Why I Coach...

Over the many years I've been teaching Jiu Jitsu,  I like to think I've helped people achieve their goals wether it was getting fit,  losing weight,  building self confidence,  becoming a feirce competitor and of course spreading the beautiful art of Jiu Jitsu. All of these things are fantastic accomplishments. But really there is one reason that towers above the rest. 

At training yesterday,  one of my students came up to me and thanked me for saving his life. Shocked,  I asked him what had happened!??  He went on tell me how while in the city, performing with his group as he had for many years,  they were set upon by a large group of thugs numbering around thirty. Now just for a minute imagine that scenario. The chaos,  the adrenaline, the fear for yourself and your friends saftey. Without going into to much detail,  this student firstly had the confidence to defend himself and one of his friends who had been knocked unconscious and was being stomped by a group. He ended up in ICU but could've ended up in the morgue had this student not intervened. One of the thugs tried to choke this student from behind and he had the presence of mind to initiate the correct escape and stayed on his feet. 

Now this is a traumatic tale,  but I can say as a coach who dedicated more than half his life to training and teaching martial arts,  that when one of my guys survives something like this and manages to save his friends life, that is why I teach and train. That is what it means to be a martial artist. 

Gold medals are cool,  but kinda fade in comparison to a student surviving an ordeal like that because of the training. 

Stay safe beasts. OSU.