BJJ is a beautiful journey, I’m sure all of you agree. But how do you define it?
It may seem like an odd question, but I am curious how people percieve their relationship to the art and sport of BJJ / Grappling.
The way i see the journey of BJJ is not just my time on the mat. Few activities are as captivating as BJJ / Grappling. To a lot of people, myself included, BJJ is part or all of the following:
Brands of casual clothing, mp3s and mp4s we put on our iPods, books we read, magazines we browse, websites and blogs we surf, hours we spend on YouTube, heated debates on internet forums, conditioning exercises and diet tips, supplements and ointments, stretches, rehabilitation exercises and protective equipment, taped knuckles, gum shields, board shorts, rash guards and gis, gis oh gis! Add to all this the hours we spend training, drilling, competing, coaching, laughing and shouting with other pyjama-club members when we're at each other's homes watching competitions or in each others cars travelling to them.
We write about it, philosophise about it and sometimes we even dream about it. We fancy ourselves as physics and mathematics experts and get upset when a partner or a friend doesn't quite get why it means so much. It's just a hobby, they'd say. They don't know.
This is how I define my humble journey in this beautiful art. And I'm a part timer.
How do you define your journey?
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Drop me a line on parttimegrappler@ymail.com or explore some of the recommended past articles on the right...
Drop me a line on parttimegrappler@ymail.com or explore some of the recommended past articles on the right...
2 comments:
BJJ has been a life-altering journey for me in all the ways you mentioned above, plus these:
It turned food into fuel instead of comfort and fun and it made being "heavy" a good thing. When I buy clothes, I find myself thinking of whether or not I could grapple in them. I wear flats instead of heels, just in case. lol! I bridge over my shoulder or hip out to get out bed without even realizing it. I can't walk past any of my friends (even the ones who don't do BJJ) or sit in front of them without having to worry about an rnc. When I watch action movies, I get annoyed when they choke people incorrectly or when they miss a submission they could have had if only they knew BJJ. The kids I teach in the Youth Group at my church are constantly tortured by my BJJ analogies. And, my husband can't go anywhere without people joking about me beating him up OR without being blamed for the various bruises all over my body. :)
Thank you so much Allie. That's very personal. Excellent stuff. I think if the RNC is constantly on your mind, you need new better friends :)
I definetly recognise what you mean about the movie thing. It's a very real thing and people who don't roll might laugh at it but it can seriously ruin (or distract) from an otherwise great story! Cheers.
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