I barely survived

Hi everyone,

This is a short story about how I barely survived a recent experience that made me a lot stronger…

I admit that I had little to no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to step on the mat with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and master Rener Gracie. What I knew was that Rener was the grandson of the legendary Gracie family who brought the Japanese martial art, adapted to a Brazilian style, to the United States back in the early 1900s.

Rener is one of the best teachers I have ever met. Since my investment in strength training with weights in the gym, I have been looking for more ways to increase my cardio exercise and Jiu-Jitsu is definitely a great workout.

In one hour I learned 16 simple moves how to defend myself against a possible attack. Rener describes Jiu-Jitsu as is the operating system that powers his life. Like a chess match, Jiu-Jitsu seems to be more about mental fitness, spacial awareness, anticipating your opponent’s next move and discipline more than anything else. That said, a rear naked choke hold is no joke. Within 6 seconds [see pic above] of making the wrong escape move I started to lose consciousness and pass out.

This is not the headlock you did in 8th grade during a tussle on the playground. Nor is it a move that is taught or taken lightly at Gracie University. Students learn how dangerous this move can be and to use it with extreme caution and discretion. More than anything else, I began to see the training as a metaphor.

Ancient Greek philosopher Seneca said, “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” Over thinking or worrying about a future event is completely normal. If you watch the news the media often portrays the world to look like a very scary place. But if you’re like me, the thing I’m worried about most rarely actually comes to pass. The fear or anxious feeling is usually the fear of the unknown.

Jiu-Jitsu provides answers, solutions and countermeasures for every situation. Although we can’t predict or perfectly control what happens to us, there is a peace of mind and confidence that comes with feeling prepared for anything.

Rener expands on this idea in his new book out called The 32 Principles where he describes how to harness the power of Jiu-Jitsu in business, relationships and life. Watch or listen to both the interview or my session on the mat and you can decide for yourself.

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