Around ten years ago, the Wilhelmshaven entrepreneur was thrown off track by a heart attack, and not just in terms of sport. Now Hillers celebrated his 3rd Dan in Jiu-Jitsu.
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Wilhelmshaven –
Heart patients who want to do sports usually focus on light endurance disciplines such as cycling or jogging. But what if you are a martial artist with heart and soul? Like the Wilhelmshaven entrepreneur and black belt holder Claus Hillers (2nd Dan Jiu-Jitsu), who around ten years ago was thrown off track by a serious heart attack, and not just in terms of sport.
Extreme challenge
Despite setbacks and injuries, he ambitiously fought his way back and not only trained in Jiu-Jitsu again with Hanna Weiland at the SDS Wilhelmshaven, but also gave lessons. With the knowledge of my own resilience, the desire to continue my career as a master awoke again. The starting signal for the long preparation for the 3rd Dan exam, which Hillers successfully passed in the Swiss town of Wattwil.
Even though Jiu-Jitsu means “gentle art”, the exam for the 3rd master level is an extreme challenge – even if you have a healthy heart. More than 100 actions must be shown in quick succession at a high technical level. The examinee is sometimes attacked with punches and kicks, with choking or grabbing techniques and also with weapons and uses the Jiu-Jitsu principles to defend themselves.
“Examinees have been active at this level for so long that they have developed their own special techniques and tactical methods,” explains SDS leader Claude Weiland. Hillers not only had to repeatedly apply his own ideas in practice during his examination, but also explain them in detail and answer the examiners’ critical technical questions. In doing so, he not only demonstrated his technical repertoire, but also the responsibility to use it in an emergency.
No lame excuses
At the end of the test, which lasted more than an hour, an enthusiastic German-Swiss examination committee from the Budo Academy Europe (BAE) came face to face with the newly crowned 3rd Dan Jiu-Jitsu. When asked how he was able to motivate himself to take such a demanding step despite the setbacks, Hillers had a simple answer: “My master is Hanna Weiland – I don’t even need to come up with lame excuses like a heart attack.”
