Hey Mike, hope this finds you and your family doing well! I just wanted to say thanks for all the amazing training and instruction you gave me over the years. I just reached a milestone in my jiu-jitsu career; I received my black belt from Tony Passos and Ricardo De La Riva. It is very surreal to me in many ways, and as I take some time to step back and reflect on how I got here, there are a few people that I realize I could not have done it without, and you are definitely one of them. The memories I have of training with you and your students are extremely fond, and the thing that I learned from you above all else is to constantly strive for technical perfection - in everything. It was a lesson you gave me that I came to realize I took for granted as I traveled across the country and trained; many others have an attitude of "that's close enough if it works in the moment". While perhaps never totally attainable, striving for that technical perfection is what will pay off in the long run, both for your own development, and against the best opponents.
Thank you for helping me learn so many things about so many martial arts, about how to train technically, and about life. I still have a long way to go, but you were a big part of getting me where I am.
