Süper bir Dede

"Belki Al Bundy sana tuhaf görünüyor, ama şunu unutma: istediği zaman seni düğüme bağlayabilir."

Arkadaşlarımla dövüş sanatları hakkında her konuştuğumuzda, bizden birisi er geç yukarıdaki yorumu yapar. Al Bundy Yunan televizyonda 90'larda (doksanlarda) gösterilen "Evli ve Çocuklu" adlı bir Amerikalı komik dizinin baş kahramanı. Eşinin ve çocuklarının kaprisleri ile hep yüzleşen alaycı bir babadır. Aynı zamanda aptal bir adam, ve onun hileleri ona ters tepiyor. Ancak televizyonda beceriksiz görünmesine rağmen, gerçekte brezilya jiu-jitsu'da siyah kuşağı var.

Al Bundy'nin rolünü oynayan aktör Ed O'Neill yaklaşık kırk yaşında brezilya jiu-jitsu dersleri almaya başlatmış. Altmış yaşına ulaştığında siyah kuşağı alabildi. Ve şimdi seksen yaşına ulaşırken hâlâ antrenmana devam edip, jiu-jitsu derslerini teklif ediyor.

Her zaman onun hikayesiden ilham alıyorum, çünkü o ileri yaşlarda antrenmana başlattı, onun sanatıda iyi bir seviyeye ulaşabildi, ve biz konuşurken hâlâ antrenmana devam ediyor. Bence "asla geç değil" sözlerinin iyi bir örnek. Ben de onun gibi yaşlarıya ulaşsam egsersiz yapmaya devam etmek isterdim.

"Maybe Al Bundy looks funny to you, but don't forget: he can tie you up into a knot anytime he wants."

Whenever I speak about martial arts with my friends, one of us will say the above sooner or later. Al Bundy is the protagonist of the American comedy series "Married with Children", which aired in Greek television during the 90's. He is a sarcastic father who always has to face the whims of his children and his wife. At the same time he's quite foolish, and his tricks backfire on him. However, no matter how clumsy he may appear on TV, in real life he holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The actor Ed O'Neill, who plays Al Bundy's role, started taking lessons in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was about forty years old. When he reached sixty, he was able to earn his black belt. And now, he is still training and offering jiu-jitsu lessons while approaching eighty.

I always feel inspired by his story, because he started training at an advanced age, was able to reach a good level in his art, and is still training as we speak. To me, he is a good example of the maxim "it's never too late". I would also like to keep exercising like him if I reach his age.

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«Μπορεί ο Αλ Μπάντυ να σου φαίνεται αστείος, αλλά μην ξεχνάς ότι μπορεί να σε δέσει κόμπο όποτε θέλει.»

Όποτε μιλάμε με τους φίλους μου για πολεμικές τέχνες, αργά ή γρήγορα κάποιος θα πει το παραπάνω. Ο Αλ Μπάντυ είναι ο πρωταγωνιστής της Αμερικάνικης κωμικής σειράς «Παντρεμένοι με Παιδιά», που έπαιζε στην Ελληνική τηλεόραση τη δεκαετία του '90. Είναι ένας πολύ ειρωνικός πατέρας που έρχεται πάντα αντιμέτωπος με τα καπρίτσια της γυναίκας του και των παιδιών του. Ταυτόχρονα είναι και χαζούλης, και πολλές φορές τα κόλπα τού του γυρίζουν μπούμερανγκ. Όμως όσο ατσούμπαλος και να φαίνεται στην τηλεόραση, στην αληθινή ζωή του είναι κάτοχος μαύρης ζώνης στο βραζιλιάνικο ζίου-ζίτσου.

Ο ηθοποιός Εντ Ο'Νηλ, που παίζει τον ρόλο του Αλ Μπάντι, ξεκίνησε να προπονείται στο βραζιλιάνικο ζίου-ζίτσου όταν ήταν περίπου σαράντα χρονών. Στα εξήντα του πήρε τη μαύρη ζώνη. Και τώρα συνεχίζει να προπονείται και να παραδίδει μαθήματα ζίου ζίτσου ενώ πλησιάζει τα ογδόντα.

Πάντα με εμπνέει η ιστορία του, γιατί ξεκίνησε να προπονείται σε μεγάλη ηλικία, κατάφερε να φτάσει την τέχνη του σε ένα πολύ καλό επίπεδο, και συνεχίζει να προπονείται ενώ μιλάμε. Για μένα αποτελεί ένα τρανό παράδειγμα του ότι «ποτέ δεν είναι αργά». Κι εγώ θα ήθελα να συνεχίσω να γυμνάζομαι σαν αυτόν αν φτάσω στην ηλικία του.