Belgian UFC lightweight Tarec Saffiedine is a black belt in Shihaishinkai karate, a martial art that involves strikes, throws, and submissions. ‘Sponge’ just earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Feliciano from team Checkmat.

As is the procedure at my BJJ academies, Saffiedine went through a belt whipping ceremony. To some, the gauntlet is a reminder that life is not all about creature comforts. To others, it it smacks of an adolescent fraternity initiation, or worse.