When I first started Danzan Ryu Jujitsu, I absolutely hated it. I was an unhealthy kid, just about nine years old. After a few weeks, I began to actually enjoy the martial art. When I got my gi, I really started to like it. I loved learning new techniques and variations of previously learned arts. I was pretty good for a kid just around ten years old, but of course, things can’t be great forever.
In the year 2020, the world went through a devastating pandemic. Schools were locked down, people had to wear masks, and I couldn’t get back on the mat. It took about two years for things to start coming back to normal. I got back into the dojo and rose through the ranks, but at the same time, life was still changing for me. Classes were getting harder, especially since I was in advanced math. I lost valuable time, and I couldn’t show up to the dojo as much. As time went on, it became harder and harder to focus on Jujitsu, the thing which I loved.
I still attended when I had time, though. I remember my parents paying for scarce lessons every few months. I felt bad, like I was wasting their money, but this was all it felt like I could do. I couldn’t find my balance between school, social life, and Jujitsu. I realized between eighth grade and my freshman year that my experience with DZR Jujitsu would only get more difficult.
I was figuratively and somewhat literally punching above my weight.
In order to actually learn, I’d have to train with people who’ve been doing this way longer than I have, and I’d have to work with bodies a few heads taller and sometimes a hundred pounds larger than me. I was older, but I wasn’t much larger. The difficulty of finding a good sparring partner was frustrating, and it discouraged me from the sport.
I’ve come to realize that both in Jujitsu and life, balance is my greatest ally.
In Jujitsu, the concept of Kuzushi and balance plays a big part in your technique. If I couldn’t throw my peers—the people who were so much bigger and stronger than me—off balance, absolutely none of my techniques would work. Of course, I still have a lot to work on with my technique. In life, I have to find the balance between school, a social life, and Jujitsu. The more balance I have, and the less my opponent has, the more I can turn things in my favor.
Throughout the years, I have had ups and downs. I’m still going through change and I still have a lot to learn in Jujitsu. The most important thing right now is that I maintain balance. I’ve learned to accept that I’ll be much smaller than a lot of people, and knowing such, I need better technique. I’ve also learned to accept that life isn’t going to be predictable and I’ll need to adjust my balance from time to time to stay on my feet.
My experience from Danzan Ryu Jujitsu has given me valuable life lessons, and I aim to thrive in my martial arts journey and through the rest of my life.
— Vinh-Son Vu, Redding Jujitsu Academy