Stumbling My Way Through Martial Arts

When you hear Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, what comes to mind? What always came to mind was some combination of Mister Miyagi karate and WWE wrestling. But now I find myself in my late twenties, spending my weekends driving up and down the coast and spending hours on end in arenas and school gyms.   

Some people spend their nights walking, running, watching a movie, or attending dinner. But my friends and I spend our night in a gym full of people trying desperately to take you down and put you in various dangerous submissions. 

In the last ten years, Jiu-Jitsu has exploded in popularity due to the popularity of the UFC which Jiu-Jitsu is a critical component. Gone are the days when you must travel up and down the coast to find a tournament. Now there are tournaments every weekend in various gyms and arenas. 

Jiu Jitsu is a unique subculture of martial arts. It is intense and competitive but has an art form tied within that looks beautiful and artistic when performed at the highest level. On the outside, you may think while watching that it is centered around strength and brutality. Still, beneath that physicality, there are vast amounts of strategy at work. Think about it like a game of chess where one player makes a move, and the other must adapt and react. Now take that complex decision-making and rapidly accelerate the time you must act due to your opponent trying their hardest to beat you as quickly as possible. This strategic element has transcended the business world where industry titans are lining up in droves to compete…sometimes against each other. 

Now in Jiu-Jitsu, there is no forced competition; countless individuals participate in it simply for the camaraderie, the workout, or just to find another hobby. However, there is also a large contingency of practitioners who compete religiously, where you must travel extensively, cut weight, and compete in front of large crowds. 

I have been training in martial arts since I was 12 years old. I was captivated by the WWE at the time due to the high-flying acrobatics and athleticism. When I started high school and had the opportunity to try out for the wrestling team, I joined instantly. I wrestled throughout high school and college, and it was an integral part of my life, both physically and for my friendships and connections.

This constant competition in my life and desire to keep improving was now gone. One day, I was walking home from work and stumbled upon a Jiu-Jitsu gym called Combat Sports Boston in the North End. I walked in and immediately felt like this was a sport I was destined to be a part of. The camaraderie was the first thing I encountered with guys training hard and laughing after class. Jiu Jitsu is an exciting sport in that it is one of the few that you can go as hard as you want and pull back right before somebody gets injured. In Jiu-Jitsu, the fundamental principle is that the sparring session is over when you tap the ground signifying you submit. It is a fundamental principle built upon trusting one another. It, therefore, profoundly affects building your relationship with your teammates. I fell in love with it not only because of the exercise, challenge, and camaraderie. But also, for the fact that you can compete. I have been competing for as long as I can remember in sports and post-college. I longed for that camaraderie and competition that athletics brings.

In my first competition as a white belt, the whole ride to the arena, I was shaking and nervous, and it felt like my first match wrestling in high school. But once I stepped on that mat and won my first match by submission, I knew this was where I belonged, and this was a sport I would pursue ultimately. I am now a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu (2 belts before your black belt). I have been lucky enough to be ranked in the top 20 in the world at my weight and have competed all over North America and internationally.

Jiu-Jitsu has enhanced my physical fitness and has crossed over and been a great tool for learning to adapt and face adversity professionally. With Jiu-Jitsu, I have learned that progress, both in business and athletics, is gained slowly over time, and true success is making micro improvements and adjustments that will pay dividends in the long term. I have taken this to heart and can’t wait to see how martial art and business will continue to intertwine.