Authors Dr. Jamie Marich and Anna Pirkl have published an excellent book discussing the potential of how many trauma survivors may benefit from training in jiu jitsu. The title, Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu, was published in 2022 and is available in paperback and an audiobook. This book serves as an excellent introduction, not only for Gracie jiu jitsu instructors, but to any martial arts instructor or even fellow students seeking to be better trauma informed regarding sensitivities students may experience who have been victims of past abuse or violence.
The authors open the book with a glossary of common jiu jitsu terminology that is very useful to readers who may not already have a jiu jitsu background. This opening courtesy demonstrates to the reader very early on that the authors wrote the book with a mindset considerate of readers from any background. This empathetic tone is the cornerstone of living "informed" of the considerations of others.
The authors both have professional backgrounds in mental health services as well as both being female students of the Gracie jiu-jitsu Women Empowered program. These backgrounds render the authors uniquely qualified to speak professionally both about clinical considerations in teaching self-defense to trauma survivors, and also to place these professional considerations in the specific context of how a jiu-jitsu curriculum is taught.
The authors present the material in an easily digestible format. The book does not pretend to be a medical textbook or even a pop-psychology title. I felt like the material was well presented for its purpose- to introduce the relevant stakeholders (mental health professionals, jiu-jitsu instructors, fellow jiu-jitsu students, and trauma survivors themselves) to the issues and considerations that need to be embraced when a survivor takes the huge step of choosing to train in Gracie/ Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The book not only introduces considerations of self-defense instructors and mental health professionals, but also offers guidance to readers who are survivors considering where to train. Marich and Pirkl acknowledge that not every martial arts school or even every jiu-jitsu school will be a safe environment for trauma survivors. They offer checklists and red flags to look for to help potential students select a school where they can learn jiu-jitsu safely. With so many competitive grappling gyms with "jiu jitsu" emblazoned on their street signs, it could be easy for an uninformed student to walk into one of these fighter stables and sign up only to get physically injured or even further emotionally damaged.
This book is a must read for any instructor teaching the martial art of jiu-jitsu. It is a great starting place for instructors to begin learning how to effectively accommodate students who may take time to grow into the comfort of training on the mats. As Grandmaster Hélio Gracie repeatedly expressed in principle, jiu-jitsu must welcome the smaller, weaker, ... or even the injured.
If you live in the Lakewood/ Wheat Ridge/ Denver, Colorado areas and are a survivor of a traumatic event(s) and you do not yet have a professional provider, getting help is an important step in moving your life back toward feeling normal. One online resource to start looking for local help is the US Department of Health and Human Services search page or Zoc Doc. Once you have the base of professional guidance, we hope to see you training with us as part of your growth.
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