Mark just sent me this note…

Not infrequently, when someone hears I have a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, they say one of two things: “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Or, “I’m not worried about defending myself.

 

I carry a gun.”

It’s a very odd reaction, one that sounds defensive—as if the fact that I am reasonably good at this thing called jiu jitsu makes me a threat to them.

In fact, there is nothing threatening about jiu jitsu. It is nonaggressive and technically not even a martial art (since it is not designed for war, but for sport and self-defense).

It’s a great way for anyone who’s not big and strong or athletic to develop confidence… particularly confidence when confronted by aggressive people. If you’d like to learn more about it, take a look at this video from the second cousin of the man I first learned from: