At Barton Springs in Austin, a floating mat that looks something like a boxing platform crossed with a lily pad has become the stage for AquaJits, a hybrid of jiu-jitsu and sumo where competitors grapple for position while trying to push each other into the water below.
But the unusual setup recently drew unwanted attention from local authorities.
According to Noah, an Austin-based martial artist and content creator, the Austin Police Department showed up at Barton Springs roughly two weeks before the activity was shut down, responding to a complaint.
Noah later tracked down the person responsible and got him to explain his reasoning on camera:
This guy is proudly admitting to calling the police on Aquajits out here in Austin, Texas at Barton Springs.
Aquajits is a jiu-jitsu and sumo-based rule set on a mat that’s floating in the middle of Barton Springs.
The police was calling us about two weeks ago. And this guy states that it is too dangerous and a bad influence on kids.
Noah wasn’t convinced, especially given what else regularly happens at the same park:
But swinging off a rope into the water that is hanging from a tree is not dangerous at all.
And don’t get me wrong, I love a good rope swing.
But you’re gonna try to tell me that that’s not as dangerous as wrestling on a mat and trying to push someone into the water?
He pushed the argument further:
And you want to talk about bad influence. There are tons of homeless encampments at Barton Springs. Your kids could step on a needle.
They’re doing illegal stuff right out in the open.
And don’t get me wrong, I love Barton Springs and all the weirdness that goes on there.
But bad influence and dangerous? Sir, take a look at your surroundings, alright?
Get your priorities straight.
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