A personal update.
After over two years of hard work, I was promoted to blue belt in my Brazilian Jiujitsu journey. Jiujitsu is the most difficult, brutally honest combat sport I've done. It's gruelling, often ego-crushing, and extremely demanding for both the body and the mind.
Many have asked me why I am doing this if it's really this rough. It's simple, really - jiujitsu is honest. There's no room for disingenuity or falsehoods. It strips away social status and exposes the true character of each individual, and it doesn't matter if you're a billion-dollar CEO or a blue-collar worker. It is a place where often our true characters surface up. Some of the toughest-looking individuals have walked away forever, bitterly defeated, while some considered "weak and fragile" have displayed unwavering determination and resilience. Personally, this art has allowed me to gain a clearer understanding of myself. I've learned how I handle both victory and defeat, how I connect with others, my approach to learning, and how much I can endure and sacrifice. I created and solidified friendships through jiujitsu based on shared dedication and suffering. It's hard to explain to someone the level of trust I have towards my friends I've trained grappling with. While we risk life and limb every day we're on the mat, we're mindfully trying to protect each other can only be felt through training, but this trust passes on outside the tatami as well. I want to dedicate this post to my coaches, friends, and my late father, who ignited my passion for martial arts. Besides family life, combat sports have been the second most significant and impactful realm for my personal development. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities it has provided me.