I Have No Teacher

I have no teacher, I make observation my teacher.
I have no lineage, I make experience my lineage.
I have no credentials, I make ability my credentials.

I have no rank, I make constant improvement my rank.
I have no secrets, I make attention to detail my secret.
I have no strategy, I make opportunity my strategy.

I have no style, I make his weaknesses my style.
I have no luck, I make training my luck.
I have no enemies, I make ignorance my enemy.

FaceBook Posts

These are a few FaceBook posts I've written in the recent past. I hope they help.

Abyss

Every time I think I've reached a certain depth of understanding in Jiu Jitsu I find a way to dig myself deeper. I've concluded that Jiu Jitsu is an endless abyss of learning. But no matter how deep I dig, Jiu Jitsu digs more deeply into ME, and I'm faced with my own vulnerabilities. There's no other way to say it: Jiu Jitsu is a beautiful art; a life changing art that has never, not even once, let me down. I can't imagine a life without it. I look around and wonder how people get by without it in their lives. When I was younger I thought I was going to change the world. I woke up from that dream, but now I have another one: share Jiu Jitsu to everyone I meet. It changed my life. Maybe it can change lives.

Gratefulness

If you live a life of gratefulness, there's no way you can be unhappy. Only the ungrateful person can be an unhappy person. If you don't know what to be thankful for, start with being thankful you're alive. Then start cataloguing whatever comes into your mind: your kids, your friends, your health. If you don't have those, search long enough and you'll find something. I'm sad when I hear people say they hate life, or complain about their life situation. If they stopped and truly counted their blessings they'd become happy; and probably feel a bit silly that they had ever complained. Want to be truly grateful? Be truly thankful. And if you don't know what to be thankful for, you're not looking closely enough.

Better People

"To be better people." That's what I've said for years. It is for that reason alone that we train in MMA and jiu jitsu. Each and every one of us messes up; says the wrong thing, does the wrong thing, thinks the wrong thing. But we are all fighters. The cage is nothing more than a metaphor for life. Those who will never step in the cage are still fighters. They fight to be better people, day by day. Yeah, it's great to learn a new armbar setup or another takedown. But if we don't learn to be better people, we shouldn't be in this. Train to be better people!

Open Up

‎"The emptiness of the sky prevents it from falling." This is from the 39th chapter of the Tao Te Ching. It means that we need to open up. We need to stop clinging to our points of views as if they're the only ones; stop believing they're ordained by God. When stress builds up, give it space. Open up to it and experience it for what it is. Live life with an unclenched fist. Soften up. Rocks crumble and eventually turn to sand. The sky can't fall because it doesn't contract and cling. Loosen up. The sky isn't falling. Learn from it.

Technology

My friends will tell you I don't like technology; this isn't true. But I think it needs to be kept in perspective. We spend all our time plugged in. We need time to just unplug. Leave the cell at home once in a while, and if you get all stressed out that it's not with you, you can be pretty sure you're addicted to it. Leave the computer off for a day or two. Can't even imagine doing that? Then I have a feeling you really need to. We need to make time to unplug, to distance ourselves from the noise. Otherwise, we gain the whole world but lose our souls.

Smile

Don't do a single thing unless you're smiling. Jog with a smile. Wash dishes with a smile. Train with a smile. Get yelled at with a smile. If you're not smiling, slow down and let your smile catch up; you have outrun your smile. Take a few breaths, let your smile return, and continue on. Life isn't about working harder with a grimace, but living more playfully with a smile.

Look Somewhere Else

If you're in MMA to beat people up, or to prove you're a badass, I don't want you at the gym. MMA is a medium through which we can test ourselves and become better people. If that's not your goal, you've missed the point. Find another gym.

Argument

I've learned there are two times you should never argue: when you're right and when you're wrong. If right, what's the point? If wrong, why push it? When two people argue, all they do is cling more savagely to their own point of view. The effort they put into defending it makes it an even stronger opinion. No one gains a thing. So when someone tries to argue: breathe, smile, don't say a word. Let them deal with their own struggle. Whether you're right or you're wrong, why battle?

Perspective

Life isn't about rushing home to find out who friended you on FaceBook; or spending mindless hours on a forum badmouthing someone you haven't even met; or walking the mall, ignoring your child, texting people you never see. Life is about living fully, in the moment. It's about throwing yourself headlong into life, fearless of failure, because if you truly live, you can't truly fail. Love fully the people you're with, because one day they won't be there. You can always buy another BlackBerry.

Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese word for “constant improvement.” Though it can refer to improvement on any level, such as improving business practices or technical proficiency, I consider it more of a character development concept. It's all about introspection and transformation. What follows is a personal account of my own kaizen.

In early 2010 I took a hard look at myself in the mirror. I didn't like what I saw. Even though I already made huge strides in my life, such as realizing I was a drunk and quitting alcohol completely, losing a great deal of unwanted weight, and focusing on being a better dad, I had some huge gaps in my character. I won't divulge those character flaws right now, but just know that my shortcomings were myriad and massive. When the face at which I stared looked at me disapprovingly, I knew I had a lot of work to do. So I began an almost panicked assault on recognizing and correcting every deficiency I could find in myself.

In April, just a few weeks after having this epiphany of sorts, I took a cruise to Central America. It was during this cruise that I began to understand some things; and I began to make some hard decisions. First, I began to understand accountability. I realized that no one is a victim. Complain all you want about what people have done to you, it is you and you alone who is responsible for all the pain and drama in your life. No one else is to blame for your shortcomings. Second, I started to believe in myself. Rather than beat myself up for my defects, I believed I had the strength and resources to change my life. And finally, I realized it was going to take a consistent effort. No matter who got angry with my decisions, I would follow them through to the end. This was my ABC of Kaizen: Accountability, Belief, Consistency.

So, the first thing I did when I returned to the United States was make some huge changes in my environment. Even though I knew I couldn't blame anyone, I recalled a phrase of Buddha's I read years before: “Choose your friends wisely. It is better to walk alone than with a fool for company.” So I got rid of friends who were negative influences in my life. I especially got rid of an eighteen year long friendship after realizing my friend was nothing but an albatross around my neck. The man had become little more than a woman-beating drunk who always complained about his difficulties in life. I cut the rope and I started to walk more upright. Even after the man retaliated by calling up people to slander my name and create a whole story about me, I stayed the course. I understood that in the end it was all going to be worth it.

I started surrounding myself with quality people. And I made sure that the people in my life had my same basic goals for self-improvement. The more these friendships developed, the more I felt empowered. My belief in myself continued to grow. I became more goal-oriented and could see huge changes. I threw myself headlong into jiu jitsu. I knew I had a long way to go before I could feel truly worthy of my students. I made sure I trained with numerous sparring partners and focused on fine-tuning my skills. I wasn't satisfied with remaining mediocre. As Brandon Lee said: “What level of mediocrity are you willing to settle for?” I decided to raise the bar. And you know what? I discovered jiu jitsu at an entirely new level. I not only grew from a technical standpoint, I learned how much jiu jitsu could improve me spiritually. The people with whom I surrounded myself, and the inspiration I got from fellow jiu jitsu practitioners (such as my new friends at Gracie Barra Orlando), made me realize how much I still needed to go. Jiu jitsu is now the biggest journey I have ever taken and one with which I will never be truly finished. It continues to evaluate me, correct me, transform me. The art is just absolutely beautiful.

During that first year, 2010, it still wasn't easy. I still had a few things smack me in the back of the head to wake me up. I lost a student who I cared about. It showed me that I really needed to become more professional. I needed to not let the boundaries of business and friendship to blur. This was a huge wake up call for me, spurring me on to even higher standards. (I've learned that life isn't about a series of punishments, but a series of lessons. I'm continuing to become educated).

Today, two years later, I still have a long way to go. Though I have made huge strides with the help and inspiration of my friends, family, and students, I won't forget it all hinges on consistency. How many times do some people lose weight quickly only to put it right back on? It doesn't matter what you can do in a few months, it matters what you continue to do for a lifetime. This is what kaizen is all about. It's about admitting the problem, realizing the solution, and to attack the situation immediately and forever, without giving up. It's about making self-reflection and self-improvement a lifestyle, not a mere premise for more self-help books. I hope this personal account helped.

Miscellany

The following is a series of short paragraphs and ruminations regarding different aspects of MMA, Jiu Jitsu, and all things in-between. At present it's unfinished. I have more to include. But for now, here we go ...


Cauliflower Ears

Cauliflower ears are largely a matter of genetics. When I tell people this I get a lot of bewildered looks. One guy even responded with "My Dad doesn't have Cauliflower EARS!" To which I asked "Does your Dad wrestle or practice MMA?" When I say that bumbled ears are a matter of genetics, I mean that certain people are more predisposed than others, which is largely a matter of heredity. But you won't know it until you do it. I know people who have grappled for over 30 years who still have almost perfect ears, and I know others who have hideous ears after only 30 days. If getting cauliflower ears is a concern for you, wear ear protection or else just don't grapple or do MMA. If your looks concern you that much, find another sport.

Smile

Some people hate it when they're told to smile, but that's exactly what I'm telling you to do. Smile! Look at pictures of fighters and jiu jitsu competitors. How often do you see them smiling? They try their best to look tough. As Rickson said, and I think I'm paraphrasing "Tough isn't what you are, it's how you train." A few months ago one of my top fighters was told to not smile for his weigh-in picture. The professional photographer said "Let me see your fight face. Don't smile. Look tough." (I will have to check with my fighter to see if those are his exact words, but they are pretty close). My fighter refused and said he was going to smile. In other words, Geane (the fighter) didn't have to try to look tough. (He has a 5 - 0 record against some very tough opponents, so he already knows he's tough). He knows that he doesn't need to try to be a badass, because being a badass isn't what MMA is about. Or at least it shouldn't be. It should be about doing something you love. It should be inviting to others, not marginalizing. It should give you reason to smile, not stroke or reinforce your ego. Smile! It's about life, not violence.

Reality Check

Go to any NFL coach and tell them you will play for them in about six months, even though you've never played a game of football in your life. Sounds pretty dumb, huh? So imagine what I'm thinking when guys right off the street tell me they want to fight professionally in that same amount of time. I ask them "Have you wrestled?" No. "Have you kickboxed?" No. "Have you competed in jiu jitsu tournaments?" No again. But they're dead serious when they come in and think they can jump in the cage in about six months. I find that very insulting. This is a professional sport like any other. It requires dedication, sweat, blood, time. Maybe it's in a man's hard-wiring to believe he can fight and all he needs is a little brushing up. But you're an idiot if you think that. The absolute barest minimum, at Banks MMA, is one year. And that's pushing it. Please don't come in here and think I will be letting you fight any time soon. And I don't want to hear about your street fighting days, the drunken bums you slopped around in the bars, or the times you stood up to your father. Those all make for nice drinking stories, but they're not material for your portfolio. Expect to work your ass off for a long time. That's the advice I give to all who plan to fight for me.

Friends

Since our environment greatly influences us, we need to make sure our environment is conducive to our goals and happiness. Too many students fall into problems because of situations at home or with their friends and bosses. When I see students having a hard time, I tell them how important it is to get rid of certain people from their lives. A recent event in my life reminded me just how important it is to have the right people in your life, and the wrong people out. I ended an eighteen year friendship with a guy who was always drunk, angry, hated women, pathologically lied, and was arrested more than once for aggravated assault and beating a girlfriend. I didn't realize how badly this man influenced my life. I felt dragged down. I was unable to make positive changes in my life. Last year I decided to ignore all his phone calls and end our friendship. Other than a small immature outburst from him a month or so later, my life improved dramatically. Everything I tried for years to accomplish started coming easily to me. And that's what I recommend to everyone who can't seem to get things right. Get rid of false friends, even if you feel loyalty to them. (I tried ending the friendship years ago, but not until I decided to just ignore him did it ever stick). Take an inventory of the people in your life. Decide who are true friends and who are anchors. Start cutting the albatrosses from your neck. Even though it will be hard to do at first, you will see improvements soon. Your MMA training will greatly improve. Make better friendships. For as the old saying goes, "It's better to walk alone than to have a fool for company."

Kaizen

I'm a very flawed individual. There's no denying that. I have character defects the size of Minotauro Nogeira's head. Ask a handful of people what kind of guy I am and you'll get a handful of answers. They will range from "He's a really nice guy" to "That F'n deadbeat still owes me money!" to "What an arrogant, bombastic, narcissist!" Truth is, they're all true. Well, the second two, anyways. But what allows me to go on is the principle of kaizen. It's Japanese for improvement, and Musashi defines it by saying "Be better today than you were yesterday." That to me sums up Bushido. Notice Musashi didn't say "Be a good person." Because who defines what a good person truly is? Some people consider me a good person, most people don't. But who cares? The definition of good is subjective and malleable. But kaizen (improvement) is a process of evolution. It's the only real principle I teach. Someone recently criticized me for espousing Bushido while I myself fall so short of its standards. Well, he's right, and yet kaizen isn't about perfection. It's about growth. I can truly say I'm a better person today than I was yesterday. And will be even better tomorrow. And that is all, I think, you can possibly hope for. Stop comparing yourself to someone else's standards. Stop trying to be good. "Be better today than you were yesterday." Let those who hate you go on hating you. Who cares? Don't demean yourself by defending your actions or words; or for apologizing for who you are. Does a scorpion apologize for stinging? You are what you are. Accept it. Grow. Be better. Always pursue higher standards, even when those standards seem lower than the norm. Kaizen! Evolve.

Active Guard

Last night someone said "You have a real active guard." They were referring to, I think, the way I stay busy on the bottom. I never really thought of my guard as "busy." I simply thought of it as a GUARD. Let me explain. To me, an inactive guard isn't a guard at all. It's simply "on the bottom." The only type of guard, in my opinion, IS an active guard. Or else I call it "losing."

The first thing everyone needs to learn, if he's going to have a good guard, is how to replace guard. (I've spoken about that at length before so I won't go into it here). The second most important thing is breaking your opponent down while in the guard. I see a lot of guys lock their legs and call that a guard. I call that "the missionary position." (People, we're not having sex, so if you're going to call it a guard, do more than have someone between your thighs). You have to know how to use your hips, legs, arms and even your head to keep him off balance and always in a state of reaction. And since a real guard is a fighting guard, and not a grappling guard, it has to have strikes that cycle well and set up sweeps and subs.

I was recently reading something called the MMA Encyclopedia, trying to catch up on some of the big names in the sport. Since it's an encyclopedia, it contains definitions for all sorts of things. Defining the mount, they call it a FIGHTING position. Defining back control, they also call it a fighting position. But how do they define the guard position? They call it a GRAPPLING position. I think this is part of the reason we see so many poor guards in MMA. I think the sport still views the guard as a grappling technique from jiu jitsu. And what's even worse, I think people still think of jiu jitsu as grappling, when in fact it's fighting, not just rolling around in pajamas.

I mention this because I think how we look at the guard is how we will use it. Thinking of it as a grappling tactic, we forget to strike. I can see why some people say fighting from the guard is a losing battle. The way people tend to use the guard, they're right. But to me, the guard is the single most important position in all of fighting. If you sink all your time into it, and really think of it as an all out active fighting position, the rest of your game would seem somewhat superfluous. Hell, I PULL guard any chance I get. But then again, what I pull is active. Maybe that's why I have the confidence to pull it when others are hesitant to be on bottom. (In fact, if I ever find myself on top, I know I must have done something wrong. You won't have to sweep me. I'll do it for you).

So, if you're going to use the guard, use the guard. Locking your legs isn't the guard. You have to have a good tie up clinch to go with it, as well as a consistent barrage of strikes. If your guard is inactive, you don't have a guard. Period.

Brunettes

I love brunettes. Spanish brunettes, especially. And Japanese women? Don't even get me started. But my proclivity for these dark haired beauties doesn't blind me from the more fair haired of the populace. In other words, blondes and redheads can catch my eye from time to time. Now that we've got that settled:

The triangle is my brunette. I love everything about it: its simplicity and complexity (the two are not contradictions); its high percentage of effectiveness; its finality; its versatility; its origins; its potential; its ... Hell, I even like the smell of it. (Well, not really). And those who train with me know I almost have a fetish for it. But let's remember the blondes and red-heads, shall we?

Although my whole goal is to keep throwing the triangle, or to methodically set it up, that doesn't mean I don't use armbars, shoulder locks, guillotines, and heel hooks. In fact, I very seldom get the triangle. That might sound odd, but it's true. My effort to get the triangle usually finds me a plethora (I hate that word) of other options. For instance, I will often set up the triangle with an armbar. Many times the armbar finishes the situation before the triangle is even needed. Other times I will go for a triangle only to transition to an armbar. But in both cases it was my effort for the triangle that precipitated my opponent's tapout.

A few students have expressed concern that if everyone knows what I'm going for (the triangle), everyone will be ready for it. They think that I have shown all my cards. Wrong. The triangle is merely what gives me confidence to plod along. It gives me a clear goal. Let me explain it this way: Has anyone ever discovered the Holy Grail? No. But the effort to do so has uncovered unimaginable riches. Almost every expedition for the Grail has uncovered a cache of gold, priceless artifacts, or historical insights. In other words, going for the triangle doesn't limit you, it unearths an incalculable vista of possibilities.

I advise everyone to choose one submission. (In my case it's the triangle). Then structure your whole system around that. For instance, Rickson bases his entire system on the mount. (Yes, I'm aware the mount is not a submission. It's just an example). The mount is the centerpiece of his entire game. (Even though you know he will be working for the mount, you haven't really gained any insider information that will shut him down). And as you always work for that submission, you always have a clear goal, which helps to keep you confident and determined. And the very pursuit of it might help you find submissions and opportunities you'd otherwise miss.

I love brunettes. But I will accept a blonde or two. Master the triangle. And you might just go home with a colorful manage a trois.