Felicia Oh: The Gentle Art of Inspiration
Posted by Thomas Hackett on March 9th, 2008
by Tommy Hackett
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I’m approaching my 33rd birthday, and it’s no surprise that it doesn’t much feel like my 23rd. Mostly, that’s actually a good thing: unlike my early 20’s, I’m happily married, working a decent job, and about the happiest I can remember being. But, sometimes, it’s not so good. I don’t miss those days, but if you press me I’ll admit sometimes it’s a pain when you just can’t move as easily, or eat and drink as carelessly, as before.
In attempts to slow the process, I’ve given Brazilian jiu-jitsu a try… and the so called “gentle art” doesn’t always seem so gentle.
So if you’re anything like me, you’re looking for inspiration, and you just might be in luck. A few minutes listening to Felicia Oh, the 2007 Pan-American black belt champion, could turn your day around. In her blog, Oh responded to the notion of quitting BJJ when you reach your late 30’s:
“I turned 40 a few weeks ago. I started BJJ when I was 33. So, it would seem that it is never too late.”
As Joe Rogan might say, this woman is my hero.
She continues:
“This last year was a busy competition year for me. The high points being making it to the finals of ADCC and representing the USA at the FILA World Championships in Turkey. Again…two more reasons that it seems to me that it is NEVER too late. You want to do something in your life…what’s stopping you?”
Oh knows. According to an interview with Zach Even-Esh (distrubuted by Underground Strength), she took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu after what she describes as a “terrible experience” running the Los Angeles marathon. Just four and a half years later, she earned her black belt from Jean Jacques Machado.
Oh has become one of the most respected jiu-jitsu artists in the US, with and without the gi. She’s reached the podium of nearly every major tournament, from GrapplersQuest to the US Open. Last year she won both the gi and no-gi divisions of the Pan-American games; and was the runner up at the womens 55kg division in Abu Dhabi, where she defeated Megumi Fujii with a choke. Yes, that’s the same Megumi Fujii who sports a 14-0 MMA record, numerous SAMBO titles and two Pan-American BJJ championships.
But what’s most inspiring about her? In a radio show (please note that the audio is rough and Felicia’s segment begins at 7:20 mark), Felicia mentions with a laugh that she played several sports in her youth, but wasn’t particularly good at any of them. Asked by Even-Esh about her diet, she laughs about grappling with bulimia as a young gymnast. This is what is most striking about this athlete: she’s laughing in the face of adversity, and continuing to persevere. She loves what she’s doing and is enjoying an unlikely level of success at it.
As she puts it:
“You can do anything with hard work, determination, some talent but most of all, you have to love what you’re doing… whatever that is.”
That’s something to ponder, at any age. In the meantime, enjoy a Felicia Oh highlight video:
March 16th, 2008 at 3:23 am
[...] last week’s Felicia Oh article received a nice response so I’m following with an interview segment next week. Thanks [...]