One of my favorite teaching experiences is always that of teaching military personal the kingly art of Jiu Jitsu. I have had the honor of teaching students from elite special forces units such as Navy Seals and Delta force, Marine Recon and Green Berets along with many many students from regular service units. It is always a fascinating thing to listen to their stories about their training and development in the very extreme conditions in which they so often find themselves. It's incredible to hear of their personal Jiu jitsu journeys under very challenging circumstances. It's also extremely interesting to hear their theories as to the value of Jiu Jitsu training for military personal. Obviously we live in a time where highly advanced weaponry dominate the battlefield and unarmed combat is a rarity, but still these soldiers, sailors and airmen talk passionately about the value of their martial arts training. Today I had the great pleasure of training a fantastic group from a foreign military outfit that I have always greatly admired – Her Majesty's British Royal Marine Commando! They are here in the USA competing against our United States Marine Corps in the 2019 Virginia Gauntlet Sports Tour, featuring nineteen different sports played by two hundred and fifty Royal Marines versus two hundred and fifty US Marines! I would not want to take these fellows on in grappling! They impressed me with their skills! As much as we all value peace and diplomacy, our ability to protect and stand up for our ideals is directly proportional to our ability to fight for them. This is true for all of us as individuals in civil society and collectively as one nation among many in the world. As such I am always very happy to help train our soldiers and those of allies and listen to their experiences learning and applying Jiu Jitsu in areas far more extreme than any that most of us ever face. Thank you to @royalmarinesjiujitsu
