Caught in a choke, she struggles to escape, thrashing and pulling.

She could give up and tap out, but she can’t accept it – she wants to win.

Then, everything goes black.

That was the first time freshman Jahnavi Raman passed out from Jiu-Jitsu.

“It was scary,” Raman said. “All I remember was this very cool feeling, and I started seeing stars. I felt like I had a dream, and the next thing I know, I woke up with my mom over me.”

Prior to practicing Jiu-Jitsu in second grade, Raman never considered herself fit for sports.

“I'm 4-foot-9, so for most sports that you play where you need to be taller or more athletic, I didn't check those boxes off,” Raman said.

Wanting his daughters to be able to defend themselves, Raman’s father began researching martial arts and discovered Jiu-Jitsu as a way for Raman to practice self-defense despite her height.

“[My dad] found that the guy who created Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was a very small man, and he based the sport off not needing to be tall,” Raman said. “You put [your opponents] on the ground, and that just neutralizes the height advantage.”

When she first began training at Elite MMA, competition and the chance to learn self-defense weren’t the initial reasons why Raman was attracted to the martial art. It was the friendly atmosphere and a chance to socialize with her peers.

“Before I joined Jiu-Jitsu, I was struggling to make friends in school,” Raman said. “When I started, Jiu-Jitsu was just an outlet to learn how to make friends and become active, and it was a great environment to be in.”

According to teammate Abigail Micu Jr., Raman lights up the room whenever she walks in and works hard despite the challenges.

“[Raman] is very humble, and when she loses she uses what she did ‘wrong’ in that fight and makes sure to never make that mistake again,” Micu said. “On and off the mats she is just such a happy, kind and caring person. I have never seen her throw a pity party or take her anger out on someone ever; she is just such a sweet person.”

This newfound community encouraged Raman to practice competitively. However, looking back, her competitive journey wasn’t all smooth sailing.

“My experience with Jiu-Jitsu has not been roses and daisies,” Raman said. “I've done 60 matches, and my win rate is two matches. I have lost 58 matches, and if you've ever been in competition, it's heartbreaking to lose that much.”

Despite the losses, Raman finds joy in the sport with support from mentors and loved ones.

“It has not been the easiest path, but the reason I step up to it is because my coaches and dad have not only pushed me but given me a new perspective on Jiu-Jitsu,” Raman said.

For Raman’s father Jay Raman, instead of pulling his daughter out of Jiu-Jitsu, he stood proudly and supported her as she stuck to the martial art despite being choked out.

“Some of the coaches said this is a moment that a lot of kids quit, but she didn't let the fear control her,” Jay Raman said. “She did not quit and still trains. It's easy to cheer [for] wins, but it's more impressive when a person overcomes the loss.”

When most competitors quit, Raman persevered, cultivating a toughness that will serve her for the rest of her life.

Besides her father, Raman’s coach also motivates her to continue training and brings her up whenever she’s down.

“He’s so positive, like the kind of person that just lights up a room," Raman said. “He knows how to push you to a certain amount, but also knows how to make you happy while doing it, and he cracks the perfect jokes.”

Aside from cheering her up, her coach offers her valuable advice before or after a competition.

“Believing in myself is probably my biggest barrier in the sport,” Raman said. “My coach always tells me, ‘You are a good Jiu-Jitsu person, but you walk into a match thinking you're going to lose, and you lose. If you have confidence in yourself, then you're going to win, but you don't.’”

Although Raman’s coach wasn’t there, she heeded his advice and reaped the benefits of self-confidence when she won her first match at a cancer fundraising tournament in Austin.

“Winning your first match is like getting a monkey off of your back,” Raman said. “When you lose 30 matches and win your first one, it’s a confidence boost.”

The euphoria of victory propelled Raman forwards, but overcoming her challenge with confidence wasn’t a one time thing; it’s something she faces everyday.

“I'm not going to say I beat this confidence challenge that I have in myself, because I haven't at all,” Raman said. “It's an ongoing challenge that I face day-to-day.”

Raman went on to compete for two years before stopping two to three years ago due to personal preferences. While she is now out of the competitive spotlight, Raman continues to train and build herself up without the pressure of competition.

“I didn’t enjoy [competing] anymore,” Raman said. “There was too much stress and disappointment in my own personal competition experience. I love the training aspect of the sport, but the competition just wasn’t for me.”

Raman trains recreationally two to three times a week for Jiu-Jitsu and does strength and conditioning once or twice a week. Even though she doesn’t compete anymore, staying fit through Jiu-Jitsu has become a core part of her life.

“If there's one thing I've taken from Jiu-Jitsu, it’s a love for life, keeping healthy and working out,” Raman said. “Those aren't habits that happen out of nowhere. You need to build them into your life and build a love for it, and Jiu-Jitsu has created that for me.”

Beyond fitness, Jiu-Jitsu gave Raman an outlet to grow as a person.

“[Jiu-Jitsu] was the first place where I learned how to make friends,” Raman said. “It's given me perseverance, because competition is hard, and it’s given me courage, because I know that if I walk into a room with people that I might not be comfortable with, I can defend myself.”

This growth hasn’t gone unnoticed, as Raman’s father shares the same sentiment.

“Mental toughness and her understanding of health and fitness have been emphasized,” Jay Raman said. “At her size and build in martial arts school where adults and teens often outweigh her by 20 to 30 pounds and have height on her, she will step on the mat. The odds are stacked, yet she still [practices Jiu-Jitsu] and [does] it intensely.”

Growth in Jiu-Jitsu isn’t a straight line – there are ups and downs, but Raman continues pushing herself. Whether it’s raising money for cancer, meeting new friends who feel like family or becoming more confident in herself, Raman finds reasons to stick with Jiu-Jitsu.

“It's going to be tough,” Raman said. “There are days where you want to run off the mat and sob your eyes out, but at the end of the day, you're going to be so grateful for everything you have. I'm so glad that I have met the people that I have met and had these experiences, because they are the reasons that I am me.”