I got a taste of jiu-jitsu as an mp in the army before losing my right hand. I signed my elder daughter up for classes at Gracie Barra Hannibal the week she turned 4. After watching her train for about a month I decided I needed to give it a go. I quickly fell in love with my new hobby that began to consume all of my free time. Once I got my blue belt in June of 2016, I volunteered to start assisting with kids classes over the summer. That August, the school advertised an opening for a program director. I had no business experience but I applied anyway. At my interview it was painfully obvious I had no idea what I was trying to get myself into but my drive to attain a career in jiu-jitsu inspired the school owner to create a part time hourly position for me. I left my full time auto-cad position at the local pre-fab concrete products factory and began my jiu-jitsu career journey. I had to get a second part time job at the local truck stop to make the ends meet but I knew jiu-jitsu was my future. After about 5 months of mopping mats, cleaning bathrooms, and whatever else I could find around the school to keep myself busy, I was given a shot at that full time program director slot. As I write this, that was over 6 years ago. In that time I have had the opportunity to travel the country, train with and learn from so many amazing people from all over the world, including many professors and a couple masters - I've been to two seminars from Master Carlos Gracie Jr and I had the pleasure of watching Master Nelson get his coral belt in San Diego. The first Master Carlos Jr class was in Vegas and it was like he wrote the curriculum specifically for me. The entire class was to attack and defend the back using only one hand. I will never forget, it was a sea of GB white gis on the mat, and he was walking through giving little adjustments as all instructors do during positional drilling. He came to my partner and I. It was my turn to attack and I happened to be very happy with my position as he approached and began to coach my partner on how to escape. He stopped mid-sentance upon noticing my arm and instead simply said "ahhhh....he does this everyday. You are in trouble" and walked away. I'm now the operations manager of my home school. This is the longest I've ever worked at one company and I intend to continue with GB for as long as my health allows. I received my brown belt from our owner Prof Beau Viehmann in Feb of 2022. He was awarded his black belt from his professor, Mike Buckels on the same day he gave me my blue belt in 2016. My goal has been, and continues to be, to become the first ever home grown jiu-jitsu black belt in Hannibal, MO. EDIT 3/16/2024: GOAL ACCOMPLISHED