A GoFundMe has been stared for a BJJ black belt whose gym was robbed at the end of May in an incident that wasn’t connected to the current widespread protests taking place throughout the world.
Adam Nadow (who you may remember as the guy who was attacked in the parking lot of his own academy, Fudoshin BJJ, at the end of 2018) told the Jiu-Jitsu Times that a week ago at 3:30 a.m., his “grainy useless security footage” showed that someone had been walking near the shops near the gym, using a flashlight to look into the windows. “He looked in, liked what he saw, grabbed a nearby brick, and smashed my window, stole my bike and computer, a few other small things, and left.”
The impact hit particularly hard for Nadow, who says he lost 80 percent of his students due to the coronavirus lockdown without gaining any new ones to make up for it. “No laptop to run my failing business or bike to ride to work and get cardio. My mats are laced with almost microscopic shards of glass that challenge even the most hardened rebel to roll while it’s still illegal,” he said.
Still, despite all that’s happened to him in the past year or so, Nadow is maintaining a positive attitude. “Being a black belt/BJJ practitioner has kept me sane. During the lockdown, my dog went missing, store broken into, can’t pay rent… bike and laptop stolen… and I feel great. This virus made me realize I’m not a victim — this is an opportunity to dig deep and do it again. If you truly believe in what you do, nothing and no one can stop you. That’s me now. I’m pumped up, and with the love and support from people like you… that’s icing on the cake.”
Those who want to offer their own support to Nadow can donate to the GoFundMe that was set up by Brian Whitaker to help the gym recover from the damage. The fundraiser has a goal of $7,000 and has raised nearly $300 in three days, and you can get it closer to its goal here.
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