, love to have you on as a guest, but what I would like you to tell, please tell the professor story, because those of you who don't I mean I, we, I think it's fair to say we have twisted sense of humor. We do this, you tell it. Tell it, because I'm not going to do it justice I've.
Speaker 2:You know, I've taught for a long time, you know, even prior to being a black belt. You know, my journey was such that I was instructing for a long time prior, and so I had a lot of good training in that regard. But, um, you know, never from a traditional perspective. You know, not using the terms. Like, you know, it's common in brazilian jiu-jitsu to call the teacher a professor.
Speaker 2:So in brazil, you know, um, the translation of a professor is just teacher so they even elementary or grade school, call them professor or professora, and in italy it's the same thing right just a sign of respect that you're calling them teacher. Right, it's not like here, college professor or whatnot, but like I was never called professor in my life and there's also some, I would say, nuances that certain affiliations you technically have to be maybe like a second or third degree, I think, to achieve professor status, then they call you, you know, professor. But like widely regarded, generally most schools will call the instructors professor.
Speaker 2:And you know never been called that before our first affiliate day.
Speaker 1:You know um lining up with all the other black belts which, which I remember, when we first got there, you didn't like you're going to line up, and he's, yeah, like I don't know what to do and lou's calling me up and, like you know, it was quite an honor that he you know, accepted me from day one among his ranks of his black belts and such, you know, front of the class, toe on the line you
Speaker 2:know bow to the class and such wow to each other. Then, after we go out, and you know, fist bump or whatever to the whole class in a circle. I made my way through the circle, the circle of all the students white belts, all the way up to the purple and browns and then, um, I hear a professor, professor, and I'm like just walking and rob, and I turn around and lose, like yeah, you, and he's like, and he like fist bumps me and you know right I've never been called that before right it was quite an honor.
Speaker 1:Like he's calling professor and you're looking around like who's not, who's not answering, that's not me, I, like you, know it's his school and all that.
Speaker 2:And then like finally he's like Rob and he goes yeah, you. And he, like you know, fist bumps me. He's like I, you know, come on, it's a courtesy. Like.
Speaker 1:I don't want to fist bump you, right.
Speaker 2:And we did that. I'm not arrogant in a way that, like you know, I go out and demand that in public and such. But, like you know, there is an element of respect in martial arts and it was to me again it was an honor to be, you know, accepted among his teachers and professors, regarded for the teacher part of it. Like you can be a black belt and not instruct.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So you know that was quite honorable for me and you know so we'll see going forward how that works here. Certainly when there's instructor black belts on the mats, you know I would require, you know Lou comes down, he's a professor. You know, we don't call him Lou.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:You know there's a on the mats is where we exercise our discipline and respect.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that was kind of funny and um, you know again, you know, professor, professor and I just me, I get you.
Speaker 1:He's like I think he's talking to you. What owner?
Speaker 2:like what? Are you the head instructor there?
Speaker 1:right, that was fun, that was a great day.
Speaker 2:It was a good day, great day very happy to be part of, uh, you know, lou's team. Um, you know I trained there yesterday, at a minimum right now, because of my work schedule, you know, I get out there every other week. When we go into november and december, I'm going to try to, uh, you know, take vacation days and get out there like on a monday and a friday. You know, try to close the year out by getting there at least twice a week. Um, reinvigorated with jiu-jitsu. You know, had I I told lou um, and we messaged all the time and I said you know, I had so much fun.
Speaker 2:I haven't had that much fun in a long time right and you know he was happy to hear that and you know so yeah, and that's that's.
Speaker 1:We'll wrap up with this because I know we got it. We're time sensitive today, but one of the things and I started this for me to hear your level of enthusiasm right.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I think I put it like this to you yesterday when you were on your way back and we were talking. I said man, listen. I said I love your feedback. You were telling me like a debrief of your training, because you remind me of how I sound after we train. You know like I'll get home Tuesday, thursday evenings, saturday afternoons, and you know my wife's like so how was it? She started that like when we first started the world hey, how was grappling, how was it? I was like, oh babe it was great, even if you're exhausted.
Speaker 1:Even if you're, I'm like, babe, it was great, we learned this. In a way, you feel like, um, like a little kid. Well, in a way, you are right, you feel like a little kid again at the end of school and mom's like how was, how was your day, it was great, we learned this. We learned this. And to me, doesn't matter if it's 21, 31, 61, doesn't matter. You still have that level of enthusiasm from something. Then you know you're doing the right thing and you're doing it with the right group.
Speaker 2:You know, mike, obviously to our audience. You know we're looking to grow. We want to encourage people to come in, give it a try. You know, grow our student base. If I can't be on the mat and enthusiastic and enjoying what I'm doing, how can I expect people to come in here and want to do this?
Speaker 1:That's exactly right. That's exactly right.
Speaker 2:It invigorated me to go back and train more, you know, so I'm personally training like I mean, would you want to learn from a guy that doesn't train himself and learn new things and innovate and you know, excuse me, no, no way.
Speaker 2:No, you get a college degree, then you go for a master's and a phd and that's what I consider myself doing now. Going under loo is, you know, advancing my continuing education. I, I would call it but like, if I can't be enthusiastic and you know, mike, you know again for the audience how I run a class and you know lose. The same way, if I don't come in with high energy and I'm not being thankful to the students, grateful that they come and train with us and trying to impart some sort of energy back in, why would you?
Speaker 1:want to come here and again. The parallels between crossfit and jiu-jitsu are virtually identical. It's a different medium but the parallels it's community-based. It's the type of community that you promote, that you, that you develop, that you allow right. I've had people come in, our own members, who have traveled and trained elsewhere and I do love feedback. But I don't like I do love feedback, I don't like negative feed.
Speaker 1:That sounds stupid. I love when they travel and they're like hey, man, we went to here and I wore my crossfit pittsburgh shirt. Here's a picture of me with the other coach, that type of thing. I love that. Then other times they come back and they're like man, we dropped into such and such over here because you guys were closed on Memorial Day. We have one workout Memorial Day. We do our Murph workout the Saturday of the weekend because, just our tradition, our community has a big Memorial Day service for veterans at the cemetery up in Oakmont, so we'll have one class on Memorial Day Monday, cemetery up in oakmont. So we'll have one class on memorial day monday. Well, we've had people travel locally and they're like man, like we went to such and such affiliate, like you know what a bunch of dicks yeah, they're completely clickish, completely standoffish, almost critical, and I'm like you do realize we're all crossfit.
Speaker 1:No, no, like you do realize we're all crossfit. Right, you, you get that. So what in the world you know? Yeah, I think it would be the same, like if I would go to a school, a jujitsu school, if I would find one like that, I wouldn't go back, absolutely not no, right.
Speaker 2:And again, you know, um, if you train jujitsu, you know, if you're local and you're not part of evolution or any of the schools in lose footprint. I would say go out and train with lou, see how he runs a class, right from beginner to advanced, see how he treats people.
Speaker 2:And if you don't come out of there invigorated about your own training and like feeling good and everything and I don't know where you can train at, because right like that guy will motivate you, the level of intensity and any of his classes, I mean I seriously, you know, even if you again, if you're not part of his affiliation or you train under somebody else, get out there and train with Lou and you'll be invigorated about your own thing.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what, like I said I've said this here, I've said it after his plays I've never felt so energized After being so exhausted. Yeah, absolutely. Like if that makes any sense at all, I don't realize three hours.
Speaker 2:So I've been out there a couple times now since and I'm going to continue to go, but like that day you're speaking of was our first introduction. It was an affiliate day where and I think it was Lou's first affiliate day where he brought all the affiliates together meet each other. Everybody got along so well, you know, being able to bounce ideas off each other and help each other. You know being able to bounce ideas off each other and help each other.
Speaker 2:And so that day was a three-hour training day and I remember, you know, I mean I have a policy that I try to do for myself but like just the way that Lou's place is, it's not possible to have a phone close by. But, like you know, whenever I train I try not to look at my phone, you know, and so there was no clock in the room. That.
Speaker 1:I recall that's right, that's right and I remember who I was partnered with.
Speaker 2:I was saying what time is it? He's like bro, he's like it's 2 o'clock. We started at like 11,.
Speaker 1:I think, yeah, we sure did what.
Speaker 2:And didn't feel like three hours had passed. Again, that was like one of the most exhausting sessions. I don't know that I ever had like a three hour jujitsu session.
Speaker 1:I know when you and I trained alone, there were times we'd go for two hours.
Speaker 2:in the beginning we'd go for two hours, but you know again because it was just two of us and you were the teacher and the student level of intensity. Lou brings in a class and you know I'm looking forward. I'm going to message him here shortly and ask him hey, when are we doing an affiliate day again? Because like that's one of the best experiences I've had. You know again the camaraderie, you know the family atmosphere, you know training with like-minded people, everybody's helpful. Lou even says like the, what differentiates him is the intensity and he's like got to have the intensity and there's definitely high intensity in his classes.
Speaker 2:But you know enough of that. Like you know, again, extremely happy, you know, be an affiliate there. Of course, we have our own school. We run it in accordance with. You know the techniques and everything how Lou teaches them.
Speaker 2:I would like to take a moment to talk about evolution. Yeah, that, um, you know, originally the school was going to be my name, which, which you know, kind of got Americanized Sorayo, but it's actually Sorau, it's pronounced S-E-R-R-A-O and you know, for the longest time, you know the guys, when I taught Mike in our club let's call it outside of where I trained at, they got me shorts and they called it Sorayo Jiu Jitsu, and you know it was great and um, then, when it was time and you know it was great, and um, then when it was time, you know mike's like hey, okay, so it's time we're gonna do surreyo jujitsu and I'm like I don't think so because I felt like you know, I've, I've matured myself to the point where, um, I thought using my name was a little bit pompous, like you know, you know, lou was a professional fighter.
Speaker 2:He's grappled in some high-end, you know tournaments and you know definitely you know, I would say qualified to use his name Alarmanzani Jiu-Jitsu Academy. For me, I felt kind of pompous using, you know, my own name for the school and I wanted it to be something more than myself. So I threw some names around and evolution made sense, because when I started jiu-jitsu, as all of us, if you're the same person 10 years later that you were 10 years ago, you're doing something wrong.
Speaker 2:And I think there's a famous quote. Muhammad Ali says that, something to that effect, and it's true. Right, you should evolve as a person. And you know your martial arts should evolve. You're doing CrossFit. You should evolve from day one as a CrossFitter to day 20. And you know, evolution made sense. And you know there were some people that I trained with over the years, and one person in particular that, um, I would say, had a big influence on me in my life socially. Um, you know again, not to go into details, but you know particular beliefs and things like that, and I evolved as a person and became a better person, I would say, through training jujitsu with people and learning from people and understanding that you know, maybe, maybe you know thinking conservatively or liberally, like whatever, like you know, if you have a particular mindset, you need to evolve past that.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And you know honestly, like using jujitsu as a vehicle, it changed my life. And you know honestly, like using jujitsu as a vehicle, it changed my life.
Speaker 2:You know, you hear people say look online, jujitsu saved my life, look that up. And there's so many people you know, drug addicts, that they needed a positive vehicle and they did jujitsu and literally gave them something else to get addicted to. And so I would say, like you know, I didn't have those particular problems, but it did change my life that you train with all people, different walks of life, extremely liberal people, extremely conservative people, and then you see people fighting, sometimes over politics and start realizing hey, when we're here, we're like one family and we're not going to argue politics.
Speaker 2:We're not going to marginalize women. We're not going to do politics. We're not going to, you know, marginalize women. We're not going to do these things. And you know, I evolved as a person and, you know, just became a better person. I think through. You know you take some ass beatings in jujitsu. You get beat down sometimes and also you know, sometimes people can socially teach you things right so so long story short. Evolution to me was more than just a name for exactly, exactly evolution of you know.
Speaker 2:So, like the shark that we have as our emblem right now, currently, that's the beauty of evolution is that we can change and put different things. The name is what it is but, like, the symbol can be something different, but currently it's the shark and all the the colors of the belts are represented in there and representing your evolution as a martial artist. But you know, I am not.
Speaker 2:I don't consider myself, um, you know, a teacher that I'm going to teach people how to be good people and things like that, but I would hope, like through our interactions with all these different people, that, like you know, maybe we learn something from each other I think it's an absolute, like it's an unavoidable byproduct, a very healthy, an unavoidable byproduct, a very healthy, healthy, unavoidable byproduct.
Speaker 1:right, particularly, like I said with my son, you know, I mean he's a good kid, I believe my wife and I taught him well, raised him well, but you can't. You know, life doesn't happen in a vacuum.
Speaker 2:It's his own evolution. You know, from a young man to an adult. My son the same way. From a young man to an adult, my son the same way. Mike, I've heard you talk about military training, whether it was in flight training or intelligence officer, when you exited with special operations and then things you did overseas Training evolutions right, right.
Speaker 1:We call them training, evolutions Exactly.
Speaker 2:When we're on the mats? How many times do you hear me say okay for this evolution?
Speaker 1:That's exactly right.
Speaker 2:So it's a very encompassing word, I think, and for me it was ideal to say like look, I am not. I am nobody to use my name like people gonna look it up and say sireo, jujitsu, big deal, there's so many names out there right that, you know I I'm just.
Speaker 1:I wanted to be more yeah, and well, you nailed it.
Speaker 2:I mean, you nailed it our mission and my mission is to help people not just evolve as martial artists but, if they're willing, evolve as people and human beings and how we treat people and how we relate to each other, maybe being a little understanding of that person that's extremely liberal, or maybe having a person that's extremely conservative, having those people together and understanding why and where they're coming from and you know, kind of just respect each other, right Evolving as people like exactly no divisiveness, you know, and all that stuff, but anyways, evolution meant more to me than using my own.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I have to tell you when we did that, you know, for me I wasn't really thinking beyond that because, as rob said, you know when he started teaching us at the, you know our small group level.
Speaker 1:I remember I did, I, I found the shark logo, I kind of, you know, jimmied up the graphics a little bit, sireo jujitsu, and I had, I think the first I had shorts made right, the mma shorts, and we all went out for dinner and I remember I gave a bag, jen jen gifted him up like little bags and everything, like she does, but gave one to, uh, mike kamaniak right, we gave one to him, one to you and mike's like oh it's, I say wait, wait a minute.
Speaker 1:I said rob has to open his first right and you did, and it was like, oh, that's neat, that's it. We all wore them, we all wore them. But that, to me, was another lesson. That was another lesson for me. I was like, no man, this is your school, you've always wanted to do it. And I was, you know, again selfishly, I just wanted to train with you again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so when I was like hey, but you know what, while we're talking about it, you always wanted your own place. We could do that. We don't have to wait. We could do that now. I thought that next lesson very humble and I understood it Like after you explained.
Speaker 1:At first I'll tell you this I was a little bit disappointed that you said no, yeah. But then, once you explained it to me, I just literally I was like you know what, because I'm one step removed, it's not my name, right. But then I was like dude, that is both brilliant and humbling at the same time. When you're like and you even said you're like who might use my name. I never fought professionally.
Speaker 2:I would say I'm more than a hobbyist Jiu-Jitsu became a lifestyle for me. I'm a pretty serious practitioner, but I don't compete. I've never fought professionally other than some of the kickboxing and things we did and boxing, but there's people that have done that Well, like you said, they should use their name.
Speaker 1:Right, like when you said it. They're blue Exactly. They should use their last name Exactly.
Speaker 2:For me, it was more important that I encompass something like evolution and that you know when I make our posts in terms of the schedule, I always end with you know, come start your evolution with us or come evolve with us and you know, again, it's your martial arts evolution, but also as a person, if you're willing, like I'm not going to preach to people and try to say don't do this, don't do that, and you should be a better person.
Speaker 1:But, like, hopefully through your interactions with you, know all the people you train with that maybe you will learn something, and maybe you will learn something and maybe you will treat people different. Right, you know and evolve. Exactly. All right, brother, listen, thank you. I know we went over, but you know what, so be it. I mean, it was a good show and literally I would love it, I love it. I know the plan is that he'll come down and run a class for us, a training session for us, but I'd love to get him in here as well, hear more of the adventure, right, more of the story, interesting stories.
Speaker 2:You know he trained a fighter, he got to go to Russia and, you know, brought his fighter to Russia, which is quite a story. Maybe he'll tell us that.
Speaker 1:Awesome.
Speaker 2:You know. So you know, lou has a lot of experiences in combat sports, more than us trust me.
Speaker 1:For sure.
Speaker 2:Professional level, so so for sure I'm gonna tell some of those stories all right, all right, listen.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us. Hope you enjoyed it. If you did, um subscribe, because we're dropping knowledge all the time. You don't even know it's crazy. But um, come check it out. Uh, free, uh, free drop-ins, uh, first timers, you know, give it a try. And uh, as of right now, we've got gi jiu-jitsu, tuesday and Thursday evenings, 730 to 9. More classes coming soon, more classes coming, and Saturday is no Gi and a little striking for MMA. All right, thank you brother, thank you man, I appreciate it. Thanks everyone. Thanks everyone, we are out.
