More than 20,000 people in Ukraine have lost limbs because of injuries since the start of Russia’s brutal war there, many of them soldiers. Some of them have learned to deal with their psychological trauma by practicing a form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Ukrainian war veterans with amputated limbs perform at the Ukrainian national competition of jiu jitsu in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. More than 20,000 people in the Ukraine have lost limbs from injuries since the start of the Russian war, many of them soldiers. Some of them have learned to deal with their psychological trauma by practicing a form of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. War veteran Vasyl Oksyntiuk, 26, reacts during a jiu jitsu training session in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023.
Much of the martial art of jiu-jitsu involves moves and holds aimed at using an opponent’s own force against them. TMS Hub offers free practice of jiu-jitsu primarily to veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war who have suffered the loss of a limb through combat. The program is aimed at providing them with a community of people with a similar experience, to help with their psychological rehabilitation.
One of them was 26-year-old Vasyl Oksyntiuk, who lost both of his legs when a shell hit his car near Bakhmut last December during intense battles for the city. “I had always wanted to try martial arts, but I thought I was too old for it,” Oksyntiuk said. “Then I lost my legs, saw on the internet that there was this opportunity, and decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed it.”
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