Day 25

All the setbacks and the injury have left me with a lot of time and I ended up asking myself the question (yes I talk to myself)

"Why do I love Jiu-Jitsu?"


Like most BJJ addicts, I didn't have to think long to know the answer. I am sure there are millions (OK, probably more like hundreds) of blog posts on  this subject and possibly a few with the same answer, but I'm just going to plough on and write my answer here.

I love Jiu-Jitsu for the friends I get to know on the mat.

It's that simple. I could have written a long list; I enjoy the sport, I thrive on the competitive nature, I revel in the intricate details that make good Jiu-Jitsu, but what I really love is the people I get to meet on the mat for a roll. In my short two years training I have trained with BJJ world champions, current British MMA prospect, an alumni of The Ultimate Fighter, and many international rugby stars, including a world cup winner and British & Irish Lions.
But it's not training/being a grappling dummy with/for these people that I'm talking about. It's everyone else. Most likely it's YOU.
It's the labourer who works 8 hours a day, more demanding work than I've ever done, and still makes it down to training 3 times a week. It's the Father who started BJJ to spend more time with his son, and since then has never looked back. It's the unathletic (not a word), arty student who wanted to try something new and is now at every Monday and Wednesday session without fail. It's the young man who is a regular at sessions and supports our guys at every tournament possible, even though he's confined to his wheel chair.
I love that Jiu-Jitsu is for everyone, no matter what body shape, mindset, or impairments, anyone can get on that mat and enjoy Jiu-Jitsu if they catch the bug. And what I love to see is the scraggly, mal-nourished (times are hard for those without jobs), never seen the inside of a gym, student rolling with the overconfident, athletic, inexperienced muscle machine, and to see the spindly legs lock the triangle in, and to see humbleness and respect being taught very quickly. I love that. I always root for the underdog. However we all know that if Jiu-Jitsu is involved, it's not weaker, smaller guy who's the underdog, Jiu-Jitsu makes the inexperienced guy the unsuspecting underdog.
With these thoughts no longer rattling around my head I'm getting back to training to become the athletic, muscular, technically proficient and always working on being humble, grappler, and then I know results won't matter.

That's one answer the other answer could have been viewed at 10am this morning in my room where you would have seen me singing and dancing with excitement, in my boxers while packing my bag to go and finally do some proper training after a couple of stagnant weeks.

In other news, I'm going to Poland's Trials for Abu Dhabi Pro World Cup Jiu-Jitsu Championship of The World (or whatever it's called). I don't need a passport for that.

Video


If you needed more proof of why Jiu-Jitsu will never be a spectator sport.....

I mean I enjoyed it, but at some points even I was bored and I'm obsessed by the sport.