Defending Against Demons
Training as Therapy
This week’s post is a little different.
For those unaware, I do a lot of fighter interviews for Specatation Sports , Millions, and MYMMANEWS. Oftentimes, the fighters I speak to share something that sticks with me because it’s not only relatable as a hobbyist martial artist, but as a human being dealing with similar troubles.
Two fighters I spoke to, who were matched against each other and fought once before, fought again this past weekend, and the common thread between them is what prompted this week’s post.
Shane Fichter vs Pernell Stevens
These two men probably don’t know how much they have in common when it comes to their lives and how they found each other, face-to-face in competition.
Once in MMA, and once in a bare-knuckle bout.
One man battled through addiction to get to recovery and found it in martial arts. The other finds peace in the violence given and received on fight night, because he holds a lot of emotions in otherwise.
Fichter shared his past with me about addiction and going to jail before finding martial arts.
Stevens, who told me he found fighting meditative, told me he lost his father, days before his rematch with Fichter. He said he was holding a lot of that pain in, and he enjoys the fight camps and training because it’s where he gets to let that all out.
You can read my piece on them over at Spectation Sports here.
Fichter won the match, but I hope Stevens won some peace in the moments that kept him present.
It’s one of the things I love most about training and why I continue to train. Martial arts can help you find and maintain confidence during chaotic times.
Benefits of Training
Since this newsletter was inspired by questions I answered on Quora, I looked for one that I thought was relatable to what Fichter and Stevens shared with me. So, here is my answer to the question about the benefits of training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
It’s the last point in the answer that made me include it in this week’s post.
What are the top benefits of Brazilian jiu-jitsu?
There are so many, but I’ll just list some for you.
Physical fitness: You’ll find yourself getting in the best shape you have ever been in. Give yourself a month or two and once the soreness is something you get used to, compliments will be coming afterward.
Self Defense: This probably should be first, but the more you do it, the more prepared you will be to use it if you have to. I know a lot of places tout “self-defense” but the live rolling in BJJ is one of the things that helps wake up your mind to applying what you learn.
Relationships: Some of my closest friends in my life right now are the ones I have made in training. It’s also a gateway to making friends everywhere you go. Because of BJJ, I have friends in California, Virginia, Florida, and Texas, all because of my time training in the art. And I keep making more. It also helped me realize when to exit a relationship with a significant other. Some people are never happy, so if they can’t be happy with you, time to tap out and move on to the next match.
Presence of Mind: Just “Being”, keeping your mind present helps avoid depression and anxiety. The longer you do BJJ, the more you get used to training your mind to focus on the here and now. You cannot let your mind wander when you train; that’s how you get hurt.
I know that’s not a lot, but it’s enough for me. Hopefully it’s enough for you to try it out.
Good luck and have fun with it.
Until next week, good luck to you too, and have fun with it!
If you liked this, check out my Combat Sports Newsletter here. Keep this newsletter free by purchasing your martial arts supplies through my Amazon affiliate link. Additionally, if you visit Quora regularly, consider upgrading to Quora+ with my referral link here.