Edward Sholes

COM 501/ Professor Golub

Feature Profile- REVISED
Word Count: 550

The Unorthodox Artist

The smell of pure sweat, plastic and rubber hits you in the face as you walk into the
Dragon Within Martial Arts School in Salem. A Spartan-like environment surrounds you. Heavy
metal music blasts through the speakers as Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and Muay Thai specialists
prepare for their daily routines. All around you rest the nuts and bolts of the facility: black mats
and black Muay Thai gear. No decorations or fancy furniture adorn the simple training area;
there is nothing that does not need to be there. Just the essentials, says Bailey Cole, a member
of the academy and dedicated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu White Belt. You learn on these mats and you
practice with this gear. You know that when you
walk in theres nothing else.
Cole majors in Parks and Recreation at
Salem State University; he also practices mixed
martial arts. He hits the mats every week to
practice Jiu-Jitsu, which is a grappling form of
martial arts focused around self-defense and
ground fighting. The sport became a mainstay of
Coles life January of last year. I didnt want to
feel completely useless, Cole says. The 21-

year-old explained that at one point, he realized he did not know how to defend himself. He was
about to change that.
I Googled self-defense classes, found the Dragon Within Martial Arts School, and I
started training later that week, Cole says of how he came across his new hobby. Martial arts
became much more than just a hobby for Cole, however. The sport itself is a way of life, Cole
says.
Focus, discipline and confidence are words Cole uses to define the integrated combat
sport. The fighting discipline that Cole says best instills these attributes on its students? Jiu-jitsu.
It gives you confidence and helps you with your self-discipline, Cole says, which is
one of the most important things to have in life. According to Cole, the martial art infuses a
calm confidence in his life that he never had before. After every practice, Cole says he feels
more safe and brave than before. Life overwhelms us at times; when the pressure bears down,
Cole says he simply pretends he is in Jiu-Jitsu class. Jiu-Jitsu keeps me calm and helps me
handle things, Cole says. It has made life more manageable.
Cole not only practices martial arts, but he also strongly advocates for the sport as a
whole, especially Jiu-Jitsu. The premise behind it is that anyone can do it, Cole says. It is
extremely effective and useful. Self-defense is not the only purpose the discipline provides Cole
says as Jiu-Jitsu has given him a strong sense of community, a boost in confidence and has made
him more humble.
Coles Jiu-Jitsu coach Tim Burrill praises his student, especially for his hard work.
Bailey is one of our most dedicated young students, says Burrill. His relentlessness when it
comes to training is very impressive.

Cole says he aspires to one day officially compete in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament as well as an
MMA tournament, once he gets enough training in striking that is. Currently he says most of his
focus is dedicated to Jiu-Jitsu. And Cole insists on referring to Jiu-Jitsu as an art. I do consider it
an art, Cole says. Those mats are the canvas. You use your body to paint a picture.