Sometimes the toughest injuries to cope with leave no visible wounds. I suffer from long-term concussion issues that can sideline my training for weeks at a time and leave me crippled with anxiety and depression. The most challenging part is that I appear to be fine. I don’t have a cast or brace on my leg—no stitches on my forehead.
Similarly, many of our U.S. service men and women returning home with PTSD after wartime service suffer the same invisible injuries when they rejoin the civilian world.
Dr. Gino Collura, a Ph.D. in Neuroanthropology and a BJJ brown belt, believes his research supports a positive correlation between active participation in jiu-jitsu classes and relief from the effects of PTSD in soldiers returning to civilian life. During a recent interview, we discussed his research into that subject and its findings.
From Judo to BJJ to Colombia
Dr. Collura began training in martial arts at a young age, earning his brown belt in Judo. He later took up BJJ in 2002 after stumbling into an academy by accident.
“I walked into Frank Calta’s just wanting to get a regular gym membership to lift weights and do some cardio, but in one of the glassed-off classrooms, there was a jiu-jitsu class going on.”
That introduction was brief, though, as Gino soon began a career in executive protection, which led to his relocation to Colombia for work.
“As exciting as it may sound, my actual day-to-day routine was pretty boring logistical work. However, I did get to spend considerable time with members of the elite Colombian special forces, known as La Jungla.”
Through these interactions, he witnessed firsthand the traumatic effects the war with the region’s drug cartels was having on these men—and, more importantly, how they coped with them.
The “Demons of War”
The Colombian military calls psychological war trauma demonios de guerra—“demons of war.” Like the name implies, they take a spiritual approach to the healing process.
“Human beings are the only mammals that methodically and strategically figure out how to kill each other without personal justification for their advancement or well-being. They simply follow orders for the greater good. Killing under those circumstances can cause intense psychological disturbances.”
Because Colombia is a Catholic country, the bond between the church and its soldiers is powerful. By confessing to a higher power for absolution, soldiers can experience a spiritual healing process that offers instant relief.
Gino cross-referenced this with other warrior cultures throughout history and found many had similar spiritual rituals that mirrored the Colombian approach.
The U.S. Challenge
The American military, by contrast, uses more clinical approaches—therapy, medication, counseling—which can present a dilemma. Soldiers often don’t feel genuine connections to the doctors they see. To them, they’re just “guys in white coats.”
With religious absolution, belief in a higher power is what makes the relief possible. In clinical treatment, that same depth of connection is often missing. This disconnect even leads Dr. Collura to suggest that the “D” in PTSD should be dropped to help remove stigma.
Why Jiu-Jitsu Fits
The question then becomes: how do we recreate the stresses of war and the bonds created there so soldiers can find a spiritual outlet to work through their pain? Dr. Collura believes the answer is enrollment in jiu-jitsu.
“The structure and organization of a jiu-jitsu gym immediately mirrors the military hierarchy. Belt ranks give instant levels of command.”
Live rolling, he explains, stimulates many of the same stress receptors triggered in life-and-death situations.
“When you are rolling live, you are fighting for your life at times. But we can tap and start over before the end. This camaraderie between like-minded individuals willing to put themselves in harm’s way for each other simulates the bonds made in war.”
These bonds allow soldiers to find other warriors they can connect with on a deeper level, producing real healing benefits.
The “Tap” as Therapy
One of the more fascinating points Dr. Collura raised is the idea of a tap being a “reset of reality”—a therapeutic concept where traumatic experiences are relived and reworked into more favorable outcomes.
His testing also revealed significant improvements in employment retention, willingness to assimilate into civilian culture, and, in some cases, reduced dependence on prescription medications.
Moving Forward
Dr. Collura’s study was a small, independent experiment. He acknowledges that a much larger study with clinical observations and substantial funding would be necessary to make a broader impact.
But with veteran suicide rates estimated at 20 per day, it’s time to investigate less conventional means of supporting the individuals who sacrificed their well-being for ours. From my own experience, jiu-jitsu’s healing powers are limitless.
Don’t let the pharmaceutical lobby lead the institutional status quo and keep throwing drugs at the problem. Let’s help subsidize our soldiers’ enrollment in jiu-jitsu schools, give them community and purpose, and start making a real difference.
Support the Veterans Who Supported Us
Help subsidize BJJ training for veterans and give them the structure, bonds, and tools to fight their “demons of war.”
🦵 Leglocks for Dummies – Build your game and support veteran enrollment through BJJ programs:
https://leglocks.unclecoachkevin.com/
🥋 Gracie Trinity Online Academy – A place where veterans and civilians train side by side, building community and resilience:
https://www.skool.com/gracie-trinity-academy
