Nervous about their first jiu-jitsu championship, the war veterans gathered in groups to share jokes and help each other tie the belts of their kimonos.
Many of them had suffered serious injuries on the battlefield that required amputations.
Now they were gathered to perform in the “para jiu jitsu” category at Ukraine’s national competition before hundreds of spectators on amphitheater-style benches in one of kyiv’s sports complexes.
More than 20,000 people in Ukraine have lost limbs due to injuries since the start of Russia’s brutal war there, many of them soldiers.
A handful of them have overcome 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 began practicing 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 Kiev that also offers psychological rehabilitation for veterans. AP
Kuzmich is Belarusian and voluntarily joined the Ukrainian military to fight Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine starting in 2014. Now, he mentors soldiers who have recently suffered similar injuries and find salvation in jiu-jitsu.
Much of the martial art of jiu-jitsu involves moves and holds intended to use the opponent’s own strength against them.
It is a sport that can be easily adapted to people who have suffered amputations, without the need for prosthetics, Kuzmich said.
Ukrainian war veterans with amputated limbs perform at the Ukrainian national jiu-jitsu competition in kyiv, Ukraine, Oct. 29, 2023. AP
“We work with what we have and we can achieve victories with what life has left us,” he stated.
The tournament on a recent weekend began with the Ukrainian anthem, expressions of gratitude to the nation’s defenders and a minute of silence in memory of those who perished 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 Kiev that also offers psychological rehabilitation for veterans.
They opened their first jiu-jitsu practice area two months ago.
TMS Hub offers free jiu-jitsu practice primarily to veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian War who have suffered the loss of a limb in combat.
The program aims to provide them with a community of people with a similar experience, to help them in their psychological rehabilitation.
“It is more comfortable for them to be among their peers,” 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, five veterans at the TMS Hub gym were ready for the national competition.
One of them was Vasyl Oksyntiuk, 26, who lost both legs when a projectile hit his car near Bakhmut last December during intense battles for the city.
Before his match, he carefully removed both prosthetics and left them outside the competition area. He was dressed in a kimono, with short hair and a black mustache.
Some amputees have learned to deal with their psychological trauma by practicing a form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. AP
With a determined look, he supported himself on both arms as he headed to the center of the mat to meet his opponent.
“You feel completely different; you forget that you are missing something,” Oksyntiuk said.
He volunteered to go to war in February, when Russia invaded Ukraine. “In the Constitution and in your heart it is written to protect your loved ones, your family and your home. When the enemies came, something had to be done about it,” he said.
Almost a year after his injury, he has learned to walk confidently with prosthetics, but he is still looking for new ways to spend his free time.
More than 20,000 people in Ukraine have lost limbs from wounds since the start of the Russian war, many of them soldiers. AP
“I always wanted to try martial arts, but I thought I was too old for it,” Oksyntiuk said. “Then I lost my legs, I saw on the Internet that there was this opportunity and I decided to try it. I really enjoyed it.”
At his first Ukrainian Jiu-Jitsu Championships, Oksyntiuk won a silver medal in the “para jiu-jitsu” category.
Pohosyan, co-founder of TMS Hub, said the gym has specially equipped bathrooms and other facilities to ensure the comfort of disabled veterans.
He said about 20 veterans regularly attend the gym’s jiu-jitsu practices and that the program wants to add more such gyms, including outside the capital. But that will depend on money because the project depends on donations, she said.
After the tournament medals were distributed, the former soldiers, overcome with emotion, approached Pohosyan to convey their gratitude and tell him that the experience was exactly what they needed.
“This is the biggest reward for us,” Pohosyan said.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn