My American Dream
By Iman Achhal
People often ask me if it’s scary to get in the ring. When I tell them that I’m not afraid, I’m not always sure that they believe me. How could I find joy in putting myself in front of another person who is going to do her best to hurt me? How could hurting another person be fun? That’s a situation that’s supposed to spark fear, not be a form of enjoyment.
I think that a lot of fear comes from what you’ve experienced in life. Some of the events in my life have been truly frightening. After living through those, fighting seems easy by comparison.
When I was 18, I left my home in Morocco to escape a marriage that my mother had arranged between me and a man in his 30s. For me, it was an easy choice. I could go off in search of my own life, or I could resign myself to an existence with a man I didn’t know, I didn’t love, and a life I didn’t want…barefoot and pregnant?! Not for me. Something told me it was time to leave, so I decided to go in search of this ‘American Dream’ I’d heard so much about on the news…I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted it! So in my 18th year of life I left home.
I remember arriving in New York City and feeling a strange combination of complete freedom and absolute terror. I had no friends, spoke no English, and wasn’t sure what to do next. My skills as a teenager, barely an adult, were very limited. I was really scared, but motivated at the same time. I had heard about the ‘American Dream’ but had no idea where to find mine…
I made my way to Virginia to live with my father. After a short stay, he kicked me out when he realized that I wasn’t interested in living a strict Muslim lifestyle and marrying a man of his choice; I was suddenly homeless…again. For the next three months, through the winter, my home was a tent in a local park. I worked as a day laborer, because that’s where I could meet other people who spoke spanish. Every morning, we’d gather in front of the local 7-11 and wait for a truck to take us to that day’s job. I knew nothing about home improvement or construction, but it was either learn quickly or starve. At the end of each day, I’d go to K-Mart and buy clothes and food. I also bought a portable heater, one of the few comforts I had during this time in my life. In order to keep going, I had to continually tell myself that eventually, things would get better. I had to find that dream!
Things turned around when I met a man, who like me, spoke fluent arabic. This man was a stranger, but for some reason I found myself pouring out my life story to him. He told me he was looking for a dependable worker for his home improvement business, and after some convincing, he hired me. Eventually, I was able to earn enough money to rent a bed from a local family. I moved on to rent basements, spare rooms, living wherever I could afford a place to lay my head.
It was around that time that my boyfriend introduced me to jiu-jitsu. He had been learning a little bit, and would put me in holds that I couldn’t get out of. We both signed up for classes at Capital Jiu-Jitsu. After years in the states, I’d finally found something I did for pure enjoyment!
The gym became my second home, and my team quickly became my family. I knew nothing when I started. In fact, most students were new. We all learned together, and it was exciting for all of us to help each other learn.
I trained consistently for the next four years, except for a brief interruption when I trained as a firefighter. I worked for the local fire department for three-and-a-half years. I enjoyed the work, and the schedule allowed me to pursue a dream that I’d had in my mind since I started training: to test my skills in the ring. This, I thought, could be it, it could be what I came here for….
It was a long road to my first match. I trained for nine months, learning to fight standing up, getting my diet in order, and seriously focusing on my conditioning. During those nine months, I lost thirty pounds and brought my cardio and strength to new levels. I could out fight all the female students and out lift most of the men. I was stronger and faster than I had ever dreamed. Not many women in their early 30s can make those claims!
Before my first fight, I wasn’t scared of getting hurt. I was excited and motivated. I was driven by a sense of obligation. The last thing I wanted to do was let down my coaches and training partners, who had selflessly devoted their time to helping me prepare. My opponent - a jiu-jitsu fighter like me - had my back early in my first fight, but I stayed calm, and eventually mounted her and won by strikes in the third round. I’ve mentioned the low points in my life, but when I won that first fight, I felt so high that I didn’t fall asleep until after five the next morning. I realized when my hand was raised by that ref, this was it. This was MY American dream.
My record is now 3-0-1. I’ve been in the cage, I’ve taken the punches and I have kept coming forward. I’ve battled on the jiu-jitsu mat against men twice my size. I’ve fought fires and helped save lives. I’ve crossed the ocean, forging a new life from sweat and hard work. People say I have a strong chin; I say I have a stronger heart. Even after I’m done with fighting, I’ll still look for ways to challenge myself and see how far I can go. My entire adult life has been a challenge. I’s the only way I know how to live, finding a challenge, always in search of my dream.
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Iman Achhal was born on January 12, 1977 in Tetuan, Morocco. She has lived in Virginia, for 13 years.
Iman currently teaches and trains full time at Capital Jiu-Jitsu.
By Jeremy