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My Experience at BTT Charlotte
Think of martial arts, and more than likely, your mind begins racing to the Hollywood definition. Punching heavy bags, smelling the gym, sweaty torsos bumping in high-intensity rolling sessions between two dudes, probably passing some brothers against hatred; yep, sounds about right. While all that does happen while interning for Brazilian Top Team (BTT) Charlotte, I discovered what truly makes the gym go round is not the mats but the office. The internal communication and mentorship within the team make it possible.

First things first, let’s talk about size. BTT Charlotte is your local community gym, but with some serious lineage. BTT is actually an international brand founded in Brazil in 2000 by high-level competitors frustrated with the douchebaggy “old school” mentality and lack of professional structure. With such an impressive history behind the name, BTT Charlotte has big shoes to fill. They don’t only want to be a reputable place to train, but a source of a particular style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

The team’s goal, however, was surprisingly more focused on the non-fighting aspects. Yes, we teach world-class BJJ, but the coaches care just as much about mind training. I saw the dynamics of real life play out on the mats every day. Students are taught to overcome adversity and roll with intense pressure while maintaining a humble and respectful demeanor with their training partners. Trust me, it’s not a marketing quote; I saw it happen every day. I worked with kids from age 5, discovering their drive to be disciplined, to adult competitors getting ready to fight. We focus so heavily on the “life skills” you will walk away with from our classes.

The business operations of the team really opened my eyes. Running a team is no easy task. Non-profit and only staffed by the coaches who are essentially running their own micro business inside the gym. The martial arts industry is booming, and BTT needs to be on top of its game.

You have to balance the physical and coaching aspects of your craft and the behind-the-scenes stuff. Social media, reducing member attrition, and cleaning the mats. Those were probably the three things I value most about my experience. If you’re not communicating with your team constantly, your student experience will NOT be where it needs to be. Whether you’re a Head Black Belt or an intern, you have your jobs to ensure the energy in the room is positive, and everyone is training safely.

That’s where most of my learning occurred in the trenches. Sure, I watched, but I was also running warm-ups, drilling techniques, and leading some of the largest classes I’ve ever been a part of. I truly believe my favorite part was working with beginners. Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be very daunting. It’s like learning a new language, and someone is trying to choke you at the same time. I really had to learn how to break down techniques into 3 easy steps.

Man, did that take patience. Lots and lots of patience. I spent hours giving one-on-ones to individuals who thought they just couldn’t get something and wanted to quit. To see the mental change in someone when you help them understand that one detail was unbelievable. That’s when I knew I didn’t hate teaching. I also did my fair share of “grunt work”. Things like mat cleaning. Yeah, it sounds bad, but when you’re in a gym, if it’s not cleaned, there is no professionalism.

The “Welcome to Coaching” Matt
One drill, I had a student who could not for the life of them pass guard. Tried and tried, but just couldn’t do it. Frustration was showing, and they almost gave up. We stayed after class and worked for about ten minutes on this one detail. Next thing I know, they are in class rolling at live, and boom, they just smothered their training partner. I had never seen someone so happy to teach out before, and THAT right there is why I want to coach. The opposite happened to teach me how to deal with difficult situations as well. We had days where the gym was so overcrowded I thought we would all lose our sh*t. But through that, I learned to calm myself when things got nuts.

This experience changed my career trajectory forever. Going into this, I saw Martial Arts as something you do, not work at. BTT Charlotte helped me realize I have a desire for leadership and want to help connect the dots for athletes. How can we take all these skills we learn from sports and translate them to Professionalism? Social media? Marketing? Business operations? BTT Charlotte was more than a gym to me; it was my university. Thank you, team BTT Charlotte, for an unforgettable experience and life lessons I will take with me forever.