Links
Oct
8
Hip-Tossing “Rivals” and Self-Control
Filed Under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory, Philosophy, and Technique
.
.
.
A student of mine, who is training to be a firefighter and currently works as a bouncer in a local bar, has had a couple of run-ins with guys from a “rival” gym (I use the word “rival” only because that gym dislikes us, and we are indifferent towards them). My student recently told a story about breaking up a fight between two guys, one of which trains at the gym in question (he was wearing his gym’s t-shirt). The guy turns on my student and rushes him to which my student hip tosses him and then mounts him. He tries to calm the guy down; he never throws a punch and tries to diffuse the situation. They (the bouncers) get the guy outside where he gets handled again. This time he makes threats and challenges my student to meet him at his gym to settle things.
I hate to hear stories like this only because I think being a drunk, dumb-ass and representing jiu-jitsu is a travesty to the art. But, I’m glad my student handled himself in a respectable manner. He showed control, and I am very proud of him for that.
There’s nothing more powerful than being able to control yourself, but sometimes it’s difficult and sometimes we lose it. I’ve lost control before I started taking jiu-jitsu and I’ve lost control after I started taking jiu-jitsu, and they’re not even close to being the same.
Long story short, in college I got in a fight with a guy in my apartment. I tackled him, sat on him, punched him in the face once or twice, then he grabbed my wrists to stop me from hitting him, so I bit a chunk of meat from his chest (pretty disturbed I know, I’m not proud of it, but it happened). That was pre-jiu-jitsu.
Post jiu-jitsu, well, actually, I haven’t been in a fight since I’ve been taking jiu-jitsu. I’ve come close, but nothing has ever escalated that far. I wouldn’t hesitate to do what my student did. I don’t think he had a choice, and after he tossed the guy, even though he had the option to hurt him, he didn’t, and to me that’s self-control.
Good post, and good job to our brave, noble firefighter.