Let me count the ways. There’s so much to love about the art. It’s a difficult task to break down why it is I love it so much. I discovered it as a young man, and abandoned it without a second thought. Then I rediscovered it only to be confronted with my inadequacies; I walked away. I came to it again as a man, and put away childish things; the third time’s the charm.
Jiu-Jitsu has a rich history. While this is an interesting facet it isn’t a reason to love it. It’s a reason to love history, and not necessarily the art. Jiu-Jitsu has great health benefits if practiced responsibly. While this is a wonderful side effect of training it isn’t a reason to love the art. It’s a reason to love fitness. There is a multitude of ways to get in shape. Jiu-Jitsu does more than that. The art of Jiu-Jitsu is a very practical way to learn self-defense. While the world is a dangerous place this alone isn’t reason enough to love the art. To love something is to want to see it flourish.
I have a deep love for the art. I want to see it continue to grow, flourish and be passed down for future generations. I still haven’t answered why I love the art. I explained three components that are a reason for doing it. Let me answer the why. This “why” exists in the abstract. It isn’t easily obtained. In fact, it took me a lot of time to get some part of the answer. I still don’t have it all, and I may never have it all.
The state of being is to suffer. Through suffering we grow. Suffering grants us the spoils of growth in many ways; we can grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Jiu-Jitsu facilitates all three of these gains. A person who is not allowed to suffer is being cheated out of being whole.
Jiu-Jitsu is not just about the suffering. It’s also about community. I am not typically a people person. That may surprise many of you, but it’s true. I enjoy people watching. I like observing the nature of man, but I don’t like to get up close and personal often. I am drawn to people who want to better themselves. A person who engages in Jiu-Jitsu willingly surrenders comfort for pain, and as a result, becomes better. I choose to be around those people.
I have had some deep lows in my 32 years on this planet. I’m not special. Every living breathing person can hit lows so low that no light can reach it. This is when we make a decision. We decide to stay in the abyss, or we choose to escape it. Jiu-Jitsu wasn’t the escape in itself. It was hidden within the practice. It taught me how to rise from the depths of despair.
We practice how to subdue an opponent with a variety of techniques. One of the techniques we use to incapacitate an opponent is the utilization of a choke. There are many ways to choke a person. All cause the same thing if held on for long enough; they kill.
I remember a time (as a new blue belt) when my brown belt friend, Koji, choked me. We were sparring, and he cut to the north-south position on me. He then threw on a deadly strong choke. I panicked with the sheer futility of my situation. The lights began to go out. I tapped, and Koji graciously let go of the choke. My senses came back, and I damn near felt like crying. It wasn’t because I was bested. I was at death’s door in a very real way. Had Koji held onto the choke for less than a minute longer I would have been dead. I was so happy to be alive in that moment. My brain couldn’t help but to reframe my situation. No matter how bad I thought things were I was alive. I could always improve my position. I could always find a way to make things better. I shook hands with death, and looked at his permanent cranial smile with glee. We may not have an eternity, but we do have a lifetime. As long as I have a breath in my body there will always be a chance to make it better.
The practice of this difficult endeavor puts us in the present. We need to confront the person we are now. There is no other time then the present to live. Jiu-Jitsu forces us to be present. Why do I draw and write? I do it for the same reasons. It isn’t just about ego, wanting to share thoughts or for shits and giggles. When I practice the arts I strive to become better. I’m confronted with all of my glaring shortcomings. It’s in these struggles that we have a real chance to make changes. This is where we can manifest new possibilities.
We all have to dig deeper into the “why.” It isn’t enough to blindly walk down the road. The more conscious we are the more decisions we have available. I began to dig deeper, and discover the abstract elements. I’ve spent enough time doing this strange thing. I might as well give it a little more thought. It isn’t just about being a formidable opponent. There are bombs, guns and knives. Hell, people even use trucks now as weapons. That’s the age we live in. My Jiu-Jitsu cannot beat a truck. So why bother? It is so much more than that as I explained above. It is beyond just being a tough son of a bitch. It gives us something to dig for that is hidden away. I found some of the hidden treasure, and it granted me the gift of options. We all have options in this life no matter how small. So, we can either choose to stay in the depths or we can rise. We all get to pick if we are defeated or winning. It’s all in how we frame it. Jiu-Jitsu is one way to come back to the land of the living. If you still have breath in your body then you still have a chance to make it better, get a better position and choke the other guy into submission!