My First Kid’s Class

He tied the belt around me and pulled three times, hard. I was wearing a gi, a kind of white robe used for jiu jitsu. It was an amazing feeling. Well, I mean figuratively… The gi was sweaty and a weird, irregular shape, but it felt gratifying to be trying something I’d never done before and making progress.

When we got onto the mats we started by lining up by belt. The highest belts were in the front, and the lowest in the back, so I was in the back because I had only just started jiu-jitsu. Now it was time for the dreaded warm-ups. We started by jogging around the mats, rolling and sneaking on the floor and other basic moves. Then it was time for the best part, learning new moves. We all lined up on the crisp, rigid mats listening to the explanation. The professors were demonstrating a takedown called “Tackle the Giant,” which was a way to efficiently take down someone bigger than you. Following that, we put it into practice. As I got to the front of the line, I felt a strange mix of anticipation and timidity. I was so excited to be advancing my hobby but nervous for what the professors might think or how I would do.

“C’mon up!” Bruno (one of my professors) said in his lively, thick Brazilian accent.  I rose to my feet and scrambled towards him. “Go ahead,” he prompted.

“OK.” I pushed my body into his hips and locked my hands onto the back of his knees. I pulled with all of my capacity. He fell to the floor and smacked the ground. He tapped me twice. This meant “let go.” I released.

“Nice work!” he declared. I was content, for it felt satisfactory to try something new and succeed. Now I got to spar with the other professors, getting new feedback everytime. After we’d done this about three times, the moves changing a small bit every time, something new added each time. The moves felt fluid and powerful. I felt responsible and empowered with this knowledge and skill, but I’d felt like this before.

About a week earlier, I had a private lesson with my instructor, Richie. He had taught us a move that could seriously injure someone. He had said to us, “I am trusting you with the responsibility of knowing this move. I want you to be very careful with this knowledge; if one person moves a weird way, one of you could be seriously injured.” I had felt a huge wave of responsibility and empowerment in that moment. It was an intense statement, something that you aren’t told just every day. Aside from feeling intimidated by this, I appreciated a sense of happiness, power and trust.

The class was coming to an end, and it was both a satisfactory and bitter moment. It was such a wondrous feeling to work hard, go far and succeed, and especially in only one hour. I was also quite pleased about the fact that we got to get burgers and shakes after. But at the same time, it was sad to leave, and I didn’t want to depart with the feeling of growth, empowerment and happiness.

In conclusion, jiu jitsu is a life-changing, empowering sport. After trying jiu-jitsu, I changed in an amazing way, and if more people tried jiu-jitsu, the world would be a safer, happier place. Will you try jiu-jitsu?

-Nora Whiteside