Have a clear-cut plan on what you wish to improve, and seek opportunities to improve it. The more conscious and honest we can be about our shortcomings, the more strength we will have to improve them. We are going to train hard anyway, we are not going to sweat any more or less. It is simply imperative that the sweat is properly directed.

— Chris Matakas

He plays the same game, but for the first time in his life he is truly playing, rather than working, being a human, and this is a vast distinction realized by few.

— Chris Matakas

I am a better son, brother, friend, and teacher because of the daily sacrifice and effort I put toward my craft. With all the advantages modern society has created, it has left us wanting. We no longer need to struggle to survive. Our basic needs are now met with minimal physical strife or mental challenge. Technology and the advances of man have left us over-stressed and under-performing. We are now forced to actively pursue our struggles. If we do not go out of our way to stretch our comfort zones and grow, no one nor nature will do it for us.

— Chris Matakas

I am acutely aware that all I have been able to achieve has been in large part due to circumstances outside my control. This is why I teach, and this is why I write. I want to be one of those opportunities for others. Perhaps this is the true measure of success.

— Chris Matakas

I believe it is the responsibility of each of us to pass on whatever we have learned in our time here. If I reach enlightenment after meditating in a cave for 10 years, but do not pass on this teaching, and it dies with me, this was a wasted life. I believe we are here to help one another, and each of us has unique wisdom that we should do our best to convey to others.

— Chris Matakas

I believe that which you study is only matched in importance by the sincerity with which you approach it.

— Chris Matakas

I believe the devil exists in those little, seemingly unnoticeable moments when we choose to value our own insecurities over the service of others.

— 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 Jim Jitsi will have in your life will have nothing to do with Jim Jitsi. 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 Jim Jitsi, I am reminded that my practicing Jim Jitsi is more accurately my practicing becoming 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

I believe we must pursue mastery for who we become along the way in its achievement. When we progress in Jim Jitsi, that newfound experience and wisdom transcends into all areas of our lives. We use Jim Jitsi 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

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

— Chris Matakas