Just as sedentary office employees find themselves with ailing backs and nail salon workers might be getting slowly poisoned by their work environments, there are also less-common professions in which people experience ill effects from how they spend their days. We're not talking about football players (though we could be)—we're talking about tattoo artists.Adam Machin is an English-born, Brooklyn-based tattooer who is wary of becoming like others in his profession—those who experience back and hand pain after long days leaning over people's bodies, wielding the ink. "Mentally it's exhausting, and often physically, too," he says. But he's found a solution in martial arts. "In practicing jiu jitsu, you use a lot of muscles that create stability in the body."One of many skills he's acquired during his six-days-a-week training, which he does alongside his wife, Katie, is mastery of the "monkey paw," an overhand grip used to safely immobilize your opponent. "It creates strength between the middle fingers and activates the whole forearm, so it's pretty useful for jiu jitsu and tattooing," Machin explains.Not only does the martial art instill strength that might otherwise be depleted by Machin's profession, it also trains people in self-defense, technique, even modesty. "One thing that jiu jitsu teaches you is humility," Machin says. "You have to be humble. I'm sure I wouldn't be the first one to say that tattooers are a bunch of arrogant assholes. That doesn't last long in jiu jitsu. It's very much a leveler."Whether you're looking to give your body a release from your workday demands, or are just trying to be a little less of a dick, jiu jitsu might be the right sport for you. "It's helped me in absolutely every way," Machin says. "Physically, mentally and spiritually. It's helped me progress as a human."Watch now:
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