Nervous ahead of their first jiu-jitsu championship, the war veterans gather in a group to share jokes and help each other tie their kimono belts.
Many of them had suffered severe injuries on the battlefield that required amputation.
Now they are gathered to perform in the category of “para jiu jitsu” at the Ukrainian national competition in front of hundreds of spectators in amphitheater-style benches in one of Kyiv’s sports complexes.
More than 20,000 people in Ukraine have lost limbs to injuries since the start of Russia’s brutal war there, many of them soldiers.
A few of them have dealt with their psychological trauma by practicing a form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
“This gives us freedom. We don’t feel like we’re missing anything,” said Artem Kuzmich, who started taking jiu-jitsu classes after losing a leg on the battlefield in 2019.
Five of the six athletes competing in the “para jiu-jitsu” category began their training at the TMS Hub, a safe space for veterans in Kyiv that also offers psychological rehabilitation for veterans. AP
Kuzmich is Belarusian and volunteered to join the Ukrainian army to fight Russian aggression in Eastern Ukraine beginning in 2014. Now, he mentors soldiers who have recently suffered similar injuries and are finding solace in jiu-jitsu.
Much of the martial art of jiu-jitsu involves movements and holds intended to use the opponent’s own power against them.
It’s a sport that can be easily adapted for amputees, without the need for prosthetics, Kuzmich said.
Ukrainian war veterans with amputated limbs perform at the Ukrainian national jiu-jitsu competition in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 29. 2023. AP
“We work with what we have and can achieve victory with what our lives have left,” he said.
The tournament – on a recent weekend – began with the Ukrainian national anthem, expressions of gratitude to the country’s defenders, and a minute’s silence in memory of those who died on the battlefield.
Five of the six athletes competing in the “para jiu-jitsu” category began their training at the TMS Hub, a safe space for veterans in Kyiv that also offers psychological rehabilitation for veterans.
They opened their first jiu-jitsu training area two months ago.
TMS Hub offers free jiu-jitsu training especially to Russian-Ukrainian war veterans who have lost limbs through combat.
The program aims to provide them with a community of people with similar experiences, to help their psychological recovery.
“Being among peers is more comfortable for them,” explained Serhii Pohosyan, co-founder of TMS Hub.
Vasyl Oksyntiuk, a Ukrainian war veteran prepares to compete at the Ukrainian national jiu-jitsu competition in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Oct. 29. 2023.AP
Just two months into training, the five veterans at the TMS Hub gym are ready for the national competition.
One of them was 26-year-old Vasyl Oksyntiuk, who lost both his legs when a bullet hit his car near Bakhmut last December during fierce fighting for the town.
Before her match, she carefully removed both of her prosthetics and left them outside the competition area. He is dressed in a kimono, has short hair and a black moustache.
Some amputees have learned to deal with their psychological trauma by practicing a form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. AP
With a look of determination, he leaned on both hands as he made his way to the center of the mat to meet his opponent.
“You feel completely different; you forget that you lack something,” Oksyntiuk said.
He volunteered to fight in February when Russia invaded Ukraine. “In the Constitution and in the heart, it is written to protect your loved ones, your family, and your home. When the enemy comes, something has to be done about it,” he said.
Almost a year after his injury, he has learned to walk confidently with a prosthetic limb, but is still looking for new ways to spend his free time.
More than 20,000 people in Ukraine have lost limbs to injuries since the start of the Russian war, mostly soldiers. AP
“I always wanted to try martial arts, but I thought I was too old for that,” Oksyntiuk said. “Then I lost my leg, saw on the internet that there was this opportunity, and decided to try it. I really enjoyed it.”
At his first Ukrainian Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Oksyntiuk won a silver medal in the “para jiu-jitsu” category.
Pohosyan, co-founder of TMS Hub, said the gym has bathrooms and other facilities specially equipped to ensure the comfort of disabled veterans.
He said about 20 veterans attend the gym’s jiu-jitsu training regularly, and the program wants to add more such gyms, including outside the capital. But that will depend on money because the project depends on donations, he said.
After the tournament medals were handed out, the emotional ex-soldiers approached Pohosyan to express their gratitude, saying the experience was just what they needed.
“This is the biggest reward for us,” said Pohosyan.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
