Our tatami received the presence of two UFC Champions, the well known Minotauro and the new belt promise Charles do Bronxs, last Thursday, November 21st. The students showed up in full force, and anxiety was in everyone.
Both told a little about their personal live experiences of struggle and overcoming, reporting on how the sport strengthened them to be better human beings every day. We were privileged to have a class with two champions, and we were impressed with their techniques and skills.
Each teenager could fight with them and we were very grateful for the affection and attention they were treated. A phrase from Minotauro echoed very strong to me: “Every day I get on the tatami, a new me comes out of it”.
Accompanying children and teenagers during these two years of the project, and also submitting to the disciplines and teachings of jiu-jitsu, I have proven this: sport has the capacity to form and work our character! Taking us to self-knowledge, developing discipline with body and mind. In addition, it contributes strongly to interpersonal relationships, transmitting the sense of respect, care and appreciation of the other.
Sports have the potential to break the barriers that separate us and build a bridge to unite us all.
It is with this in mind that each class, each training, each event, conversation, each contact and each handshake makes sense to us at Compassiva. Because with that we are contributing for these young people to leave the mat each day someone better for life!
Caetano Pinilha is coordinator of Dojo project.
