- November 1, 2024
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This past school year, Jose David Zayas, 16, graduated from Matanzas High School with his older brother, Julio Daniel. Zayas, who picks up academics effortlessly, skipped two grades. But, when it comes to Jukido Academy, Zayas couldn’t easily master that discipline.
“There were many times I thought, ‘Maybe this isn’t for me,’” he said. “I didn’t like the sweating, the waking up sore and having to repeat the same things over again every week.”
As Zayas nears his black belt testing day, he recalled how often he wanted to quit.
When Zayas’ mom took him to the academy at 6 years old, he didn’t want to go. After a year of training, she gave him the
“When something gets too hard, you’re always tempted to give up. I’m just glad I got past it.”
JOSE DAVID ZAYAS
freedom to decide, so he left.
Zayas stayed away from the academy for months — almost a year. But he would soon feel the urge to go back, and, as the days went on, the urge got stronger, and he finally decided to return.
After his return, Zayas grew into a formidable student, but he continued to wrestle with giving up.
“I didn’t push myself as hard as I should have, and I would overthink a lot of things,” he said.” And, when something gets too hard, you’re always tempted to give up. I’m just glad I got past it.”
One day, while training with another student in the dojo, Zayas says he realized he knew Jukido wouldn’t work, if he was only going to put half the effort into it, so he began to give it his all.
Zayas’ training has served him well. He says he’s used it to diffuse a couple situations with a few bullies.
On potentially becoming a black belt, Zayas said, “It’s not an end but a new beginning. It would also be a symbol of the effort I’ve put into the dojo and the skill I have attained.”
In addition to his self-defense skills, Zayas says Jukido has matured him, taught him disciple and respect — attributes he didn’t have before — and has given him a new way of life.
“The key is not that Jose David considered quitting,” Sensei George Rego said, “but that he didn't, and, when he did for a short time he realized that it wasn't about the art but about facing himself. The art demands your absolute best efforts, and he wanted to be his best self. So, he knew the dojo was his home. The art of Jukido Jujitsu was a means of constantly polishing himself into the sharpest version of himself possible.”
Zayas is also headed to Daytona State College to major in computer science.
