Originally Posted by
ford.304
I started reading about self defense online just because I was a nerd and it sounded interesting. This lead to buying a gun, getting my CCW, reading more... and realizing I still knew practically nothing.
So I started reading ToddG's website. Which led to my showing up at Paul-e-Palooza 2. And after taking sessions with Paul Sharp and Cecil Burch I started thinking "maybe I *should* learn some martial arts." So I asked them, "what should I train?" and everyone said "BJJ."
Almost exactly five years ago I showed up to a local BJJ school. I was such an idiot -- I literally picked up and slammed the first guy I rolled with -- he arm-barred me almost immediately after, of course. But I was hooked.
Honestly, I've barely been to the range since then. I still love shooting, but it's tough to carve time out of parenting & work for it, whereas I can show up to the gym every morning and work on choking people. I've trained 5 days a week since except for when I've been sick or injured. With covid going on, we put mats in a buddy's basement and we beat the crap out of each other every day. Maybe someday I'll actually be good at it. But I've never found anything with the same level of constant challenge and variety... of intellectual depth mixed with physical exertion.
At this point I'm doing it for the love of the art. I like to think that I'm *also* doing something useful from a self-defense standpoint (we do get out gloves occasionally to pressure test that, as well as working wrestling and standup regularly), but I'll be honest and say it isn't the primary reason. I just want to understand more and get better... and then maybe someday help other people do the same thing.