2/2: JIU -JITSU AND STRESS MANAGEMENT
On Saturday, I had to change a sensor on one of our vehicles. One bolt. One connector. Top of the engine. Nothing in the way of it. My daughter asked me how long it would take and I said it would literally be 2 minutes. Never were more prophetic, or cursed, words uttered when she said, “Dad, that’s what you always say.” Fast forward 4, yes 4 hours later in the “warmth” of a 5 degree garage, after having to remove the intake manifold, buy an inspection mirror and a grabber tool, and pull out the part of the sensor that broke off inside the manifold and landed in the intake runner of the head, the car was back together…….and the problem I hoped to fix was (and still) is not fixed. I’m not proud of the words that came out of my mouth or the anger and frustration I had as half of my day was ruined by that little experience. We have all been there in that type of situation in life, and yesterday was clearly not an example of a success story for how Jiu-Jitsu has helped me deal with stress in life. But working on vehicles is still a trigger in my life that I haven’t contained yet.
However, I can happily tell you that Jiu-Jitsu has helped me in so many more areas of my life, and helped just about everyone who steps on those mats, deal with stress. I am so much calmer when dealing with people and situations at work, situations in the past that would normally get me riled up. I have talked to many former military personnel that have said Jiu-Jitsu has been the best therapy for them for PTSD. Having done this for so long, it’s very clear to me why.
Jiu-Jitsu, more than any other martial art, puts you in stressful situations 100% of the time that you are on the mat sparring. Every second you are sparring, you are literally trying to prevent your opponent from getting into a position to break you. The mere act of sparring makes it almost impossible to think of anything else but the immediate task in front of you. Literally, never have I thought about any of life’s problems when I have been in the middle of a sparring session, even during those times when life felt like it was crushing me. It is almost impossible to sit at home and NOT think about the things that are stressing you out. It’s like saying DON’T think about an elephant right now. Pretty sure you just did. Jiu-Jitsu gives you that mental break to get your mind off life’s problems, even if just for an hour a day, a couple days a week. This is not to say you should use it to run from your problems. No, what it should do is help clear your head and revisit them from a better state of mind.
Jiu-Jitsu also teaches you how to be uncomfortable and how to deal with it. I used to be very claustrophobic. But after being put in situations over and over again that would trigger that, I have largely overcome that phobia. When you can handle the constant physical and mental pressure that Jiu-Jitsu sparring provides, it WILL transfer to handling other aspects of your life as well.
Finally, you are in constant physical contact with a training partner for an entire class. Humans are social animals. We need physical contact to feel whole, to feel connected. This was never so clear as it was during COVID. The physical separation that time caused to people in this country has long lasting effects. But those that came to classes when we opened the doors often mentioned that this was their haven. They could be themselves. They could be around people. They weren’t judged, stared at, or attacked for not wearing a mask.
So, while I still have work to do in my life in controlling my own triggers, Jiu-Jitsu has helped fix many of them. So, if you know someone that could benefit from what it has to offer, invite them in for a class. You never know how it might just change their life.
