Jiu-Jitsu, One Year Later

One year to the day (at the time of writing) I walked into Gracie Barra University for the very first time. And what a journey it's been since. I still remember that first day too. I was nervous and had no idea what to expect. I also couldn't find the place and had to call for directions (I drove by the building twice without realizing it). Donning an oversized rental gi and clueless about what to do I hit the mats for my first lesson. A Brazilian guy with a black belt, shaved head, and thick accent came out. Professor Caveirinha taught us a hip-throw, sit-up sweep, and kimura.

It was awesome to learn a submission. Something I'd seen in UFC and MMA fights. I was stoked. And the technique flowed smoothly. Just that one technique and I began to understand how movement and leverage could overcome size and strength. I was hooked. After training, Gamba pulled me into an office to talk. He asked if I could come back the next day for another class: absolutely!

That first day I went in nervous about the possibility of getting hurt, the closeness at which we'd train, not performing well, not knowing what to do, the type of people that would be there, the list goes on and on. I was immediately struck by how friendly and helpful everybody was. I didn't feel like I was being judged at all. It didn't take long at all to feel comfortable at GB. The training was physical and bruises came easily and often but I quickly learned that injuries are few. I can tap out at any time and my partner will stop whatever they're doing. Even if I'm not fully caught in a submission, if I know it's coming or just feel really uncomfortable I can tap and end the discomfort without enduring any pain. I can stay in control of what's going on to a pretty good degree. And the closeness thing, I got over it quickly...really no choice about that.

I've entered two competitions since joining. Didn't win a single match. All good though. My instructors supported me the whole way and focused more on gaining from the experience than winning or losing. Not sure if I'll enter another competition anytime soon. I'm finding that competition isn't as important to me as learning and understanding jiu-jitsu. I don't feel I need to compete to do that when there are plenty of skilled training partners at GB already.

Gracie Barra has done quite a bit for me in the past year. More than I can write here so I'll just glance over the highlights. First, and most obvious, I learned some jiu-jitsu. Triangle, armbar, kimura, and a few other submissions. I know how they work and every now and then I can catch somebody in one. I watch MMA and UFC fights on a different level than before. I can recognize submission set ups and understand ground game techniques and positioning, which is pretty cool.

One of the reasons I joined jiu-jitsu was for fitness. And let me say, it will get you fit. Only Bikram Yoga had me sweating more than jiu-jitsu and that's only because Bikram takes place in a room heated to 111 degrees. Rolling (the hip way to refer to jiu-jitsu) leaves me more drained from the workout though. Here's a more practical way to put it: I use a belt to keep my pants up, I tightened it to the 3^rd hole for a snug fit when I first began jiu-jitsu. After two weeks of rolling 3-4 times each week I had to tighten the belt to the 4^th hole. Within two months I trimmed down enough to use the 5^th hole on the belt. Yeah, rolling will up your fitness.

The people I've met at Gracie Barra are great and I made some new friends over the past year. Some of those outside of jiu-jitsu and martial arts often have a preconceived notion that if you're training jiu-jitsu or muay thai you must be training to be a fighter, and if you're a fighter you're of a certain, rough around the edges, personality type. Troubled youth, tattooed, surrounded by chaos. Ya know, that type of thing. Not the case at Gracie Barra. The people I train with are pretty laid back, pleasantly casual people doing their own thing. Most of the time you wouldn't even know they trained a martial art just looking at them.

The blend of personalities make for great training and diversity on the mats. I'm even starting to see how some personalities translate through their own jiu-jitsu style (that might make a good blog, more on it later).

What else has jiu-jitsu done for me? Reminders of humility, a dash of discipline, and a nice dose of stress relief. But by far the most important thing I've gotten out of it is a boost of confidence. I walk a little taller, can look people in the eye, I feel a little better about myself, I speak a little more clearly, and some of those butterflies that have made a home in my gut for so long have flown away. By nature I'm a quiet, timid, shy person. I got a thick shell as they would say. I've been working for years to break that shell, or at least thin it down, by trying to go outside of my comfort zones and force myself to work through difficult situations. Jiu-jitsu has done the most to crack that shell.

That boost of confidence has resonated through every aspect of my life. At work I've taken on new roles and volunteered for things that I would have avidly avoided a year ago like giving a presentation to an audience of over a hundred people. I'm more apt to initiate conversations with new people when in the past I would remain quiet unless spoken to. It's even affected my writing. I share my writing, my blogs, and I don't mind letting it be known that my ambition is to publish a novel, which I am currently working on.

I promote jiu-jitsu and the Gracie Barra University often. I always encourage those who are interested to give it a try. Most people are apprehensive about it because of the closeness and the thought of getting hurt. But I let them know it's safe, the instructors are very understanding, and the people who train there are friendly and helpful. I say is if you're even slightly interested in trying jiu-jitsu, come down to Gracie Barra and try out a class. Just try it. There's nothing to lose and so much to gain. It's worth a shot.