Conor Heun

The best thing about Jiu Jitsu is that wherever you go in the world you will find your tribe. Today I had the pleasure of training with .

Nothing feels better after a day of travel than breaking a good sweat and sharing the mats with new friends. If you are ever in Cozumel, MX make sure to reach out to Antonio and drop by academy for some great Jiu Jitsu.

If you are ever in Colorado, come see me at and . If that’s too far out or your way check out .0, , or . This community is the best in the world!

Nogi. All Day. World Wide.

After practice Tuesday my left elbow wouldn’t fully bend or straighten anymore. It felt like something was blocking the joint and limiting my range of motion. I spent 2 days doing some PT trying to unlock it but it wasn’t improving so I finally booked an appointment with the doctor for an X-ray.

Friday morning I got the X-rays back and they showed I had developed a heterotopic ossification in the anterior elbow likely requiring surgical intervention.

The problem is that I was scheduled to compete this Saturday at Denver. Sure, I could pull out of the tournament but what message would that send to my students?

If competition is about wins and losses then pulling out makes sense. I’m compromised and less likely to win so let’s rest and recover and fight again when the odds are more favorable.

However, if competition is about testing ourselves, stepping outside of our comfort zone and daring greatly, then this opportunity to test myself in the face of adversity was not to be missed.

I went 3-1 on the day taking home the bronze medal. I finished a leg lock in my first match. Got stopped with a dog bar in the semifinals and then battled back to take third after two wins in the consolation bracket.

There were times I wanted to quit, to call it a day, to chalk up the loss to my injury and excuse myself from the task at hand but at the end of the day it’s not about winning and losing it’s about holding yourself accountable to the goals you’ve set and to living as the best version of yourself.

Don’t talk the talk if you won’t walk the walk. Too many so called “fighters” will pull out the day of when they don’t feel great warming up.

The reality is you don’t get to choose how you feel at any given moment & you don’t control the circumstances in your life, but you are 💯% responsible for your reaction.

I am grateful for the opportunity to compete alongside my students & I am grateful for the friendships created through the trials and tribulations of this sport.

There are plenty of sad posts floating around Instagram from grapplers who left it all on the mats at NoGi Worlds and fell short of their goals. This will not be one of those posts. Although the Bronze medal was not what I came here for and my heart is broken, I am posting from a place of gratitude.

Three and a half years ago doctors told me that the bilateral hip replacements that I received in 2016 had been recalled and blood tests revealed serious heavy metal poisoning. I scheduled revision surgery and announced my retirement from Jiu Jitsu competition in August of 2021. The surgery was complicated, and the recovery was long but slowly I made my way back to the mats.

On March 29th of this year, I returned to competition after a 3 & a half year layoff, winning the Fight 2 Win Tournament of Champions.
Unsatisfied, I set my goal on the NoGi Masters Worlds. I traveled to Pans in New Jersey to get a taste of what the best in the world felt like and I realized I was right there. I lost by an advantage point to the champ in the Semi’s and took the bronze.I learned from the experience and came into worlds with a solid game plan and unshakable confidence.

I won my first two matches, avenging a loss from 2016 in the process (I never lose to the same person twice 😈). I faced the #1 seed and multiple time world champion in the semi finals and was up an advantage with 45 seconds on the clock before he was awarded an advantage to tie the score and then given the refs decision ending my run.

He was beaten in the finals by a man I beat at Pans. Although I fell short, my resolve is stronger than ever and I will become a world champion.

I am grateful for the able body that allows me to continue to play the game I love at the highest level. I am grateful for my beautiful wife who strengthens me with her love. I am grateful for my team that fights along side me. I am grateful to continue to learn the hard lessons that this sport teaches. I am proud of myself for entering the absolute division where I scored a beautiful fireman’s carry and took a heavyweights back before eventually giving up a kimura. Continued in the comments. . .

Another day of competition, another day of gratitude for this body that continues to carry me victoriously through battle, gratitude for my teammates coaches and training partners, gratitude for my loving wife, gratitude to the life I get to live everyday. Everyday is an absolute blessing and I am filled with the vibration of appreciation for all the gift the universe has bestowed upon me. Thank you to my opponents for making me better, for challenging me and for showing me the strength I am capable of.

🏅

If you are looking for world class physical therapy and dry needling in look no further than

As a high level athlete himself, Will knows exactly what the patient needs to get back to performing at their best.

Give Will a call at (303) 562-4377 and get back to feeling your best.

Beyond grateful for this life.

We are all the product of our environment and I am surrounded by so many great men that my success is almost guaranteed.

After more than 40 years on the mats, I was awarded my 3rd Degree 10th Planet Black Belt this weekend by the one and only .

I also had the privilege to recognize the hard work put in by my friends Zane Stone (1st Degree Black Belt), Brian Lipsett (10th Planet Black Belt), and Frank Barca (3rd Degree Black Belt and HOF member).

When you surround yourself with greatness you can’t help but become great yourself.

If you want to change your life, to surround yourself with winners, and to become the greatest version of yourself, my doors are open. Join the team, throw away your excuses, and train.

The results speak for themselves.

If you are looking for an excuse, a way out, or a reason to give up you will find that they are everywhere.

If you are looking to become the best you can possibly be you only need to find one reason to keep going.

I’m teaching Jiu Jitsu Fundamentals tomorrow, Sunday morning at 9:00am at 10th Planet Longmont. Followed by open mat and yoga. Come through and see what all the hype is about. No-gi. All day. Worldwide.