Moments

21 years old, thought I had it all figured out, didn't really have much going for me other than a mediocre job and a dream to one day make it big somehow. I was always a "go with the flow" kinda guy. A plan was one of the last things I ever thought I needed. I was complacent. Had a decent job, drove a decent car, lived a decent life. I had no direction. That was until one day I decided to step out of my comfort zone and do something that I had always wanted to do; join an MMA gym. I will never forget the first day I stepped into Strategic. I just walked in, I didn't call ahead. I don't call ahead. I was greeted by, Alfonse, who immediately made me feel like I belonged. He showed me around, I observed a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class, taught by none other than, Tony Rivera. That is when I first came in contact with Brando. They were rolling, it was the first time I had ever seen such a thing. This scrawny little guy was tossing around much larger guys with ease. I'm allowed to say scrawny because I too fit that description. Once I saw that, I knew I needed to become a part of that. I then became a member of the Strategic family. Fast forward 6 years and I am still an active member of that same family. I do not use the term "family" lightly. Not by any means. Alfonse, has become a big brother. John, is as close to a father as I'll ever have. Brando, he's my little brother, and always will be. I gained something that can not be attained through any other means from Strategic. I am a completely different person thanks to them. What used to be a lost, young man, is now an accomplished man, with direction, motivation, discipline, and will. I owe it all to them. It is a debt that I will never be able to repay. Brando and I had a unique relationship. When I say he was my little brother, he was. We spoke about girls, partying, our future, and our dreams. He definitely withstood his fair share of verbal abuse from me. Took it like a champ and dealt it right back. The laughs we shared will remain with me for a lifetime. Although he was a savage on the mats, he decided to redirect his energy towards a different passion, music. I gave him hell for it. So much so that he decided to make a guest appearance one night, he showed up in a gi, dusty blue belt and all, to try and show me up. I must say that he held his own, if I hadn't remained consistent all that time, I would have been in some trouble. He made sure to let me know that. I know this is much more than a mere memory, Brandon and his family mean much more to me than just that. A lot of who I am today I can easily attribute to being a part of that family. I am forever grateful for that. Oss!