Everyday Fighters: the dual lives of those working and training

What we do is not necessarily who we are

Waking up to the tune of the alarm clock, staring at the ceiling for a few more minutes and then mustering enough strength to get out of bed.

This is the daily struggle.

Each step is a thermometer of soreness and pain. Going down the stairs is a reminder of last night’s skirmish. Stretching has become a necessity more than a ritual.

These are habits of those who are above average; that breed of man that lives another life than what is socially accepted – that of the everyday fighter.

They are everywhere. From the glass windows of the corporate world, the kitchens of restaurants, study halls of educational institutions, and stacked up folders in law firms. These are highly functioning individuals who are part of the working class, that provide humanity with their talents and services on a daily basis.

Packed lunch, daily commute, do as they are told and then head out.

Life begins after clocking out.

One of the welcoming sites after work. Time to go to our happy place.

They head onto their place of inner peace and tranquility. Shedding their coats and ties for kimonos, fight shorts, grappling spats, and rash guards much like how superheroes change costumes from their human form into something extraordinary.

Costume change

After which their bodies are subjected to movements of self-expression that may be incomprehensible to most, but relevant to them at that particular moment.

It may be from hitting the pads, punching the mitts, pounding on dummy bags, snatching kettlebells, pulling ropes, kicking shins, clinching, and grappling. Everything executed with the goal of perfection. Each detail remembered and ingrained within the body’s system for optimal efficiency. Pushing the limits that the body will allow in order to achieve the semblance of satisfaction and then head home exhausted but happy.

Those who take it a step further do more than what is necessary. Their self-expression has transcended to levels that want to be tested. Aside from this daily grind comes the challenge of preparing for competitions. They become stricter in certain aspects and train a little bit harder. They cut weight, make weight, and prepare themselves to be scarred more than what is necessary.