Recently a young boy and his brother enrolled into Elite Training Center’s Kids Jiu Jitsu program. Whenever a new student joins us we always ask them to think about 2 or 3 goals that they want to achieve. The older of the two, 8 years old had 3 goals.
—Learn how to kick
—Learn self-defense
—Learn how to defend others
To grasp the gravity of the 8 year old’s goal is essential to truly understanding the martial way. We continually instill in the students, whether 8 or 80 how important it is to think of others rather than the self. To wholeheartedly give yourself to something bigger is how martial arts endure.
Krav Maga was created out of a true emergency situation. So many people saw the importance of learning the system that citizens and military personnel alike were more than willing to share this particular skill set. Being surrounded by countries who hate you spurred an entire country to buckle down and get focused on the task at hand.
Kali Silat, having it’s lineage close to 2000 years old, actually hid their combat system in dance and other celebratory styles from Spanish conquistidors. However, Kali endured because the culture deemed it as a true representation of the island nation’s spirit.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or BJJ is derived from Japanese Jiu Jitsu. Although not as old as the Japanese system, BJJ really came to the forefront of the martial arts world in the last 20 years due to the success of the Gracie family in the UFC. It is so very well established now that it is considered one of the most practiced martial arts in the world.
Muay Thai kickboxing, although a national sport and an integral part of every successful MMA fighter’s repertoire is to this day shared and trained at very early stages. The country of Thailand teaches a militarized version to its soldiers.
Live for something bigger. Take on the responsibility of giving back and passing the information on to those responsible. If an 8 year old can do it…
