I did join Buckhead Jiu-Jitsu. I also joined two other gyms at the same time, imagining this progressive schedule of Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and maybe Kali in a hybrid of self-weaponization. What was I preparing for? I guess after moving to Atlanta, I was preparing for an inevitable apocalypse in which only our bodies and sticks would be available for self-defense. Either that or I’m bad with money and saying “no” to things (guess which is the more likely scenario). To add to the legitimacy of my decision making skills, I also decided to travel to Europe for almost a full month after signing these contracts and letting them auto-charge for the month I was eating calzones and schnitzel. You know, instead of “thinking it over” and signing contracts once I came back to the U.S.
I remember a distinct moment in Florence, Italy. Early in the morning, with soft rays of sunshine seeping through ancient shutters and a fresh layer of mosquito bites covering me and Rachelle, I decided to drop at least one academy. I talked through the pros/cons with my wife while she feigned interest between snooze alarms. I picked the one offering less Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. With a quick email on spotty Italian Wi-Fi, I asked to be released from my contract. They were amendable and refunded me a few dollars, but overall released me from my contract as a whole. Now I stood on two academy memberships.
After returning to Atlanta, I attended both places for a time. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I attended Buckhead Jiu-Jitsu. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I went to a different academy for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This lasted about a month. At Buckhead Jiu-Jitsu, I grew intimidated by the thought of rolling against anybody, so I focused on attending the introductory classes for that first month. I hoped to acquire a bevy of techniques in my arsenal before jumping into the more advanced class, just in time to show off my newly honed grappling prowess.
At the other place, rolling was part of the introductory class. With large men hurling their bodies at me, I found myself using the techniques I learned at Buckhead. They worked. I passed guards, whipped on triangles, and otherwise surprised myself and my partners.
Yet, I also didn’t feel I learned much at this second place. White belts were shown a single, very situational technique and then told to drill in the corner with very little oversight or instruction to hone details and deter bad habits. When we did roll, even against blue belts and upper white belts (3 or 4 stripes), I did fine or even better than fine as I shocked them with submissions and movement. Maybe I was a natural. Maybe this would be easier than I thought. Maybe BJJ wasn’t as hard as advertised. In retrospect, I was probably more athletic and aggressive.
Full of confidence, I returned to Buckhead Jiu-Jitsu and leaped into the regular class like a flying triangle. Surely the difference between one academy and another wouldn’t be that striking. Surely I was some sort of savant and would prove I could dominate wherever I landed. Matched with an upper blue belt my size – with a bit less muscle, but more hair (let’s call him “Greg”) – I pulled him to my closed guard and started throwing my legs towards his neck. He blocked them and tossed my legs to the mat. In a blink he landed on my side and with a bony knee in my stomach and a forearm shoved against my cheek. In another blink he spun around me for an arm bar. I tapped. We reset and I pulled closed guard again. I held him there, but really didn’t do much except not open my legs as if squeezing him would suck away his will to live. My ankles popped opened as I tried to bump sweep him because that was the move of the day and I felt it was better than clinging to closed guard with all my will. The moment my legs opened, Greg danced over my legs and to my side again. I wouldn’t fall for the spinning arm bar again. I had him solved. So I rolled away, but he appeared on my back. His fingers looped around my collar and I was choking. I tapped. Okay, maybe he was some savant as well. I mean his blue belt had a million faded stripes and I was still new to all of this. Time for the next match-up.
So it went as the journey of a million taps started. With a blue belt lady. With a three stripe white belt. With a two stripe white belt. With a different blue belt. It didn’t matter. I was at the bottom of the heap and squinting way up the mountain. That night, I emailed the other place and quit. I didn’t care that they’d charge my card for another two months of classes. I was done. I knew the path to take and it wasn’t the easy path.
