Sharing Sweat

Shihan says that if you are working with someone and you are sweating, but they're not, you should feel free to share your sweat with them (usually by wiping it on their face). I guess this is their punishment for not working hard enough.

I believe one of the reasons martial artists form such close friendships is because we share our sweat with each other, and that the more literal the sweat-sharing is, the greater the bond. The physical closeness with which we train often leads to a closeness of spirit, and that's part of the reason why jiu-jitsu seems to bring about a great feeling of kinship among it's practitioners. Add to that the fact that we form a great trust with the people who we allow to try to hurt us on a regular basis, and it makes sense that we bond.

We have to be able to believe that the people we train with are not going to let their ego get in the way of their compassion. We have to trust that they have everyone's best interest at heart, and are not just there to prove themselves superior to someone. We have to know that they will not injure us out of negligence or malice. We have to see our fellow students as friends and family to be able to continue our growth together.

We are trying to improve ourselves as we share our blood, sweat and tears (ok, maybe the tears is just me), but we also are also trying to help others improve. As we share our failures and mistakes, as well as our accomplishments and successes, we learn how to grow, not just as individuals, but as a group. As we share our joy and pain we find a commonality, and realize that we are all in this together, which leads to a great respect for one another.

So thank you to everyone who has shared their sweat with me. Thank you to the people who have shared their compassion and knowledge. Thank you to all of my brothers and sisters, mentors and friends, who walk by my side on this path.

Gina Ethridge