John Wish
WHY JIU JITSU?
My dad brought me to USMMA in 2010, when I was only 11 years old. He was worried about me being bullied in school, and wanted me to learn some form of self defense, and if I could get a workout in while doing it, even better. As a kid, Jiu Jitsu was just another hobby or sport for me to do alongside the seasonal baseball I'd play. As I grew older, however, it became less of a sport and more of a martial art. I started taking it much more seriously, and even competed several times. The more I trained and learned, and the more I was challenged, the more enraptured I became. I’ve always been detail oriented, and Jiu Jitsu checked all the boxes for me. The deeper down the rabbit hole of Jiu Jitsu I go, the more I fall in love with it. Now both an instructor and student at USMMA, I can’t imagine my life without it.
WHAT EXPERIENCES HAVE MADE YOU THE MARTIAL ARTIST AND COACH YOU ARE TODAY?
I started my Jiu Jitsu journey in the kids class offered at USMMA. Even after aging out into the teens class, I helped out in the kids class. That was my first taste of what being a teacher was like. I wasn’t able to experience that as much once I grew old enough to join the adult class, but it was still an invaluable experience. I didn’t even notice myself doing it, but as I progressed I found myself falling back on that experience, helping out and teaching my teammates. The more I learned, the more my passion for the martial art and for passing on my knowledge grew. In a true return to form, I now assist with the kids program again, and teach the Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals class.
More than just my own experiences, I have been guided and taught by the best. Tom Hafers, Hilarie Rose, and Matt Martin have all been huge influences on both my grappling and teaching ability. I definitely would not be who or where I am today without them.
You never stop learning when it comes to Jiu Jitsu, and the same goes for teaching. There’s always an opportunity to improve and refine, and I try to take advantage of that every chance I get.develop the USMMA fight team.
WHAT CAN A STUDENT EXPECT IN YOUR CLASS?
I have long been a believer that to truly understand and improve at Jiu Jitsu, you can’t just follow the steps. While they are important, and the fine details can make or break a successful technique, the whys are just as important as the hows. I incorporate that idea into all my classes. Whether this involves the basic drills and simple techniques you’d find in my Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals class, or the higher level techniques where I can get into the nitty gritty details, I want people to walk away understanding the purpose of what they’re doing.
OFF THE MAT...
Outside the gym, I am frequently wishing I was on the mats. I’m always looking to improve my game and find the next thing for me to work on. When I’m not doing that, I enjoy going disc golfing and getting together with friends to play any manner of games, be they board games, card games, or video games. Of course, all of that has to be accompanied by good food. Getting wrapped up in a good story or lost in music is a frequent occurrence for me.
