It was a simple act of climbing the stairs that led businessman and martial artist Rosenberg Rosete to reconsider the harmful lifestyle he had. “I was 27 at that time and had unhealthy habits,” he shares. “One day, while going up the stairs, I found myself gasping for air – and I was only at the third story!”
This incident led him to the gym, where he worked out and lifted weights. Then he got bored and took on running. “That was way before the current running craze started, and I was among those who’d get stares from people who thought it was insane to go running as early as 5 am,” he says.
Then he got a bad knee and was forced to stop. Eager to maintain his fitness, and with his background in karate and taekwondo, he rekindled his love for martial arts. He took up muay thai, then later shifted to Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ). He has competed in both sports and has his share of medals.
“The mental discipline in martial arts is different. It’s really goes beyond the physical aspect, because you’re engaged before, during, and even after a fight or a training session,” he says. “You go home analyzing what you could’ve done better and how you could’ve applied certain moves.”
Admittedly, there have been times when he’s had to use his martial arts skills off the mat and on the streets. But where you’d expect him to pummel an opponent, he would actually be conscious about managing his strength and assessing what moves would not hurt the other person so much. “Martial artists understand the damage they are capable of inflicting. While a street fight may seem like an opportunity to go all-out, on the contrary, you end up calculating what move would hurt the least,” he explains.
Today, it is Ros’ personal advocacy to continue boosting the martial arts community. One way he’s doing this is by his gym called FiST, which he founded with three friends. The gym welcomes fitness enthusiasts, and also molds professional fighters. “My goal is to be a positive influence on the lives of others, and promoting martial arts is one channel I am able to fulfill that,” he says.
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