Friday, January 18, 2008

Army veteran shares his love of jiu-jitsu

The last place you might expect to find a 59-year-old Vietnam veteran is exactly where you will find John Gorman most days.

Gorman spends his time wrestling with and teaching a group of eager followers of jiu-jitsu.

Known as Papa John to his students and friends, Gorman is a jiu-jitsu black belt who studied with the renowned Gracie family in their native Brazil.
The Gracies popularized jiu-jitsu after the art’s introduction to Brazil by Japanese immigrants in the early 1900s. Its popularity in the United States has grown steadily since the success of practitioner Royce Gracie in Ultimate Fighting Championship in the 1990s.

Jiu-jitsu practitioners refer to their free-sparring practice sessions as “rolling.” Students who roll with Papa John know he is no ordinary Army retiree.
Lt. Col. Kevin McKenna, Belvoir’s Headquarters Battalion commander, met Gorman in March when he came here to conduct jiu-jitsu seminars and a
tournament for local students.

At the time, McKenna had been studying the art for about one year.

“It’s a phenomenal ability to be able to grasp these concepts and then take them to the next level like Papa John has,” McKenna said in a phone interview on a day that had started the same way the previous had ended; on the mat with Gorman. “Age, weight, strength, size are not necessary characteristics if you have good technique, and he’s got it.”

McKenna was humbled by Gorman’s prowess on the mat. “I feel so inexperienced in comparison,” he said.

A quick Web search for Papa John Gorman reveals that many younger grapplers openly admire his ability. One 37-year-old wrote on a jiu-jitsu
discussion board, “[he] visits our gym occasionally and schools everyone in the gym.” Students and training partners marvel at the fact that a man twice or three times their own age can apply these precise techniques against them, even as they try to escape.

Gorman’s skill and technical aptitude are even more impressive when students learn how recently he took up jiu-jitsu. Papa John started when he was 54. Less than four years later, he earned his black belt.

“For many, it takes six, 10 or more years to earn their black belt,” said Gorman between classes.

He attributes his rise through the ranks to his performance in a number of tournaments. A former instructor urged Gorman to participate in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Pan American tournament. To be eligible, Gorman said, he had to register as a blue belt. His instructor
allowed him to wear the belt for the tournament, though he hadn’t earned it yet. Gorman placed second in the event for his age, belt and weight category. In the same year, he won the European event for his category and in the open category.

He was promoted officially to blue belt for his performances. Eight months later, Gorman said, he was promoted to purple belt. The progression from blue to purple usually takes two or more years, Gorman said.

By 2006, Gorman was a brown belt and competing in the same events. He took first in the Pan American and European championships.

By the time he earned his black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr., Gorman had been a jiu-jitsu practitioner for three years and 10 months.

In 2007, Gorman won as a black belt in his category at the Pan American tournament and took second at the European event.

Today Gorman spends most of his time sharing jiu-jitsu with any who are willing to learn. “It’s addicting. Once you start, you can’t really get away from it,” he said.

As a retiree and former infantry major, Gorman sees jiu-jitsu as beneficial to any servicemember. Much of the Army Combatives program is drawn from techniques its creators learned while studying the art. Gorman said, hopes that the small group he has attracted will be able to incorporate jiu-jitsu training into military training. The classes he offers complement Army Combatives and are available to area commanders looking for ways to introduce their organizations to skills needed in unarmed combat, he said.

Gorman meets with practitioners throughout the day at various locations in the region. Some mornings he trains at Human Resources Command in Alexandria. At Fort Belvoir, Gorman and students meet at Wells Field House on North Post Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. Classes are forming
at the Pentagon.

The next move, Gorman said, is to create an organization that will make jiu-jitsu accessible to everyone interested Army-wide.

Gorman is in discussions with jiu-jitsu practitioners and instructors to form a governing body for a sport that will offer consistent training, standardized certification and portability for the transient military community.

While that work continues, Gorman focuses on the local following he has developed.

“It’s a great club. It’s fun and recreational. It’s also affordable to Soldiers looking for a way to augment their combatives training without paying market rates at some of the local commercial schools,” he said.