Robert Consulmagno, a Marine Veteran Says Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Changed His Life. Consulmagno spent his childhood trying to avoid violence. After his father committed suicide when Consulmagno was 10 years old, his mother remarried a man that physically abused them both. Consulmagno hoped he would find reprieve by joining the Marines in 1991, only to find himself getting into fights and disputes with authority.
Thank you Robert “Cozmo” Consulmagno for sharing your story with #JiuJitsuTimes! Cozmo has used #BJJ and martial arts to battle PTSD and bipolar disorder to be a worldwide top ranked #JiuJitsu competitor! Wish him well as he fights this Thursday for the Ringside National Boxing title in Missouri. Also check out his website www.supercrazycozmo.com for more information on depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. #BJJmemes #JiuJitsuTimesStories A photo posted by Jiu-Jitsu Times (@jiujitsutimes) on
Consulmagno was honorably discharged from the Marines after five years of service, and for 16 years sought peace though many different avenues. He attended college and started multiple different jobs, but couldn’t escape conflict in either area. In a visit to a VA hospital, he found out that he was bipolar, and had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from his troubled and abusive childhood. It may sound surprising, then, that it was actually fighting that helped center him.
In 2012, Consulmagno began taking Brazilian jiu-jitsu lessons. Because of the nature of the sport, it is crucial that participants trust each other. Consulmagno says he therefore found comfort in the family-like environment of martial arts. Consulmagno also found a cathartic outlet; jiu-jitsu allowed him to leave his troubles at the door, and the extra endorphins didn’t hurt.
Consulmagno is now advocating that the VA sees the value of martial arts as therapy. For Consulmagno, the nightmare of his early years left him immobile and without a sense of purpose. Brazilian jiu-jitsu changed Consulmagno’s life, allowing him to fight his fears. Ranked 1st in the world, Consulmagno isn’t just fighting, he’s winning.
The post Marine Veteran Robert Consulmagno Battling PTSD And Bipolar appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.