Why Everyone Should Learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
-Anonymous Student
After living in California for most my life, I packed up and decided to move to Aurora, Colorado. I had visited Boulder with my friends and fell in love with the scenery and mountain air. I found a nursing job in Aurora and to pass the time on my days off, I stumbled upon a martial arts academy and decided to jump into a BJJ intro class. I immediately fell in love with it! The people were great and I felt like I was a human puzzle piece in a giant jigsaw puzzle. I became addicted and couldn’t wait to learn more. I progressed quickly and was beaming every time I mastered a move. I left everyday with a giant smile on my face and I felt so proud when I would get promoted with stripes. I met a wonderful group of people who shared the same passion. They gym became my family.
I learned my most important lesson outside of the gym and truly believe it saved my life. One of the gals at the hospital insisted I go on a date with her a friend of her friend so I obliged. I parked my car at his place and he drove to the restaurant. Things went ok so we decided to share an Uber back to his place and he invited me in for a drink. That’s when things took a turn for the worse. He started making sexist comments and I could tell the liquor was taking over. I tried to leave and he pushed me down on the couch. We hand fought for a couple seconds. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to remain clam to allow me make the best decisions. I was able to get my legs around him, put him in a triangle choke and he went to sleep. I ran out of the apartment and thanked the stars above that I was able to get away. That is why everyone should learn to protect themselves in the unfortunate event that you find yourself in a dangerous situation.
BJJ is not biased. It does not favor sex or size. The mat is an open playing field and fair game. Happy training!
