Photo: Leon Sandoval www.heyleon.com, Instagram @heyleonmedia and Facebook.com/heyleonmedia
Guest post by Joseph Coker, a second generation martial arts teacher based out of North Charleston, SC. Through his school Park Circle Jiu Jitsu, he teaches over 100 local children of various ages every week. If you would like more information about classes, camps, feel free to reach out on his Facebook page at Park Circle Jiu Jitsu.
I have a student, lets give him a fake name and call him Alex. Alex is 8 years old and is one of my most dedicated students. He trains hard, he never complains in class, he never cries, he never gets his feathers ruffled. He helps the younger kids when they are learning things, but he also knows how to turn it on when matched with someone at his own skill level.
Alex didn’t always used to be this way. When he first started, he was the smallest kid in his class and like the runt of any litter, kind of got the worst from the group at times and was often outmatched in every class. He was younger then so some of this is emotional maturity. But he tended to whine a lot, gave up easily, he just seemed like one of those kids that was gonna pass through Jiu Jitsu and move on.
But a funny and unremarkable thing happened. His parents kept bringing him to class. Even after I no longer had a class at his school, even though the drive time from their house was brutal, even though he lost at events and in class. They kept helping him show up.
Then almost imperceptibly, he started to change. Not because I am some magnificent teacher, but because Jiu Jitsu is the teacher. He would still get taken down, but then would fight off his back. He would have someone trying to put pressure on him and make him panic, and he would stay calm in the midst of a bigger kid putting all their weight on him. Now, he is slowly taking on the roll of the hammer and the other kids are the nail. I love it.
Jiu Jitsu is so potent because every day we challenge ourselves. Every day we push our limits. Every day we learn to control ourselves and our surroundings. Jiu Jitsu changed him.
Alex is my constant reminder that all you have to do is keep showing up.
