A Jiu Jitsu Journey: My Rise To Purple Belt
Jiu Jitsu has been one of the best things that has entered my life. There is so much to be said about this journey. All of which has led me to where I am now. A Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt.
My experience started roughly about 7 years ago. A friend had brought me in after my boxing gym had closed down. For the entire first week of his training, he couldn’t stop talking about how much fun he had. The amount of happiness he had exhibited in our conversations drew excitement within me. So much so, that I had to see what all this hype was about. Little did I know I was walking into a new chapter of my life. One that would humble me in so many ways. One that would break me down physically, mentally and turn my entire life around for the better.
It was the first time I stepped into this room with padded floors. Scanning the area to see what I was getting myself into, I noticed all different body types and age groups, from 15 to mid 60s. All congregating in a circle on the mat with nothing but smiles and laughter, patiently awaiting the instructor to come in and start class. Much different than how my boxing gym was ran for sure. Once the instructor came in, he put us through a good warm up session. Specifying the safety of warming up the body and stretching before the technique was shown, so there would be fewer injuries while drilling the moves.
He then lined us up on the wall and picked a guy from the crowd to use for showing the technique he had planned, learning that this guy had the title of “uke”. Wikipedia defines this as, “Uke (受け) in Japanese martial arts the person who “receives” a technique.”
From there the amount of technique that was involved for sure left me spinning in circles. I didn’t understand how they could move so freely, all while I could do nothing to protect myself. I just went from one uncomfortable position to the next.
Even though these guys had built their body up to handle these positions, I was still nervous to “go hard” or put a good amount of pressure on them in fear I would hurt them. That soon all went away when I realized they weren’t taking it easy on me. The beginning of my journey introduced me to the quote, “sometimes you are the hammer and sometimes you are the nail”.
But I stuck with it, I kept moving forward. Soon to realize that all these people that were grinding me into submission were also the same ones to pick me up and show me what I was doing wrong. Sure, there were some really tough times mentally and physically, but as the days progressed, I noticed that my confidence was building and the definition in my body started to shine through. But so did my friendships within the gym. Soon I was getting better at the basic techniques. Learning important fundamentals of closed guard, side control and top mount. I became hooked on the sport of jiu jitsu.
After I created some consistency and started getting better, my coach came over and decide to wrap a piece of tape around my belt. This tape isn’t any old piece of tape. It was a symbol of my growth and progression. For some of you that are unaware of the levels, they are categorized with different colored belts. (White, blue, purple, brown, black and coral belt.) To reach the next level belt you must earn 4 degrees or stripes on that belt to advance. That first stripe I obtained on my belt lit a fire within me. The amount of people that were so happy for me and congratulated me was extremely different. Not something I was used to in the previous groups of friends I would hang out with. I knew I was right where I needed to be.
From there I found the competition side of things. Now I thought I was nervous to step in and start training, but this was an entirely new experience that took me way outside of my comfort zone. But it was an experience I’ll never forget.
Let’s be real, I was horrible. I lost the first 10 matches I was in. Not only because my jiu jitsu game wasn’t fully developed. But the adrenaline dump I experienced caught me off guard. During the competition my heart rate elevated, and my lungs were gasping for breath. I seemed to have forgotten all my previous training and abilities and felt worthless. I had no idea what this was. My coach later described it as an adrenaline dump, and it was perfectly normal given my experience. It was all part of the training.
I refused to give up, even though I was horrible at it, but my determination helped me break through those barriers and overcome the stresses of competition. I went on to achieving 1 gold medal within my white belt journey and as a blue belt achieved multiple gold medals. That experience got me noticed on social media. Which presented me with my first professional jiu jitsu match. 800 plus spectators and I would be locked in a cage. That opportunity resulted in success, and I went home with a victory that night.
Jiu Jitsu has taught me many things outside of self-defense. To be humble in your adventures. To be kind and respectful towards yourself and others. I have met so many amazing people within my journey and the only regret I have is not starting it sooner. It makes me extremely happy to be able to learn and pass on this knowledge to others so they can have a life changing experience like my own. I have learned to be patient with myself as well as others. Building a reputation of respect and honesty amongst a growing community of amazing people.
The best part of this journey is that it’s never ending. There is always room to grow and learn. Receiving my purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu was one of the most memorable moments. It shows dedication, commitment and growth. It shows that if you put your mind to something and push past the obstacles that you can achieve success in whatever direction you decide to go. I look forward to the memories I will have within this rank and embrace the new challenges that lie ahead. Jiu Jitsu changed my life for the better.
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