Before you become a parent, you can have a lot of theories about children.
Then you have your own kids.
And a lot of those theories disappear pretty quickly.
Being a father has completely changed the way I coach.
One of the biggest lessons has been realizing how different every child is.
Some kids respond immediately when you're firm with them.
Another child shuts down.
One kid needs encouragement.
Another kid needs a challenge.
One kid learns a technique after seeing it once.
Another kid needs to play with the movement fifty times before it finally clicks.
That doesn't mean one kid is better than the other.
They're simply different.
Being a dad has made me much more patient with that.
But interestingly, it has also made me firmer.
Because I understand how important childhood is.
Our kids are developing habits.
They're developing beliefs about themselves.
They're learning whether quitting is normal.
They're learning how to respond when something gets hard.
That's a responsibility I take seriously.
At CRANK, we're not just trying to teach kids submissions.
I want them to understand their bodies.
I want them to become confident.
I want them to learn respect.
I want them to develop a good attitude and understand that working hard matters.
And I want martial arts to stay fun.
That's something coaching children has taught me over and over again.
Play is incredibly powerful.
When kids are playing, they're experimenting.
They're solving problems.
They're moving without overthinking every little detail.
That's where a lot of real skill develops.
Our philosophy of Sweat, Smile, Learn comes from that idea.
Work hard.
Enjoy yourself.
And learn something.
If we can give a child those experiences consistently over several years, I think the benefits can reach far beyond the mats.