Monthly Archives: May 2023

Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 12:57 pm

One year

I’ve not posted about it directly until now, but today is the one year anniversary of me starting something I never thought I’d do. One year later, here I am, enjoying it and what it has been teaching me. I started learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu. At first, to mostly develop some self confidence and learn some self-defense, of which I’ve been lacking for a good portion of my life, and especially so since the attack in 2018. But what I’ve received out of the process is more than I expected.

I’ve not posted about it directly until now, but today is the one year anniversary of me starting something I never thought I’d do. One year later, here I am, enjoying it and what it has been teaching me.

I started learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu. At first, to mostly develop some self confidence and learn some self-defense, of which I’ve been lacking for a good portion of my life, and especially so since the attack in 2018. But what I’ve received out of the process is more than I expected.

Obviously, there’s the levels of self-defense it teaches when you just can’t walk away. Yes, there are many ways of defending one’s self given any situation. But this is what my path needed.

There is the physical health, full-body strength, cardio, flexibility, and movement it’s forced upon my body. All of which I was definitely lacking, and has taken me nearly a year to get to where I’m not winded constantly. I was never a gym person, and I find training BJJ better than a regular gym for me. I feel better about my body now at almost 50 than I ever have in my life.

And aside from actual therapy with a counselor (which I do consistently as well), it’s provided me with much needed mental stability. It’s oddly therapeutic, and relieves so much stress. I truly miss it when I can’t attend a class or training session. I also find my “Spidey senses” aren’t running 100% 24/7 like they were for several years, which was really starting to take its toll on me.

BJJ definitely has helped me work on my confidence, and it constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone. It’s teaching me persistence, humility, critical thinking, and to learn to be accepting of my failures. So many failures! Pretty much every round I roll. But, I’m slowly learning from those failures and mistakes, and each time working to better my skill.

Jiu-jitsu has also given me a new community. A group of regulars I interact with several times a week. And from that, new relationships and friends. Each of us with the goal of bettering ourselves, and also helping each other better themselves.

While I can’t say at one year in where I will be down the road, I can say I’m so happy with where I am now and what I’ve been learning about myself in the process.

Thank you for coming to my ERIKtalk.