Don't Be Weird

​What does hitting someone with a belt or paddle when they get a belt have to do with Jiu Jitsu? Absolutely nothing in my opinion. That’s weird, we already beat each other up and get in each other’s business, how did that become a thing? I’m fortunate that I never came up in a gym that did the gauntlet or any other form of corporal punishment rituals, but we keep seeing abuse of power stories come out and this kind of stuff isn’t helping. There’s a massive difference between doing things that have a root in tradition which are harmless (tying your belt away from people, bowing on and off the mats, etc…) and doing things that have no value while promoting dysfunctional behavior patterns and hierarchies. There’s no reason anyone should be publicly spanked or flogged in a martial arts setting anymore. Stop being weird.