This was written by Goju-Joe from Bullshido.net, link to original post here
http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?p=2178352
It’s about Brazilian Jiujitsu, but is so fucking amazing that I figure I share with you guys
Just Breathe – Why BJJ
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So what’s so special about BJJ for me?
Is it the image of being a bone breaking badass? Come on please I am a 37 year old bald father of three
Is it the pretense of doing something that MMA fighters do and hobnobbing with real athletes?
See previous answer
So what attracts me to BJJ.
It’s the fight to breathe, Its that point in at the end of the class during rolling after 20 minutes of being exhausted having some 230 pound gone get side control on me applying shoulder pressure and being totally gassed out and wanting to quit.
But not quitting, simply focusing on breathing, create space, breathe, get my hips under, breathe, recover half guard, breathe, sweep or recover full guard, breathe, go for a sub or a sweep and breathe.
In a life where things like, taxes, kids, parents health, the economy and a million other things can overwhelm a man. An hour and a half of primal fighting to simply breathe and keep going beyond your endurance of fighting on when quitting is just a tap away is supremely important to mental health
In a society that consistently tries to denude men of their masculinity of rituals and rights in which we learn to be strong (not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally) we all need something to measure our selves against, to compete against like Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea, a good external battle is really fight against our desire to quit and give up, and this is what defines us as men.
In some ways BJJ to me is the external manifestation of an internal and symbolic fight, that no matter what happens you just have to focus and fight for that next step, that next breath, don’t worry about the big stuff just simply breathe.
