Several months ago, Jeremy Williams, a young man who had attended my club years before while in the U.S. Marine Corps, reconnected with me.  Much to my chagrin, I found out he had been wounded in Iraq and had gone through some tough times once medically discharged.  He told me that Judo had been his saving grace.  Immediately, knowing the power of exercise and Judo in particular, I recognized a teaching moment, and encouraged him to put his thoughts to paper.  This is part one of his story.

“War leaves a searing imprint on the human spirit. Surviving the ultimate test of combat often creates a view of the world that only those who engage the enemy in such intimate conditions can articulate.  During the course of nearly ten years, I served three tours of duty in Iraq; two of which were in the notoriously deadly “Sunni Triangle” in western Iraq’s Al Anbar Province.  It was in the urban maze of dilapidated buildings and war torn streets in the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi that my fighting spirit was tested.  Judo instilled an unbreakable fighting spirit at such an early stage in my life.  My strength of character came as a result of my fighting spirit.  The adherence to the principles of Judo would also eventually aid in the healing of my emotional, spiritual and physical scars of war.  It is the “Gentle Way” that leads me to the path of redemption.

Judo creates an avenue in which to pursue the perfection of human character. It is within the study of the gentle way that develops a perspective of the world that only judoka can appreciate.  During my growth as a judoka, I learned that Judo has a different lesson and principle. Through these teachings I began to formulate an understanding myself as a human being and as a warrior.  My spirit was the first element that I began to evaluate and develop. Learning Judo for me was not simply a martial art, but a way of life.  In pursuit of perfecting my character, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the tender age of seventeen; pursuing the ultimate challenge of earning the title of Marine. At this stage of my life I was once again a beginner.

The darkest time in my life came in the months of my third deployment; this deployment drew on every ounce of mental strength and perseverance that I possessed in my body.  Ramadi in 2006 was the operations center of Al Qaeda in Iraq; everyday roadside bombings killed Marines on patrol; suicide attacks were consistent on remote combat outposts, kidnappings and beheadings of Iraqi soldiers were not uncommon.  I was in the midst of this chaos, my warrior spirit received the ultimate test when a roadside bomb attacked my patrol and we were ambushed by an unknown number of insurgents.  The fog of war began to cloud my vision, both mentally and physically. It was then that my subconscious mind seized control of my body.  I began to engage the enemy and take control of the situation, the years training my mind and body in Judo delivered my fellow marines and me to the relative safety of our forward operating base.

After the explosion naval medical staff discovered that I was suffering from the acute symptoms of Combat Stress. It is the precursor to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and post-concussive syndrome.  I was ordered to seek treatment, but like any other Marine and judoka I resisted.  I was evacuated from theater and sent to Germany for evaluation and recovery.  I wasn’t to return to my men.  In my mind, I was a failure. In my mind, I was unworthy of the title of Marine.  In the years following this deployment, Judo would become the keystone in my recovery efforts and assimilation to life after war.”  (Continued in Part 2: Mending the Spirit)

Machine gunner LCpl Jeremy R. Williams in Iraq