Fact 14: Cogito, ergo luctari

November 4, 2021 Benjamin Willenbring

Side bar: phd literally stands for Doctor of Philosophy. Lots of dopes don’t know that.

Plato – one of the most significant thinkers of Western Civilization, was an astute wrestler. In those days (in Athens), it was assumed that a learned young man would develop his body, as well as his intellect.

Plato’s akedemia, a garden and gymnasium on the outskirts of Athens, was known as a hub for wrestling and intellectual discussion. Plato himself was not just a philosopher but also a wrestler, and a good one at that: he competed in the Isthmian Games, a competition comparable to the Olympics. In fact, “Plato” was a wrestling nickname, meaning broad-shouldered. Between his lectures in the original academy, Plato likely sparred with his pupils and practiced throwing techniques. His famous mentor, Socrates, was what we might call a “volunteer coach.” Plato records many of the Socratic dialogues as taking place at the edge of the ancient wrestling mat where Socrates philosophized with young men. Socrates was a regular at the Lyceum gymnasium where, decades later, Aristotle started his own philosophical school.

The Public Discourse, Richard R. Eva

Other distinguished people who formerly grappled

US Presidents
- George Washington
- Abraham Lincoln
- Teddy Roosevelt (also practiced judo and Japanese jiu jitsu)
- Dwight Eisenhower
Arts, sciences, medicine, and law
- John Irving (author & wrestler)
- Ken Kesey (author & wrestler)
- Neil DeGrasse Tyson (physicist & wrestler)
- Andy Rooney (journalist & wrestler)
- Sam Harris (neuroscientist & bjj practitioner)
- John Danaher (philosopher & bjj practitioner)
- Saulo Ribeiro (lawyer & bjj practitioner)
- Bruno Fernandes (MD & bjj practitioner)
- Eddie Cummings (mathematician & bjj practitioner)
- Jan Gosiewski (engineer & judoka)

Ben Willenbring

Fact 14: Cogito, ergo luctari

Other distinguished people who formerly grappled

Further Reading