Zenyo Jiu Jitsu

I experienced amusement, empowerment, and humility with Professor John Emmett at Zenyo Jiu jutsu. As a person in my 60’s, I did not see how I would defend myself from the ground-especially against a much stronger and younger person. Most people my age fall down and can’t get up, for me it was the opposite, I couldn’t stay up because I kept falling down. Despite my limitation I kept coming to class. As I continued coming to class, I noticed my knees didn’t hurt as bad and I was able to kneel on them longer without falling over. As a matter of fact, I was starting to last a little longer during sparring without feeling like I was going to pass out from exhausting. As I reflected on how much I was improving, my limitation were slowly disappearing. What was more unexpected about everything, I was having fun doing it. It amazed me how the higher belts and the instructor would wiggle their bodies like a worm or snake and repositioned themselves into a more dominate position without hurting me. It was a pleasure to roll, (spar), with everyone in the class because I did not experience any extra unneeded pain while rolling.

A few months after I started studying jiu jutsu, my 24 year old nephew came to visit me. One day we were playing around and happened to be on the floor. As we took turns practicing holding each other down, I realized how much I had learned when my nephew was unable to stop or hold me down whenever I decided I wanted to get up. Look at me, here I am with a young man almost 40 years my junior handling him without any problems at all. I was a beast!!! Well at least to him I was because I started teaching him some of the things I had learned in class. As we worked on the mat, I could see he did some wrestling, so we had a very nice exchange of information. Now my nephew knows, Uncle Eddie can handle himself on the ground!

Thank you Professor John Emmett and my training partners at Zenyo Jiu jutsu!.