Yellow Tuxes, Purple Gorillas, and Everything in Between

Owning, running, and building a gym is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

There’s this constant pressure to do it the way everyone else does it —

👉 Run the same promotions as the gym down the street. 👉 Offer the same programs. 👉 Focus on “getting more members” instead of building something deeper.

And if I’m honest, that pressure gets heavy sometimes. It feels like the world is telling you:

Just follow the formula, play it safe, don’t stand out too much.

But that’s not why I started No Limits Grappling Academy.

Reading About a Yellow Tux

Lately I’ve been reading a book called Find Your Yellow Tux by the owner of the Savannah Bananas — a guy who literally shows up to every game in a bright yellow tuxedo.

Not because it’s comfortable. Not because everyone else is doing it. But because it represents him owning what makes him different, even when people don’t understand at first.

That hit me hard.

Because I’ve felt that tension for years — do I run my gym like everyone else and blend in, or do I lean all the way into what makes me… me?

I’m Not Just Another Coach

Here’s the truth I keep coming back to:

✅ I’m not just another coach. ✅ I’m a competitor born with cerebral palsy. ✅ I’m a judo black belt and a jiu‑jitsu brown belt. ✅ I’m a mental performance coach with a powerful underdog story.

Every loss, every injury, every obstacle — it’s all part of what shaped me.

For a long time, I didn’t know if I should lead with that. But that is my yellow tux. That’s the thing that sets me apart in a world full of gyms doing the same thing.

Running NLGA Differently

I’ve also chosen to run **No Limits Grappling Academy** differently:

👉 We don’t just sell memberships — we build mindset. 👉 We don’t just teach moves — we teach competition and culture. 👉 We don’t settle for being another hobby gym — we aim to be a room where athletes sharpen each other and grow together.

That choice isn’t always easy. It’s slower, harder, and sometimes lonelier than just trying to fill classes. But it’s right.

And when I see athletes rewriting their own stories on these mats, I know it’s worth it.

The Purple Gorilla and the In‑Between

I may not have a yellow tux, but I do have a purple gorilla (the logo of my gym is a gorilla standing in a purple circle) metaphorically tho, my “purple gorilla” is the culture I protect here — the standards, the heart, the mindset that make this place what it is.

But most days aren’t grand gestures or yellow tux moments. Most days are the in‑between:

✔️ Thinking up content ideas that actually mean something. ✔️ Planning curriculum that builds athletes step by step. ✔️ Figuring out new ways to keep the culture strong. ✔️ Choosing to stay the course when the easy route would be to change who we are.

Why I’m Sharing This

I’m writing this because maybe you’re carrying your own version of that struggle — trying to build something, trying to stay true to yourself, feeling the pressure to copy what everyone else is doing.

If that’s you:

🖤 Don’t hide what makes you different. 💛 Don’t trade your vision for someone else’s formula. 💜 Keep pounding the stone, even on the days when nobody sees it.

I’m still figuring it all out, but I know this much:

I’d rather run a gym that’s authentic, imperfect, and mine… than one that looks like everyone else’s.

That’s my yellow tux. That’s my purple gorilla. And that’s everything in between.

Thanks for reading. If you’re out there trying to build something in your own way — I see you. Keep going.