Of Gauntlets & Grins
Thud
Well that escalated quickly.
Gone was the use of my right leg, my kicking leg.
There were three of them, all black belts, two of them (if I recall) instructors facing me.
Right out of the gate, not yet 7 seconds in, I’d eaten one hell of a roundhouse.
My leg buckled, went numb, and quivered.
It faltered, but out of instinct, spite, or… both it and I did not fail.
Shifting my weight backward to bolster it, I readied myself to absorb and offer a barrage of blows.
I knew the next few minutes would suck.
They, as minutes inevitably must, passed, as did I.
Battered, bruised, but as Churchill would say “unbowed” I still stood… barely.
A tea ceremony, the exact formalities and intricacies of I cannot recall, later I had my first black belt.
To say I’m not rusty or that a dance injury in Scotland did not diminish my abilities would be dishonest. But they’ve retained enough to be of use on a few, unenviable, occasions.
Kicking a balloon on your dorm kitchen’s ceiling is one thing, a captivating enough party trick, but knowing you can and will stand your grand in the face of that Moroccan would-be-mugger in Amsterdam is priceless.
Those right of passages, unpleasant indications can and should be sought out.
That’s what, finally, sold me on Jiu Jitsu.
A sneaky heads up text brought me, my friend Aphids, along with a cooler full of vinho verde and beers to witness, what in Jits, would be called a “Shark Tank.” There may very well be one occurring this evening, in other arenas, in your area.
In deference to my former gym and discretion re: the technicalities of the law, I’ll spare you the details of a typical such ordeal, but sufficed to say… there are yet gauntlets to walk, beltings to endure and worthy tests you can select, should you so choose.
Knowing what you, and those you allow into your life, can endure is invaluable. That sense of satisfaction well, but dearly, earned, is hard to beat.
So, we must find worthy gauntlets, those we’d willingly endure and decide if what’s on the other side is worth walking it for a.k.a embrace the suck, and know you and others will grin afterwards.
