GRACIEMAG isn’t just a magazine for teaching Jiu-Jitsu. It’s for awaking in you a desire to further your learning. And that yearning is often the result of information exchanged between the writers and their readers.
Such is the case with the following letter sent to us from the city of Natal, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, by Professor Gustavo Alexandre Alves of team Gracie Humaitá-RN.
Check out what he learned and taught us after reading the article “The end of bullying’s days”.
“I teach a class on bullying prevention to kids at Gracie Humaitá/RN and now at the school Facex. We managed to set up a Jiu-Jitsu class at the school, making the anti-bullying program part of the school curriculum.
“In my opinion, as a Jiu-Jitsu teacher and perpetual student, the practice of the martial art leads students to self-knowledge. Even when they know how to defend themselves, even able to subdue an aggressor and, as a last resort, use force, they know what their own strengths and weaknesses are.
“What does that mean? That above all they know they’re not perfect or superior to everybody. They thus know to respect others, without fear but also without arrogance. And the key piece in combatting bullying, which I cite as being the ill of the century, is respect. Jiu-Jitsu makes us think before acting. That’s why, to me, it’s our perfect weapon for fighting bullying.
“Best wishes to the whole GRACIEMAG team,
Gustavo Alves
Natal/RN”
What about you, gentle reader? What did you learn from the latest issue of GRACIEMAG? Share your lessons with us, and help make the magazine even better.
