#170 | Nathan: Finding The Will To Live While Walking 1,350 Miles Barefoot
Find him on Instagram @walkamilebarefoot
Nathan spent an amount of his childhood running from one foster home to the next. He had attempted to outrun bullies, his housing, community, the world. The furthest he’d gone was 140 miles to North Wales hoping to never be found again. Nathan luckily found his way back to the community by way of an unknown train conductor. He was once again back into another foster care.
As a teenager, he found salvation in an MMA gym where his only training partners were large adults. He was inflamed with rage and frustration towards the bullies that hurt him throughout his youth. What was originally a desire to learn to hurt people became a calm and loving yet firm resolve that emanated within as Nathan practiced martial arts. He didn’t desire to cause harm to make himself feel safe, dominant, or satisfied. Nathan found community, trust, and direction in that martial arts gym. He gleaned something from martial arts, Jiu-Jitsu specifically, that affected his perspective; his whole life. Was it a panacea, the answer to all of his problems? No, it was only the beginning…
Nathan would spend his time aiming, missing his mark, and repeating this cycle until a looming pressure had appeared. From training to serve in the Armed Forces Of The United Kingdom to competing professionally in Mixed Martial Arts, he had felt like his life was void of value, meaning, and purpose. Nathan sought a counselor and doubled down on his love for Martial Arts by changing professions from a medical engineer to a Jiu-Jitsu Instructor.
Nathan is finding meaning in training his feet to walk barefoot year-round on all terrains. Nathan has committed to walking barefoot from Scottland to Land’s End in the southernmost point of The United Kingdom. That’s 1,350 miles!!! He’s using the adventure as a means to raise funds for charity for mental health.
Here’s a thought experiment: “You have practiced diligently in Jiu-Jitsu. You’ve worked on your fitness and technique. You realize that if you continue on this pathway you’ll become a master and you can dominate your opponents. Your friend in a larger weight class is on the exact same track. You start to notice that your and your friend’s values are different. He values Jiu-Jitsu more than you not through his words but his actions. If you kept training at this frequency then you would progress but your emotions start to spiral. You long for outdoors, to be alone a little more often, maybe to paint a little more than you get to now, etc.. When you take breaks, you realize that you long for Jiu-Jitsu. You’re at a conflict, what do you listen to? When I’m away from Jiu-Jitsu for (Blank) hours, I crave to train. When I’m training for more than (blank) hours, I crave to do (insert alternative activity). If I choose to train less then I will progress less in Jiu-Jitsu. If it’s my goal to become the best at Jiu-Jitsu and not be a loser, I will pursue mastery with all of my heart. If I put Jiu-Jitsu lower on my value hierarchy then my friend will surpass me and I will squander my potential. “
This thought experiment is inspecting how we define success. We often define success as becoming the best at something. While we’re all capable of becoming a master of our disciplines, there is always a hierarchy. You can’t do Jiu-Jitsu instead of eating dinner, sleeping, or taking a dump. Those are essential activities that you plan Jiu-Jitsu around. If getting 4 hours of sleep is better than 6, I would question your values for consideration of your health. However, I would also question the choice to sleep 15 hours a day. It’s a helpful thing to define your values, set a temporary aim, and experiment with life.
