Something I do not quite understand

Tonight is the restart for the Jiu-Jitsu this year in Bridport. After a short break of nearly four weeks I look forward to a good session of Fitness training, a bit of wrestling and grabbing and of course work on some Jiu-Jitsu techniques.

What makes me thinking is the fallen number of students over the years. And very contrary to this development I notice the change in the streets. When I came first to Bridport in 1988, there was hardly any, or better said, no fighting at all in the streets or in the pubs of Bridport. And now? About 25 years past? Nearly every Saturday the kids perform some aggressive and sometimes violent action. Mainly around East Street and late night. But as there were many people interested in studying Martial Arts in the old days, today it looks like they can't be bothered.

Instead, I was asked to teach the doormen crew of a popular pub some knife defense techniques.Ok, that can be done, but it would be better, teach the folks the same. The first thing a Jiu-Jitsuka learns: The best fight is the one which never happens.

This was an article in the Bridport News from April 1993, when I moved to Symondsbury near Bridport and started teaching Martial Arts in Bridport.