One year now

[Kurzy]

Today marks a special day for me. One year ago today I walked away from cigarette smoking forever.
If it wasn’t for Jiu Jitsu, if it wasn’t for Stew Landry patiently convincing me to try Jiu Jitsu, who knows how close to death/disease I would be.

A lot of you know my story about smoking, my heart, my weekend alcoholism, my gargantuan third leg…. Oh, I didn’t tell you about that?

Well if you don’t, the summary of my (what I truly consider to be near fatal) experience is here in post #8:
http://www.10thplanetjj.com/threads/...l=1#post135624

Anyways I will save the mushy stuff for facebook but suffice it to say that I am happy to have a full year of being a non-smoker under my belt, as of 9pm tonight!

I remember going to class, smoking a butt just before going in, gasping the whole time, them after class sparking up another smoke on the drive home. lol. Idiot.

I am a different man than I was a year ago. So much has changed. As far as I am concerned I am just getting started. Today marks a new era in my life, literally.
I consider today the starting line, and the starter pistol has just been fired!
Thanks Stew, thanks 10P heads, thanks Eddie, thanks BJJ!

40 Years old and I feel reborn.

[Trez "Rat" Reyna]

Congrats man! I smoked cigarettes for 7 years, started when I was 12. I would smoke almost 2 packs a day. I was baaaad! I would get out of work light one up and 3 blocks down would be turning out my second one as I walked up to my porch. I quit smoking cigarettes by using a yo-yo. haha Everytime I was dying to smoke one I would take out my yo-yo and be throwing the shit out of it. People wpuld look at me weird but I knew it was for my own good. I finally quit and its been like maybe 7-8 years since I quit. So I can relate. So congrats on staying strong and I hope to train with you guys in the near future!

[Jason 'J-Faz' Farren]

Congrats dude.
I smoked for around 9 years, if it wasn't for my little girl and jiu-jitsu I don't think I would've done it.
The first year is the hardest for sure, you've achieved a great thing.
It's only upwards from here, we'll done

[Rachael Kaulig]

The first year is for sure the hardest. It's all down hill from here!

I smoked for about 9 years, started when I was about 15. I quit about 11 years ago. (Did I just give my age away!?)

Congrats to you!!!

[Kurzy]

Yeah I have it beat this time. I have quit a few times in the past, but this time it's as legit as it gets. That heart thing really put things in perspective for me. It scared me straight.
I started at the age of 12 and smoked full time till 39. Unreal. How foolish.

[Martin.Harris]

Congrats bro, I can relate - I'm 39, quit smoking about 4 years ago. It really is an awesome feeling to be free of the addcition.

[DavidBaut]

Congrats bro, I'm going through it as we speak, I'm at 9 months now. It's been hard but I try to stay on the mats to avoid the craving. Stay strong.

[Sam Sales]

congrats mate.

[Nathan Simcox]

Damn, man. Nice job! I've quit a bunch of times. It just won't take! I'm an alcoholic with 15 years of sobriety. Quitting cigarettes is MUCH harder. I'll get it tho. Going on wellbutrin. I helped once a few years ago. I tried chantix last time......it made me IN-FUCKING-SANE! Talk about temper! I'd just be sitting there, fists clenched, jaws clenched, PISSED, and have no ficking idea why.

It's also nice to see other old guys just getting into the sport. I'll be 42 soon, and I just started jits in January. I'm hooked. I see me doing this for many, many years to come. My ass is off the couch where it has been sitting for too many years. I feel better than I have in years. Smoking is next on the list. Wish my luck, brothers (AND sisters!).

[Kurzy]

Right on guys. (And gals)

You know I walk by the areas I used to chum around for smoking and I see people now, inhaling those thousands of nouxious chemicals and it blows my mind completely that I ever could fool myself into it to begin with.

The day my heart went into frib, my mind was set in stone to never smoke a cigarette again. All the illusions of "cool" and "badass" and even "addiction" just wisped away into nothing the instant I stood on those mats, clutching my chest, wondering if I was going to die right there on the spot.

Since then my mindset is so dead against it that I see my old buddies still smoking out there (We're still friends, I just say old buddies cuz I used to smoke with them and chat) and I wonder how in the eff they can continue. Now that I have broken it's grasp, it's mindblowing to me that I ever fell under the spell.

It's like people learning about the global conspiracy. Once they learn that almost everything they have ever known is a lie, they can't look at the world the same way. I had myself convinced that they weren't effecting me, weren't hurting me, weren't bad for me, etc.