Top MMA fighter beat up by 5-year-olds!
If you don’t know who Georges St. Pierre is, you should.
“GSP” as he’s known by most fans is the UFC Welterweight Champion and considered by many to be the #2 fighter in the world on the pound-for-pound list.
Other than Chuck Liddell (who my Mom knows mainly from his “Dancing with the Stars” stint!), GSP is the most marketed and mainstream mixed martial artist in North America, being sponsored by Under Armor and Gatorade among others.
Oh yeah…he’s also a fan of my artwork!
This weekend, the UFC is headed back to Japan where GSP’s Renzo Gracie teammate, UFC Lightweight Champ Frankie Edgar (who I had the honor of sharing the mat with as well when I was at Renzo’s last Summer!) will be defending his title against Benson Henderson in what should be an incredible match.
While in Japan, GSP met with the mayor of the city, and also stopped by a local kindergarten P.E. class. Now this is Japan–the birthplace of the Samurai–so P.E. class is a bit different than here in the States…they do “Chambura” (swordplay) with foam swords instead of duck-duck-goose or dodgeball! Awesome!
Check out GSP getting owned by a group of highly disciplined 5-year-olds with swords and having to tap out!
The uniform and belt given to GSP at the dojo was his 3rd degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate…and incredible accomplishment in and of itself.
Regardless of whether or not one is a fan of MMA, the UFC, or GSP…it should be evident that Georges is a martial artist in the truest sense of the word and a great ambassador for the sport. It’s great to see him and other true martial artists enjoying success after decades of training and hard work.
As I’ve written elsewhere (and will be discussing in a future book), the martial arts–particularly the Samurai–often provide a beautiful parallel to the life of Christian Discipleship and ministry. The dedication, discipline, commitment, honor, respect, loyalty and camaraderie developed in the dojo/academy can often mirror the Fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) followers of Jesus are called to exhibit.
As Georges put it near the end of the video, the martial arts (in his case, Kyokushin Karate) are not just about learning how to “fight”; they’re about developing in all areas of life–both physically and mentally.
And, as a minister and lifelong martial artist I would add, spiritually as well.
Blessings from the Dojo,
JM
ps: Speaking of future books…my first eBook “Cleansed and Abiding” has been published and is available HERE. It’s only $3.99 and can be read in 1-2 hrs. Proceeds from sales fund Disciple Dojo, so please buy a copy for yourself or a friend. You don’t need a Kindle to read it, either! You can download the free Kindle Reader App and read it right on your computer, iPad, or smart phone!
Categories: Arts and Culture, Blog, Martial Arts