About Our Logo
A handful of people have asked about the symbolism behind our logo. A totally fair question—if it’s emblazoned on our building signage, t-shirts, gis, rash guards, and this website, I suppose it’s worth its own explication. Be forewarned: depending on how you view deep-dive analysis, the following explanation may feel like either thoughtful poetry or indulgent self-importance. I’m definitely hoping it’s the former.
There are three main motifs that went into the original concept:
A hamon
The wavy element in our logo is inspired by the hamon. In swordsmithing, a hamon is the differential tempering line created where the cutting-edge-steel meets the spine-steel—essentially where hard and soft steel meet. A good sword requires both, as one made entirely of hard steel would be too brittle to withstand blows, and one made entirely of soft steel would not be able to hold an edge. Both types are required, and neither can replace the other. It’s this balance and duality that we imagine when I think of the word “grounded.”
A black hole
Though abstract, the crescent-shapes, spiral-like elements, and black circle in our logo are inspired by black holes. If you’ve read the “About Me” section of our site, you’ll know that I’m an old physics nerd. What you see here is an actual photo of a black hole compiled from data taken by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, showing an accretion disk surrounding a singularity. Black holes are another kind of duality—unimaginably powerful, yet tiny and invisible at its core. This, to me, is reminiscent of the idea that our biggest successes can come from the smallest of choices or the most invisible of actions. The choice to believe in oneself, the action of doing just one more rep, to merely get through the doors of your gym—these are all examples of what I imagine“grit” to be. It is an all-encompassing power from an ethereal beginning.
A googly eye—
specifically, this googly eye, from the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. If you haven’t seen the movie, go do that now; I’ll wait. If you haven’t the time, know that it is a story with a bizarre multi-verse plot and themes of cosmic/existential nihilism and generational trauma. One takeaway from the film is that while nothing means anything (at least on a cosmic scale), that means our choices mean everything. And in the film’s symbolism, the googly eye represents an active resistance to passive nihilism. It represents an intentional humanity and kindness—something I believe all too rare as a core value in our society.
So there we have it: a handful of contrasting ideas held simultaneously. A balance of hard and soft power, powerful results from humble, consistent actions; and—while battling the fiercest of internal demons—choosing compassion and kindness over all. Plus a googly eye.
ground·ed /ˈɡroundəd/
adjective
well balanced and sensible
grit /ɡrit/
noun
courage and resolve; strength of character