BJJ / MMA Interview: Miad Najafi and iMMACULATE: Part Two

Miad Najafi is an Alliance brown belt, but he is also so much more. When he recently found out that my friends Andy and Stuart Lorne were fighting MMA and raising money for the MacMillan Cancer foundation, he wanted to see if there was anything he and the company he created, iMMACULATE, could do to help. Here is part two of my interview with Miad.



Interview with Miad Najafi: Alliance BJJ Brown Belt and head instructor at Alliance BJJ Brighton:

Give us your top 5 tips for time-management (to fit exercise around life)


To keep fit, you do not need that much time. If you learn how to train, you can get a very significant workout in 30-40mins with nothing more than a kettlebell, chin up bar or barbell. However, to develop as a martial artist you need to commit time and energy, do not dilly dally, get your gym bag and goto class. Its really about having a structure and daily routine, then training never feels like a chore nor a compromise to your lifestyle.

Now let’s balance that with what you consider the top 5 time-thieves.

I think time management is all about killing off the time theives. Facebook, pubs for a "quick" drink, and wasting time with negative or poisonous people. Most importantly, kill off any poor excuses you make that prevent you from committing to the things that matter the most to you.


Do you have any regrets?

Thats a deep question!!! "Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention" sang in a Frank Sinatra voice.... :) Sure I do, but I prefer to focus on the positive, and move towards my personal and professional goals. Focussing on the negative past will keep you there and in fact ensure that similar things happen again, so for me its all about enjoying the present while ensuring that my life and relationships are moving in the direction that I want long term. Creating iMMACULATE was very much a pivotal act with a mind letting go of the past and starting something really special and new!

iMMACULATE has made a wonderful and generous contribution to the campaign by my two friends Stuart and Andy to raise £3000 for McMillan Cancer Support. Tell us more about how you got involved and why you chose to contribute?

Well I get a lot of people contacting me asking for sponsorship etc, often by people who do not necessarily fit the brand ideals. So when you (Liam) suggested that Stuart and Andy were fighting to raise cash for the MacMillan Cancer Support as their father was battling cancer himself, its the kind of positive thing that iMMACULATE and I would love to support. I believe that even the smallest of gestures can help!

Finally, why do you train? What drives you?

I have been asked that many times, was it because I was bullied? Was it about a journey of self discovery? Was it a fear of failure? I always say it was because I was crap at football! :) On a serious note, there are certainly more profound reasons for my passion for fighting arts, I guess often we all have fears that we want to run away from, but in fact facing them makes you a better and stronger person for it. I think struggling through the difficulty of hard training takes you to a place that is very character building and has certainly made me a stronger person not only on a physical level, but also on a deeper emotional and maybe even a spiritual level too. When such vigorous training is no longer for me, I intend to continue growing by learning and developing on any level I can.

I thank Miad Najafi for kindly taking the time to answer my questions and iMMACULATE for contributing to the Lorne Brothers campaign.

If you missed part one of this interview you can find it here.

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Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

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