Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: a Tool for Veteran Reassimilation
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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: A Tool For Veteran Reassimilation Dr. Gino L. Collura Copyright 2019 1 Dedication It is with the utmost gratitude and appreciation that I dedicate this dissertation to my parents. Your unconditional love, support, and faith fuel my passion to want to give everything I can while on this Earth. To my Sadie-Anne, you are the light in my world and I can’t thank you enough for supporting me through the countless nights away from you so I could make this research a reality. To my beloved grandmother who was not here to see me accomplish this dissertation, I carry you in my heart and spirit every step of the way and am forever grateful for the lessons you taught me about love and staying in the fight. To my Uncle Vic, you are a warrior of warriors and I am humbled to have you as not only a leader but also a shining example of how warriors can live a balanced life and identity. Ungawa! To my mentor, Bob Petrone, there are no words that will ever express the gratitude I have for you and the life lessons you have taught me about combat, intellect, and being a man of many parts. I owe you dude. To the brave men and women of the armed forces who keep our freedoms safe, the outcomes of this research are me doing my part in giving back to you and the incredible sacrifice you have made for my family and I. 2 Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge Dr. Jigoro Kano, Mitsuyo Maeda, Professor Helio Gracie, Professor Rickson Gracie, and Professor Royce Gracie. The legacy created between all of you men has changed the world and I am grateful for your contributions, passion, and dedication. To Professor Rob Kahn, Master Matt Arroyo, the entire Gracie Tampa network, as well as all of the martial artists I worked with to complete this research, I can’t thank you enough for your dedication, hospitality, service, and intestinal fortitude to make this world a better place through martial arts. You men have done an incredible job at changing countless lives and it’s a pleasure and honor to know you and train with you. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge Chad Robichaux, Jeremy Land, Scott Norton, Lt. General Frank Libutti, Todd Wilkerson and Scott Johnson. All of you warriors played a part in making this research a reality and I humbly thank you for your insight and unwavering support. To my friend, mentor, and major professor, Dr. Daniel Lende, I will never be able to thank you enough. Your patience and faith in me has left a profound mark on my life and I am forever in your gratitude. To Dr. Bob Parrino and Dr. Richard Puglisi, I cannot thank you both enough for the relentless faith, unwavering dedication, and mentorship you have given me. It has made all of the difference in my collegiate and personal life. To Mataas Na Guro Dino Martinez, Professor Ed Schultz, Dr. Rhadi Ferguson, Luis Mata, Professor Ed Maley, Grandmaster Federico Lazo and Master Ricky Lazo it has been under the tutelage and guidance of you gentlemen that has given me the opportunity to walk the martial path and I am forever grateful. 3 Table Of Contents ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....7 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….……………………………………………………8 Approach To Research………………………………………………………………………………………………….13 Key Concepts……….……………………………………………………………………………………………………….15 Organization Of This Dissertation…………………………………………………………………………………17 CHAPTER 2: METHODS AND ETHNOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS………………………………..………..20 The Recipe For Ethnography…………………………………………………………………………………………21 Primary Research Site…………………………………………………………………………………………………..23 Key Informants…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….25 BJJ Practitioners……………………………………………………………………………………………………………28 Participant Observation, Focus Groups, and Interviews……………………………………………….31 Psychological Inventories……………………………………………………………………………………………..36 Perceptions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….37 Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38 Shortcomings Of This Research…………………………………………………………………………………….40 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………42 CHAPTER 3: SPORT AND MARTIAL ARTS………………………………………………………………………..…….43 Sport That Isn’t Just Play………………………………………………………………………………………………43 Methods In Sports Research……………………………………………………………………………….……....48 BJJ History And Practice……………………………………………………………………………………………….51 BJJ In Tampa, Florida……………………………………………………………………………………………………57 BJJ Context and Practice………………………………………………………………………………………………60 Gear and Its Importance………………………………………………………………………………………………62 On Rolling, Taps, and Fist Bumps………………………………………………………………………………….65 Practice and Structure………………………………………………………………………………………………….68 Leadership at GTS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………70 Trait Resiliency…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….73 Retrospective Identity Growth Points…………………………………………………………………………..76 CHAPTER 4: CONNECTING BJJ TO VETERANS………………………………………………………………………..83 Semi-Structured Interviews………………………………………………………………………………………….89 Focus Groups……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….98 CHAPTER 5: THE CALLING……………………………………………………………………………………………………112 The Beginning…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….113 Anthropology and Warfare…………………………………………………………………………………………116 On COIN……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..119 4 Psychology In The Military………………………………………………………………………………………….125 Attempts In Addressing Trauma…………………………………………………………………………………127 Mental Framing………………………………………………………………………………………………………….127 Acculturation and Civility……………………………………………………………………………………………132 Mission Focused Identity……………………………………………………………………………………………134 BJJ As Therapy…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….137 Expanding The Physical, Mental and Social……………………..………………………………………….139 CHAPTER 6: MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND POST TRAUMAUTIC STRESS…………………………………..144 Trauma Blends……………………………………………………………………………………………………………148 On PTS and Reassimilation………………………………………………………………………………………….150 A Disorder or Not……………………………………………………………………………………………………….152 The Daily Grind…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..159 Time Matters………………………………………………………………………………………………………………167 CHAPTER 7: APPLIED CONCLUSION AND OUTCOMES………………………………………………………….173 The Physical + Mental and Social Model: An Overview……………………………………………....175 Combative Sport Crafting Assimilation……………………………………………………………………….178 Material Culture: From Military Back To Civilian Roots……………………………………………….181 Biological Conditioning……………………………………………………………………………………………….184 Positionality……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….186 Implications For Anthropology……………………………………………………………………………………188 Cost Of Training……………………………………………………………………………………………………......190 Moving Forward……………………………………………………………………………………………………......194 WORKS CITED…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….............197 5 List Of Figures Figure A: Table of participant demographics……………………………………………………………………30, 84 Figure B: Model of the physical + mental + social at work………………………………………………………97 Figure C: Model of potentially traumatic events, cultural milieus and coping………………………156 6 Abstract This dissertation evaluates veteran participation in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) as a tool of reassimilation for veterans suffering from anxiety, stress and/or combat PTSD associated with military deployment. From the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn, challenges associated with U.S. Veteran assimilation and reintegration have been increasing. Coping with long term displacement, trauma, loss, and making sense of identity shifts between being an active duty service member and civilian can often present challenges when navigating back into civilian life. By utilizing a neuroanthropological lens, ethnographic inquiry, surveys, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, this research advances anthropology’s understanding of how sport participation may have the ability to combat assimilation and mental health challenges that are a result of combative trauma exposure. I examine BJJ as a physical and mental tool for strengthening social bonds, buttressing identity formation, and easing the burden of transitioning into a civilian life after enduring time within a combative theater. This analysis is a building block for future research that will explore BJJ as an avenue of elective intervention for veterans suffering from stress and anxiety disorders associated with time in service. 7 Chapter One Introduction “The damndest thing about war is that once it’s over you miss it. You’re shot to hell, see your brothers die next to you, and lose who you thought you were before you were downrange. Then you come home…and can’t make sense of the civilian life…you miss the hunt and the person you are when your life is on the line every minute of every day.” –Rudy, Veteran and Research Participant War brings violence, loss, suffering and dislocation. War also enculturates raw moments of emotion, growth, and tribal collectivity that frequently go unnoticed. The Oxford dictionary defines war as “A state of competition or hostility between different people or groups,” suggesting powerful elements of group identity, cultured values, and the belief that what each respective side involved in the conflict is doing is right. Of keen importance to the research presented in this dissertation is the bond that is formed within a group at war and how that plays out within the reassimilation process when returning home from combative deployment. The reassimilation process incorporates elements of combative camaraderie and a continuation of the warrior ethos