Stepping Up The Pace

I've been having computer problems lately, so I have been relying on my iPhone to do all of my social networking. Staring at a small screen can be literally miserable after a while, so it has made me less reliant on my Facebook and Instagram accounts to cure my boredom. The other day I caved in when I found a blogger app for my phone though, and I just couldn't help but get back to writing.

I am finally back on the east coast, getting back into my normal training schedule. California was fun, and I really appreciated being able to train with some high level people. I had the chance to train with a couple of women, like Angelica Galvao, at Atos in San Diego. It was a great experience to be able to roll with somebody from another academy, who is also extremely talented. However, Alliance Atlanta is my home, and it always will be. There's something that you just can't find anywhere else, and that's the people that you train with and the atmosphere that they create.

My teammates and professors, Jacare and Lucas Lepri, are all so supportive and truly inspire me. They make all of the struggles and hard training days worth it through their teaching and respective attitudes that they show on the mats every day. Especially being a woman, it's nice to have a teacher that wants you to succeed just as badly as he does everybody else. Your team truly starts to become your family after a while. Even though I go to jiu jitsu to train, I am rewarded with so much more at my school. Especially during the competition season when training is at its most intense level, it's very important to have people to help push you and motivate you.

Worlds Jiu Jitsu Championship is just around the corner, and everybody at the gym is really starting to step up the pace. Every day at Alliance is now filled with hard training sessions that end with everybody exhausted from the hard work that they put forth, lying on the mat, and dripping in sweat. It is such a great feeling to push yourself past what you are comfortable with. That is when you can truly feel yourself improving.

A Mundials camp will be held in Atlanta the week of May 13th. I feel so priveleged to be able to attend the camps at Alliance Atlanta because there are always such great athletes that come to train at the school. It is always a surprise as to who will be the "guest bjj athlete" that will help teach techniques at the camp, but it is, without a doubt, a great experience and oppurtunity for me and all of my teammates. Only four more weeks of intense training until everybody is put to the test as they step onto the mats in Long Beach, California. Until then, I'm just embracing the struggle, staying focused, and keeping my eye on the prize.
--Morgan Beverly