Jiu-Jitsu Profile - Ibs Mohammed
Tuesday 07 May 2024
Ibs stands nearly 46 years tall, and as the short grey hairs on his head show, he’s been around a bit. He’s an advocate of Stoicism. To save you looking that up, it’s an ancient Greek way of life based on the virtues of Wisdom, Courage, Temperance and Justice. This has parallels with the Bushido Code that we live by at Meiji – Integrity, Respect, Heroic Courage, Honour, Compassion, Honesty & Sincerity, Duty & Loyalty.
Ibs puts it rather more simply: “Stoicism has helped me during times of adversity whilst also keeping me grounded, grateful and humble at other times”. He is a keen traveller and has taken “a few” sabbaticals for the sake of adventure. “If you get the opportunity to take some time off to travel the world, do it!. Yes, it’s more ancient but sound advice going back thousands of years to agricultural times. Every seven years individuals used to take leave from working on the land to travel outside of their domain, sometimes on a pilgrimage. It takes willpower to do it, because deliberately breaking away from the security of things and people you’re familiar with can be a wrench. But I promise you, with the correct mindset you won’t regret it. Invisible chains will be unshackled. Your world will open up and you will learn a lot about yourself. From making new friends, to learning about different cultures, you will experience events that will shape you forever.”
Ibs has been training Jiu-Jitsu with Coach Abel for around two years in total, and played football, rugby and racket sports before becoming “arm-locked” on grappling. He moved onto Jiu Jitsu because of the wide range of challenges the sport provides, and it has fostered an interest in associated body movement disciplines like yoga, mobility, rope flow and calisthenics. “I’ve been very fortunate to have trained whilst travelling, at great academies such as Atos, Marcelo Garcia and in far-flung locations such as Vietnam, Bali and Mexico.”
Ibs currently works in Quantitative Finance where he engineers software systems for Trading. He draws a common denominator: “There’s a symbiotic relationship between work, life and Jiu Jitsu for me. It comes down to staying focused on a set of conceptual principles or philosophies, and following through with a little practical effort. In Stoicism, you are encouraged to keep a regular written journal to reflect on what you may need to improve upon in your character. At Meiji, I aim to train at least three times a week, and use Friday night’s open mat as my 'checkpoint practice'. It is where I try to exercise the concepts and test the underpinnings of what we have learned from Coach Abel. From the logical steps of technique, to the mental attitude and emotional awareness of combat, to the simple act of being physically able to do something I enjoy (with a great collection of fellow students). Like it is for many martial artists, the discipline of routine can be therapeutic. I may have started late, but I just try to remember to run my own race - be patient with the journey and BELIEVE in the process. Or in Stoically practical terms, try to demonstrate Wisdom when applying technique, show Courage against more talented opponents, Temper your ego and be Fair and Just against all adversaries."
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