Jiu-Jitsu Journey: Uniting and Empowering the Clarksville Community

First Written Jan 9th, 2017 by Coach Don

​I tell people all the time my mission in life is to spread the love of Jiu-Jitsu throughout the world.

In my previous job I talked about Jiu-Jitsu and all that it has brought me since I discovered it. I converted two coworkers.

They agreed after relentless badgering to try a class.

Both signed contracts at my professor’s school. One trained for a while and set it aside for other life events.

The other trains as circumstances allow after moving to a place where academies are far from home. I don’t consider either of these encounters a failure. I transferred my energy and love for Jiu-Jitsu to people I valued. They have taken from Jiu-Jitsu what they chose. I believe in both instances the experience has enriched them.

When I was teaching Jiu-Jitsu in a small gym tucked in the corner of one of Saddam’s palaces in Iraq I brought in hundreds of Soldiers, contractors and Defense employees to train.

Some used the opportunity as a way to pass the time while deployed to Iraq.

Some continue to train today and have gone on to earn blue, purple and even brown belts under instructors around the globe.

Tonight, Modern Martial Arts and Family Fitness Center opened its doors for training for the first time.

A brother and sister who had been training in my home got their first taste of a formal academy.

Adult students who had been coming to the house three nights a week also made the transition.

Among them two new students who had never trained before tasted some of what Jiu-Jitsu has to offer.

I’m proud to have facilitated that discovery.

The journey of Jiu-Jitsu is different for every practitioner.

I’ve watched parents skeptically step on to the mats after seeing the joy and accomplishment their children have experienced to find that they also enjoy training.

I’ve seen retirees take up the art out of curiosity to find that it fulfills physical and social needs they didn’t realize they had.

I’ve seen body builders humbled by smaller training partners. I’ve seen timid young women become fierce competitors.

I look forward to serving this community and providing a conduit for the pursuit of Jiu-Jitsu.

I honestly can’t wait to see who comes through the door next to train. Maybe they will try for a month and go on to their next pursuit.

Maybe they will find Jiu-Jitsu provides them with something they need in their life for a season or two and abandon it as situations continue to change.

It’s also equally possible they will find that Jiu-Jitsu becomes a permanent part of their being as it has mine. Regardless, I am dedicated to showing and sharing.

None are diminished for exploring Jiu-Jitsu’s offerings.

Whether someone wishes to sample and move on, or to practice for the rest of their lives; I will do all that I can to help them to find whatever joy they may from the practice