Jiu Jitsu. The Gentle Art, But Not Really

This August, I signed up for 2-week trial at a local jiu-jitsu gym, Black Sails Jiu-Jitsu. I signed up thinking, “You know I’m an adult. I need to find better ways to move my body and make friends at the same time,” well, thankfully, I found both. But little did I know that for a sport called the “gentle art,” I’m left with more bruises than last time every week.

Two months in, I’ve found something that I will probably never let go of. I love it from the smell of the mats, the fans around the mats, wiring at full speed trying to keep us cool but never does, the music my teachers play that always sets the mood for the class and the openness of everyone that helps create a welcoming environment. But really, If you asked me what I liked about Jiu-Jitu on a deeper level, I’d have to tell you it’s not that deep. I like to fight. I like the endless struggle for those 5 to 6 minutes, where there is nothing else on my mind but how am I going to arm bar this person on top of me, how I can choke them out with a baseball choke, the spike of adrenaline I get when I finally baited them into my guillotine. I can feel their windpipe squeezing out air, knowing I will feel a tap.

I love Jiu-Jitsu; even after I almost got my arm ripped off by someone with decades more experience, I feel like I learned something: a new way to play guard and new transitions to pass my opponent’s guard. Matches always end with a smile. Whether you get submitted five times or it was just a cardio battle, everyone is happy to spar because everyone is happy to be at Jiu-Jitsu.

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