Chris Matakas Quotes

Being part of the whole, as I grow so does that which contains me.

~ Chris Matakas

You are never as good as you think you are, and you are never as bad as you believe yourself to be.

~ Chris Matakas

There is no higher calling than service to your fellow man, and to do so through your own personal mastery of a craft is a gift enjoyed by few. Cultivate this gift, and give it away.

~ Chris Matakas

Jiu Jitsu is a vehicle for self-discovery and growth. It reminds me of my ego, of my insecurities, and of my shortcomings.

~ Chris Matakas

I train Jiu Jitsu because I recognize that I am a piece of the whole, and as I grow so does that which contains me. The whole of man advances with the growth of a single individual. Every life I influence is benefited from the fact that I have devoted such a large portion of my life to this pursuit. I will be a better husband, father, and whatever other future roles I may hold because of my time in this sport. In making me a better man, I know that society as a whole is improved.

~ Chris Matakas

Jiu Jitsu gives me an ideal to strive toward. Technical mastery lies on an infinite continuum and completion of this skill is impossible. Every time I train I have something that I can improve upon, and this will hold true for each and every training session that lies between me and my grave.

~ Chris Matakas

I would more appropriately define mastery as the technical ability possible within the constraints of your particular existence. It must be noted that this is a subjective definition, and that this degree of mastery would be individual to each of us.

~ Chris Matakas

Your potential for growth is directly proportionate to the degree to which you are willing to make mistakes.

~ Chris Matakas

Jiu Jitsu has given me something to pursue. We all need something to work towards. For people, as well as every piece of matter in the universe, there is no such thing as maintenance. If you are not growing you are decaying. The insidious nature of modern times is that it is so easy not to pursue anything. Societal norms pressure us into jobs we do not like, and the daily comforts of televisions and computers offer much in the way of distraction. If that isn't enough, there is always the numbing effects of alcohol coupled with attention-grabbing sporting events which conveniently run year round so one is never short of stimulus.

~ Chris Matakas

I believe the real reason we pursue anything in life is not for the thing itself, but for who we become on the way to its accomplishment. We strive to accomplish things in the attempt to mold ourselves. The greatest benefits Jiu Jitsu will have in your life will have nothing to do with Jiu Jitsu. It is this simple understanding that allows me to persist in my study. Even on the rare days when I may not have a burning desire to practice Jiu Jitsu, I am reminded that my practicing Jiu Jitsu is more accurately my practicing to become a better human being. The lessons I learn on the mat will serve me in every area of life-- personal development, relationships, business, and the like.

~ Chris Matakas

It is only when we admit our ignorance that we can hope to overcome it.

~ Chris Matakas

I believe we must pursue mastery for who we become along the way in its achievement. When we progress in Jiu Jitsu, that newfound experience and wisdom transcends into all areas of our lives. We use Jiu Jitsu as the vehicle for growth, but that growth radiates over all of human activity. Someone who devotes time and energy in learning this skill is learning far more than how to subdue an opponent. The student learns persistence, perseverance, pattern recognition, problem solving, and most importantly, learning how to learn. In the arena of life, these virtues are far more valuable than any guard pass.

~ Chris Matakas

A core group of guys, all sharing similar goals, can move mountains.

~ Chris Matakas

The most meaningful endeavors are the ones that come without an end.

~ Chris Matakas

Do not get caught pursuing the goals of who you used to be instead of who you are.

~ Chris Matakas

The more specifically you define your goals the more attainable they become.

~ Chris Matakas

Constantly re-evaluating your purpose is the best way to ensure that you are pursuing the goals of who you are and not who you used to be.

~ Chris Matakas

We are free to live the life we have imagined, not the life imagined for us.

~ Chris Matakas

It is in community where we find our very selves.

~ Chris Matakas

We strive toward the middle, and we run from ourselves.

~ Chris Matakas

We must strive to become more daily. We must honestly assess our weaknesses and overcome them. We must work toward the highest possible version of ourselves. This is a worthy use of our time, but it is only when we do so with the ultimate aim of service to our fellow man that we really connect with something greater than ourselves. To contribute to the world in a positive way, this is the gift of life.

~ Chris Matakas

The beautiful truth about service is that we are afforded countless opportunities to be its vehicle. Every interaction with another is an opportunity to serve. From simply letting someone into your lane in traffic, to holding a door, to a kind smile. This is all service. I am humbled by this simple truth. We are given the opportunity to express the most meaningful use of our lives every time we interact with another sentient being.

~ Chris Matakas

If nothing lasts then everything has meaning. If everything dies that means we actually live.

~ Chris Matakas

Let's live our lives with great meaning and purpose in the attempt to influence the world to whatever degree our circumstance allows.

~ Chris Matakas

I envision a world in which the vast majority of us are actively striving toward our potential as human beings by spending our lives serving others through mediums we are most passionate.

~ Chris Matakas

Today's world is flooded with participation trophies. In an attempt to promote equality we have robbed our youth of the most growth-inducing aspect of competition, failing. If you want to be resurrected, you have to first be crucified. Everybody wants to be reborn, but no one is willing to die. Losing, in the context of whatever arena it may be, is a microcosmic death. When we learn from our failures and grow because of them, we are reborn.

~ Chris Matakas

In whatever we do, we should be investing in ourselves and not our jobs. Everything I have ever pursued has been for the sole goal of who I was becoming in its achievement. I competed and fought because of the man I became. This is the only worthwhile victory. You cannot take the trophies with you.

~ Chris Matakas

I can think of no more worthwhile aim than pursuing mastery in this craft while transcending one's own limitations.

~ Chris Matakas

By becoming a black belt, you will become whatever it is you wanted to be in the first place, and Jiu Jitsu will have served its aim.

~ Chris Matakas

we must remember that the end of personal mastery is service to others.

~ Chris Matakas

In my own life, I have always viewed personal mastery as simply a medium through which I become capable of providing more service toward my fellow man.

~ Chris Matakas

The high-minded pursuit of a Jiu Jitsu practitioner pursuing mastery cannot coexist well with the modern world. Our values vary immensely from our contemporaries. This pursuit leaves societal norms slaughtered in our wake. Those who share this journey will praise our efforts, those in the hive will think we have lost it. We must be willing to be misunderstood if we are to understand ourselves.

~ Chris Matakas

We can either approach Jiu Jitsu through the lens of the real world or we can approach the real world through the lens of Jiu Jitsu. I have found the latter to be far more rewarding.

~ Chris Matakas

We must not learn to try harder. The key is to learn how not to try in the first place.

~ Chris Matakas

Any advanced student will tell you the best way to recover guard is simply not to get your guard passed in the first place.

~ Chris Matakas

Imagine a true master of the art, someone with complete skill in every aspect of Jiu Jitsu. This master would not force anything. He would simply allow the roll to take whatever form it does, and in every position would act in the most efficient way based off what the circumstance dictates, and not what he himself prefers.

~ Chris Matakas

It appears, at least from my perspective, that each and every position in Jiu Jitsu regardless of the seeming complexity is really governed by no more than a handful of minimum viable products. Pursue to understand these essentials, and you will see that complexity is a myth perpetuated by lack of understanding, and it is this understanding which is possible for each of us.

~ Chris Matakas

A saw by itself holds no value, but when coupled with your labor can clear forests.

~ Chris Matakas

There is an opportunity cost for everything we do. This is why we must have the awareness to ensure that what we are pursuing is really what we value, because the pursuit leaves countless lost opportunities in its wake. We choose one experience at the sacrifice of all other experiences.

~ Chris Matakas

Language has created a barrier that prevents us from seeing existence as it truly is.

~ Chris Matakas