1st night at Gracies

[Mutant]

Good job Ray, sounds like you are doing the best thing possible for you right now!

[Ray Pina]

it's rather obvious that Ray's goal is to be a professional fighter..... it's a lot easier for an 18 year old to have this goal than someone in their thirties. You will get stronger until you're past 50.....however speed is another thing.

Right now, my immediate goal is to learn the basics of Gracie Jui-Jitsu and move up the ranks in my new school. I'm highly competitive, and don't like to be a kook. So I'm going to the maximum 3 classes a week right now, but will let them know I want to fight and don't want to grow rusty so maybe an exception could be made and I could do randori on Sat. as well.

Long term, and ultimate goal, is to win 1 pro cage fight. That's it.

After that I'll reaccess the situation and create new goals.

As for age, etc. Merely existing in a physical realm will always present physical limitations. I never played football before and became HS captain, first team all state and played college ball.... I was born and raised in the city and now consider myself a world-class surfer. I believe if you truly want something you will do whatever it takes to achieve it. If you do whatever it takes to achieve it you will achieve it or die in the process of trying to achieve it. Or, you can give up. You can change your goals and focus and move on to something else, or, realise you're not willing to do what it takes.... in this case, sometimes its easier to say "I'm too old," or "I have a job" or, "I have a wife."

There are men fighting in the UFC right now who are in their mid 30s, married, studying to be lawyers, etc. Even comparing the physical capabilities of men in their 20s and those of their 40s, it's not that much .... the difference in one man's mind, discipline, focus, etc. can be huge. And I find in life this is usually the deciding factor.

[Mutant]

Right now, my immediate goal is to learn the basics of Gracie Jui-Jitsu and move up the ranks in my new school. I'm highly competitive, and don't like to be a kook. So I'm going to the maximum 3 classes a week right now, but will let them know I want to fight and don't want to grow rusty so maybe an exception could be made and I could do randori on Sat. as well.

Long term, and ultimate goal, is to win 1 pro cage fight. That's it.

After that I'll reaccess the situation and create new goals.

As for age, etc. Merely existing in a physical realm will always present physical limitations. I never played football before and became HS captain, first team all state and played college ball.... I was born and raised in the city and now consider myself a world-class surfer. I believe if you truly want something you will do whatever it takes to achieve it. If you do whatever it takes to achieve it you will achieve it or die in the process of trying to achieve it. Or, you can give up. You can change your goals and focus and move on to something else, or, realise you're not willing to do what it takes.... in this case, sometimes its easier to say "I'm too old," or "I have a job" or, "I have a wife."

There are men fighting in the UFC right now who are in their mid 30s, married, studying to be lawyers, etc. Even comparing the physical capabilities of men in their 20s and those of their 40s, it's not that much .... the difference in one man's mind, discipline, focus, etc. can be huge. And I find in life this is usually the deciding factor.

Great post Ray. Its all relativity and what you can forge for your own reality. Screw all perceived limitations.