SENSEI'S CORNER
Excellence Before Success
I am writing this week's Sensei's Corner on the birthday of one of my best friends, Rafael Lovato Jr.
To me, Rafa represents something much bigger than championships.
He represents what happens when talent meets habits, belief, and character over a lifetime.
His story is one of the greatest examples of what I believe our method develops. Not simply champions, but people whose excellence becomes a way of life.
I first met Rafa when he competed against my brother. That day changed both of our lives.
Not long afterward, he came to train with us in Toledo, Ohio.
Looking back now, I realize our story was never just about Jiu Jitsu.
It was about belief.
It was about understanding the path.
And it was about building habits that would eventually become excellence.
One of my favorite memories has nothing to do with training.
At home, Rafa had an entertainment system that required four different remote controls. Every remote had its place, arranged in the exact order he needed to turn everything on.
Of course, I thought it would be funny to scramble them.
Every time.
And every time, he became completely irritated.
At the time I laughed.
Today, I understand.
What I thought was someone being overly methodical was actually someone building habits of excellence.
Everything had intention.
Everything had a system.
His training.
His recovery.
His routine.
Twenty four years later, not much has changed.
Today he turns forty three.
He still trains at an incredibly high level.
He still rolls with the best in the world.
He runs a successful academy.
Leads a thriving business.
Raises twins.
Travels constantly.
And one thing still amazes me…
I have never seen him sick.
Not even with a headache.
Looking back, I wish I had not messed with his remotes.
Today I understand what they represented.
Excellence is rarely dramatic.
It is usually hidden inside small daily habits.
Training tells the same story.
Although, to be honest, in the beginning it probably felt more like abuse.
Imagine being twenty years old, leaving Oklahoma, and finding yourself trapped in a room with Saulo and me during the prime of our careers.
A young brown belt against two brothers obsessed with improvement.
Round after round.
Sometimes his best round was on the assault bike while Saulo and I trained.
Then he came back in.
Sometimes it was Xande.
Sometimes Saulo.
Sometimes both.
The session ended only when Saulo decided it was over.
Even I found those sessions exhausting.
Then we would go home.
And, like good Brazilians…
The jokes continued.
Now imagine having to fly home and teach your own students after that experience.
Most people would have found an excuse.
Most people would have protected their ego.
Most people would never come back.
Rafa came back.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The beatings did not suddenly become easier.
But something inside him became stronger.
Little by little, the results began to appear.
He started beating the very athletes who had once seemed untouchable.
Not because he discovered a secret technique.
Because he had become someone different.
He believed in himself long before the world believed in him.
And he also knew something important.
Behind every difficult training session was honesty.
We wanted him to win.
Not just as an athlete.
As a man.
What we were building together went far beyond technique.
Pressure was shaping his spirit.
Discipline was shaping his habits.
The room was shaping his character.
Rafa and I are very different people.
That is exactly why our friendship has lasted.
It was never built on being the same.
It was built on honesty, respect, sweat, and love for the process.
Our loyalty has never been about the medals we won.
It has always been about the character we carried while chasing them.
Rafa is quiet.
Polite.
Thoughtful.
He rarely needs many words.
His life speaks for him.
So the next time you wonder if your Jiu Jitsu is improving, don't only measure your technique.
Look deeper.
Ask yourself if you are becoming more disciplined.
More resilient.
More patient.
More honest.
Because that is what we are really trying to build.
With the Six Blades, we are not simply developing better grapplers.
We are shaping stronger human beings.
And that work lasts much longer than any championship.