--- title: "Watch This Triple-Amputee Iraq Vet Win His First Competitive Jiu-Jitsu Match" date: "2017-07-31" modified: "2017-07-31" authors: - name: "James Clark" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/joey-bozik-triple-amputee-jiu-jitsu/" categories: - "History" - "Iraq War" - "Past Conflicts" --- # Watch This Triple-Amputee Iraq Vet Win His First Competitive Jiu-Jitsu Match ![]() With seconds left on the clock, Army veteran Joey Bozik landed a wrist lock and secured his first competitive win at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Austin Open on July 22 in Texas. And he did it with just one arm. https://www.instagram.com/p/BW3GctBDKr6 A triple-amputee, Bozik lost his legs and his right arm below the elbow in October 2004 when his Humvee rolled over a roadside bomb in Iraq. As part of his recovery process, Bozik turned to jiu-jitsu and began training five to six days a week. "It started off as just something to do physically, to keep myself active, something to do with my kids," Bozik said in an interview with [WFAA, an ABC News affiliate in McKinney, Texas.]() "But in the end, it became a personal focus as well, getting better both physically and mentally." The cofounder and president of the [We Defy Foundation](), which uses martial-arts training to rehab vets with PTSD or other war wounds, Bozik has been training and competing for the last three years. Related: Stand And Deliver: That ‘One Leg Monster’ On War, Pain, And Powerlifting » But last Saturday’s match marked his first competitive win — against an able-bodied opponent, no less. “This single experience has been years in the making,” [Bozik wrote in a July 24 Instagram post](). “One loss after another. One disappointment after another. Although showing up and competing is a victory in itself; showing everyone (including myself) that all the hours of sweat, blood, and yes sometimes tears have a purpose, is something not many get to taste in their time.” https://www.instagram.com/p/BW6gQAWA1bC The We Defy Foundation offers courses and training in jiu-jitsu for combat veterans suffering from disabling injuries and post-traumatic stress, [according to the group’s website](). There are now 70 veterans across the country learning the martial art through We Defy, with another 40 waiting for an opening, according to WFAA. “Jiu-jitsu has literally saved my life,” [Bozik wrote in a testimonial on We Defy’s website.]() “After a good night of rolling, when I go home at night I am a better father, husband, and person. Through my experience, I have seen this type of therapy change lives for the better.” **WATCH NEXT:** ## Author James Clark is the editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()