THE HUMAN

THE HUMAN

julienpineau1

BJJ Session

BJJ was the start of many things.

I remember that first session so well.

My life was not good at that time, I am about 19 years old with only dark thoughts brewing in my head.

This was about as low point as there was. I will not go into details about this particular time here but when I saw low I mean bottom of the Seine low.

I was lifting weights at the time, following to the letter Dorian Yates’s program, to no results obviously.

One day I saw Royce Gracie on TV. They were bashing the UFC and put together a quick clip of his fights.

I grew up watching martial arts movies and this was definitely NOT that. I can also recognize reality when I see it and I knew this was real.

I felt a twinge of fear in my stomach. This was a man who would hurt me, manhandle me on the ground, destroy my (then very fragile) ego.

I do not like to live in fear, so I decided to join a BJJ class.

My First Session

I get paired against a dude about my size. I am strong so I am not worried.

That changed about 30 seconds in when he is mounting me and choking me.

My face must have changed color and expression because he let go of the choke quickly and asked me if I was ok.

I don’t quite remember if I was. I know battery acid was flushing through my veins and that there was an elevator on fire somewhere in the vicinity where I was just trapped in 10 seconds prior.

I never had a panic attach until then but that definitely qualified.

I also knew one thing: I would be back the next day.

My thinking was clear: if I could master that feeling I would never be scared again.

I was pretty much right.

I found the same feeling on a pool table at a tournament, but since someone was not trying to take my head off of my body it was a lot easier to manage.

Right now my focus is not on grappling but it will be soon enough. Ill post here when it gets on it again.

Grappling gave me a lot, and i owe it far more than i can explain.