This is a phrase that is often heard among jiu-jitsu practitioners implying that their participation in jiu-jitsu has similar effects to going to therapy. While these effects can definitely be experienced, it is important to clarify the distinction between something being therapeutic, which is when something has a healing or […]
To stick with BJJ for years, or a lifetime, you need to really love it in a way that often crosses the line into all-consuming obsession. Many of the people I’ve met in the BJJ community shape their entire lives around the sport. Their schedules are built around class. Their […]
We like to think we’re in control. We schedule. We work. We workout. We do the things. Sudden events beyond our control show us that we are not always in the “driver’s seat” even when we are. In 2004, I was in a car accident that shattered my right ankle, […]
Look around your BJJ class. One or more of your students could be a sexual assault survivor. About twenty percent of women, five percent of men, and nearly fifty percent of trans or non-binary folks are sexually assaulted at some point. In this article, I use “she” as a shorthand […]
At age 42 I found myself addicted to alcohol and I was ready to do whatever it took to get out of a disastrous downward spiral. My first step was seeking counseling. My therapist said that I needed to do something to help me get my strength back. My […]
It was a warm summer day in Lakewood Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. I pulled up to the Transform Headquarters for a Sunday yoga session. Despite my mad dash to get out the hotel room door, surprisingly I was early. I sat in the rental car for a few minutes, […]
Many turn to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the physical benefits, but what we don’t discuss openly is the benefits it has for helping those with mental health ailments. Up until now the fight has been fought alone silently. But thanks to movements like Submit the Stigma, headed by Erin Herle, […]
