Mendel Gerlitzky wasn’t expecting to find himself pinned to the floor on a Tuesday afternoon, grappling with a martial artist. But when the “price of admission” for a mitzva is a round on the mats, a Chossid does what he has to do.

It all started with what seemed like a standard request from Rabbi Ari Kirschenbaum, Shliach at Chabad of Prospect Heights. He asked Mendel to head over to meet with a local group that called themselves the “Jewish Jiu-Jitsu” club and offer them the chance to put on tefillin.

Mendel showed up ready for mivtzoim. What he didn’t anticipate was the group’s unusual condition.

“When Rabbi Kirschenbaum asked me to go put on tefillin with the Jewish Jiu-Jitsu club, I wasn’t sure what it was,” Mendel told Anash.org. “But I knew I was going to wrap tefillin with the guys.”

Upon arrival, however, the group made their terms crystal clear: before the club members would roll up their sleeves for tefillin, Mendel would have to roll on the floor and do a round of Jiu-Jitsu with them.

“They told me, ‘In order for us to roll up our sleeves and wrap tefillin, you have to roll on the floor and do a round of Jiu-Jitsu with us,'” Mendel recounted.

Not one to back down from a challenge – or pass up a chance to help another Yid do a mitzva – Mendel accepted the terms. He stepped onto the mats and engaged in the match, navigating submissions and sweeps to earn the trust and camaraderie of the group.

The deal was honored. Having successfully made it through the round, Mendel helped each member of the group put on tefillin.