Goku and His Two Brain Cells: Training and Eating
I started watching Dragon Ball around the same time I began BJJ: roughly four gruelling months ago.
My sensei prescribed it to me as a new student, claiming the action anime had worked wonders for his martial arts motivation. Taking his word for it, I gladly ordered my BJJ-DB combo.
At first it was all terrible. Being shoved into sweaty dudes' crotches by day, and watching Master Roshi try to sneak a peek up minors' skirts by night was not the inspirational journey I had in mind.
On mornings after Jiu Jitsu, a soreness that can only be described as civil war in my nervous system would lock me into questioning my existence. I'd show up the next day anyway, only get manhandled by the yolked 20-somethings in ways that were smellier and sweatier than I could have ever imagined.
I remember crying to my girlfriend nearly three weeks in about how I felt like a little kid begging his mom to let him skip ice hockey practice. "Please mommy, but I don't like the crazy Czech coach that says bruise-blue is his favorite color, and drinking water during practice is for losers."
But I had talked about wanting to train BJJ for years, and I had finally accomplished the hardest part: showing up. As demoralized as I felt, I refused to believe I was too delicate for the sport, and with a bit of grit a couple pep talks from my sensei, got through my first month.
By month two it was as if something magical was slowly occurring: my body grew noticeably more resilient, I began to retain an iota of theory, and most importantly of all, I realized I wasn't the only one intimidated by the prospect of personal growth.
As Jiu-Jitsu lessons gradually generated less friction in my life, I continued chipping away at Dragon Ball at night. I couldn't quite wrap my head around how blatantly pervy 80's anime could be, but something about Goku's simple perseverance pushed me to make progress in the gym, while the uplifting tone of the Dragon World satisfied a yearning for wholesome entertainment I had long been without.
BJJ and Dragon Ball were beginning to form and inextricable link in my heart.
50 odd episodes deep, I enthusiastically reported back to my sensei who, hearing the good news, replied with... (subscribe to read the full article)