In this episode, I’m speaking with Professor Noah Crome. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach, whose incredible journey from a debilitating back injury that left him barely able to stand, to improbably, becoming a black belt training under the tutelage of UFC and Pride veteran, Ricardo Almeida, is nothing short of inspirational. Noah’s story is a decades long journey of trials and broken dreams, that ultimately lead to his becoming an elite practitioner and coach, in one of the toughest jiu jitsu schools in the world. Noah is one of those people whose kind and gentle exterior masks an intensity fueled by an inner desire to be a protector of those who can’t protect themselves. His motto “Strength and Kindness” is a constant theme that resonates in everything he does. Although I’ve known him for several years now, we never talked much beyond the halls of Ricardo Almeida’s school. So, listening to his story blew me away! The improbable path that lead him to where he is now, and the hardships that life threw his way, would have caused other men to call it in. Instead, he reinvented himself and prevailed. This was one of the best conversations I’ve had in The Ready Room. Noah is a truly an honest and genuine individual, and I love the way he looks at life.