As 2008 approaches its end, people around the World make their wishes for the starting year, and we are not exception. First we thank all our students all over the World for the great support in 2008, and congratulate them for the growth and excellent results in competitions, and praise our italian team.
Under the leadership of Bernardo Serrini and a strong group mentality, Italy has performed way above average, and they developed simple things we hope to see in all our clubs worldwide for 2009, like monthly meetings and a strong commitment to bring people together.
Enough said, lets make the Rio Grappling Club wishlist (the order is aleatory)!
1. To grow organically next year, with more students joining each one of our clubs and increase the size of our family;
2. To inprove our participation in BJJ and Grappling events worldwide, with even better results than in 2008;
3. To expand our presence in South Africa, and bring together to train with us, there and everywhere, people from different cultures, races and creeds, promoting integration, peace and understanding;
4. To see all our students sharing more information over the internet, and even travelling to other countries to train together;
5. To keep the mission of taking BJJ to the four corners of the World, travelling also to the Middle East, Eastern Europe and different parts of Asia;
6. To keep working hard at our HQ in Wroclaw, Poland, receiving World Class teachers for seminars and our students to train with us, bring up the technical level and unite the students socially as a group;
7. To improve communications between all our schools and clubs, promote our Facebook group and make better use of our blog;
8. To help organise the sport in Europe, supporting tournaments like The Catalunya Cup and do our owns in Poland and Italy with high standards and money prizes;
9. To promote Grappling as a way to achieve better health, and integration between body, mind and soul;
10. Above all, to see a World with less suffering, less inequality, less exploitation, less wars and financial greed, and more dialogue and understanding between people and nations (we do not breath only martial arts, after all)
Last but not least, we wish that everyone in 2009 become a better person than in 2008, using the martial arts as a way to achieve self control, self understanding and a better comprehension of the nature, trying to avoid conflicts and destructive attitudes.
We are facing a huge financial crisis, and in fact is a great opportunity for us all to understand that the most important aspects of our life are not related to money or material comfort. After all, we are only tourists in this beautiful blue planet, and our goals are not to hoard cash, but to live, to love, to learn and to leave a good legacy. Lets not forget that, and try to find happiness in ourselves, in our family, in our friends and in the things that money cannot buy.
A Healthy 2009 for us all!
Posted by atalla 
