6 Years 350 days - Mas

6 Years 350 days - Mas

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? Comedian David Boyle is nearly seven years alcohol-free and still turning everyday chaos into five minutes of raw, sweary comedy. This time, he’s talking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kids’ sports, and the joyless reality of road rules. Boyle shares how he’s “back at jits” after years of on-and-off training that’s stretched over a decade, still rocking a white belt with four stripes.

Instead of chasing glory on the mats, he’s now treating Jiu-Jitsu as “mobility exercise” – getting up and down off the ground, moving his body, and trying not to pop a rib or wreck his shoulder. You’ll hear him weigh up the cost of classes for himself and his kids, shaking his head at the idea of paying big money while his five-year-old “pretty much” plays with hula hoops.

He also compares Jiu-Jitsu with wrestling, arguing that wrestling coaching where he is might be “where it’s at”, especially with access to an Olympic medallist and much cheaper prices. For anyone in recovery trying to find affordable, physical outlets that don’t involve the pub, this kind of practical thinking will feel very familiar. The episode then swerves into his upcoming learner’s permit test in Massachusetts.

Boyle admits that practice quizzes revealed he “doesn’t really know any of the road rules,” joking about indicators, speed limits, and the requirement to actually stop at red lights.

He riffs on his bad driving habits, odd traffic encounters, and his refusal to ever learn how to spell “Massachusetts”: “I just press Mas and whatever happens, happens.” Short, unfiltered, and full of dark humour, this snapshot of sober life shows how staying off the booze doesn’t magically make everything tidy – but it does give you front-row seats to your own ridiculousness.

Who knew Jiu-Jitsu, kids’ sport fees, and a driving test could say so much about how far someone’s come?