We can and should do more with BJJ in our communities.
by: Jon D. Froh
During a recent women’s self-defense seminar, Stacey (one of the students) shared a story about her aunt. Her aunt had been in a physically abusive relationship and had sustained a broken back, broken ribs, and a bloodied face. Fortunately, her aunt survived the attack and removed herself from the relationship. Her story illustrates that violent predators don’t have to be strangers. The reality in America is that women are more likely to be a victim of violent assault from an intimate partner. The frequency of this happens more than you might think. To put this into perspective there were 6,488 US troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2001 and 2012. During that same time frame 11,766 American women were killed by their husband, boyfriend or ex-partner. Nearly twice as many women had been killed than soldiers that had died in combat; it would appear that the real war is against women. Our nation is sitting on a problem of epidemic proportions...which added poignancy to the women’s self-defense seminar I taught. Stacey also shared an empowering story about how she had learned one simple technique during a previous seminar--a simple stranglehold that helped her out of a sticky situation. Stacey’s stories and the alarming statistics are a powerful rationale to provide self-defense seminars to the women who live in our community.
BJJ IS FOR EVERYONE
I have been blessed with the opportunity to coach BJJ these last few years. I have learned so much from the people at our gym. Together, we have developed a love for this martial art...together we sweat and bleed for BJJ...together we celebrate our wins and lessons. We show up on the mats each day eager to improve. And all of this learning has significant value to us as individuals. Sure, it feels great to hit that double under pass to truck to rear naked choke; nailing those transitions took time! But sometimes we forget that jiu-jitsu is a martial art designed for self-defense and self-preservation. Sometimes it feels self-indulgent when we consider all the time spent on the mats. Sometimes I forget that my specific knowledge is a powerful tool that can not only change lives, but also save lives.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi
When we asked our gym members for help facilitating a women’s self-defense seminar, they eagerly volunteered. The best thing about belonging to a gym like ours comes from moments like this. Every member of our gym knows the power and value of BJJ. At one point, I watched John (one of the volunteers) carefully explain the technique to a small group of women. John was in his element; his precise language and confidence was contagious--he made the women believe they could execute the technique! Watching your students teach others is a beautiful thing. After the seminar, John was the first to offer his help to get involved with future events. Every member of our gym is grateful for the lessons that BJJ has taught us. It makes sense that these fine men and women would jump at the chance to give back to our community. Not only were we able to empower women, we donated every dollar earned that day to New Horizons Shelter. We will continue providing women’s self-defense classes because learning BJJ can change lives and save lives.
