Testimonies from those fascinated by jujutsu. Letterboy | feature

Testimonies from those fascinated by jiu-jitsu. Letterboy.

Over the past few years, we have heard about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) in various media outlets. In the U.S., Google offers jiu-jitsu classes as a company benefit, and there are many surfers and jiu-jitsu practitioners on the West Coast. Here in Japan, people in the fashion industry as well as graphic designers, stylists, lawyers, architects, and many other professions go to the dojo and sweat profusely on the mats. The level of commitment is so intense that it is common to see people practicing three times a week, with some even going to the dojo every day. And if you look around the entire jiu-jitsu scene, the "Carpe Diem" dojo stands out in terms of popularity and ability. We spoke with three people who enjoy jiu-jitsu about the dojo, which has a partnership with Reebok, a company with which martial arts and fitness have a strong affinity, the appeal of jiu-jitsu, the originality that only jiu-jitsu possesses, and the relationship between jiu-jitsu and their work. The second interview is with Letterboy, whose lettering is very popular. Sorry for the long gap, but this interview was conducted in 2019.

Photo_SASU TEI (W)

Text_Mayumi Yamase

Edit_Shinri Kobayashi

PROFILE

letterboy

Born in Sweden. Currently based in Tokyo, he is a graphic designer, calligraphy and hand lettering artist, and sign painter. He uses a variety of lettering techniques including calligraphy, sign painting, typography, and digital graphics. He has been practicing jujutsu for 10 years. His belt color is purple.
letter-boy.com

The first hurdle and the fun of overcoming it.

How often do you go to Jiu-Jitsu?

Letterboy (L):Usually 3 or 4 times a week. There are times when I am injured or very busy with work, so I am not able to attend as often.

How long have you been practicing jiu-jitsu?

L:I started Jiu-Jitsu about 10 years ago. Before that, I was doing Muay Thai and boxing, and gradually moved into Jiu-Jitsu. After moving to Japan, I continued with Muay Thai and boxing, but I didn't have time to do everything, and I didn't want to get punched in the face anymore, so I decided to focus on Jiu-Jitsu (laughs).

Please tell us briefly the difference between Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu.

L:Muay Thai is a standing combat and uses eight parts of the body: hands, elbows, knees, and feet. Jiu-jitsu is a fighting style that involves lying on the mat and fighting without punches or other blows.

What got you into Muay Thai and fighting in the first place?

L:I have always been interested in martial arts and took karate when I was a little girl. Besides, I had a strong desire for my own safety. Tokyo is very safe, but in Sweden, where I come from, you have to protect yourself, so I started learning to feel safe.

What do you enjoy about Jiu-Jitsu?

L:Actually, I think learning jiu-jitsu is difficult for anyone in the beginning. Nobody has much experience rolling with other people as an adult (laughs). But once you get past the initial obstacles, it becomes more and more fun. I like the long process of learning anything, that if you persevere at the beginning, you will learn it properly. Because it never ends, there is always something to learn. I am happy when I can do techniques that I couldn't do before by continuing to learn. I also enjoy seeing who a person is by the way he or she approaches Jiu-Jitsu. I think I express my personality in such ways as, "This is how this person does kumite. And of course, it is also a competition, like a game of human chess, where both players are trying to figure out how to beat the other. So it's not just exercise, it's also brain exercise. Besides, I think we have all had the experience of lying on the ground like wrestling with our friends or brothers when we were children, but as adults we naturally stop doing that. But I think it is very natural to miss the act of competition and skin-on-skin contact as a sport in that way.