Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyle Mathes.
Hi Lyle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My wife Laura and I wanted to share Brazilian jiu jitsu with the community because of how much it helped us with our day to day lives. Jiu jitsu is not just for developing self-defense skills. Being able to defend one’s self is extremely important, especially with the increase in violence and crimes that happen in Houston. However, jiu jitsu can help with self-confidence, stress relief and finding one’s potential in any situation. I (Lyle) started training jiu jitsu for those reasons. I am 6’8″ and 270 lbs. and really never felt the need to defend myself because I was a giant. My need for jiu jitsu surfaced when I needed it. I, like many other people, had a lot of stress that I was ignoring from many sources (work, family, financial, etc.). I remember the night it all came at once and I had my first massive panic attack. A combination of poor health habits and no outlet for stress triggered a time bomb that blew up in my face. Skip ahead 15 years and I am now a black belt and training has become a necessity for me. Being pushed outside of my comfort zone in a controlled atmosphere surrounded by people who want to achieve the same goal as me is better than therapy or any drug I could ever want or need. Our jiu jitsu school is not a competition school. It’s not a place for people to bully each other. It’s a place to grow together and to be prepared for whatever happens in life that comes our way. Its a place to collaborate and be in a group of people who want to improve in all aspects of life. It is very special and we want to share it with whoever is willing to try it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My wife and I have jobs outside of jiu jitsu. We didn’t want to see our students as sources of income. So yes, it is quite hard sometimes. We as a family (Luke and Jordan) are a jiu jitsu family. I would say the biggest struggles are hearing the stories of people who have suffered from violent experiences and how they live with fear daily. That struggle is something I share with my students, and it becomes our challenge. We work together to learn jiu jitsu together and regain confidence. We work together to develop skills that were needed during past traumas and instill confidence that they will never happen again. I believe many people have some traumatic experience they have gone through at some point that jiu jitsu could have helped with. So, our struggles eventually become opportunities to grow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Besides being a martial arts instructor, I am a chef for a senior living community.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I would have to say my willingness to serve others. I get great fulfillment in helping others.
Pricing:
- All classes start with a 10 day trial with gi deposit.
- Gi prices are $70 (children) and $120 (adults)
- Different membership options available based on how many classes are attended.
- No contracts
Contact Info:
- Website: https://graciemaydecreek.com/
- Facebook: Gracie Jiu Jitsu Mayde Creek
