Attend weekly Japanese Jiu Jitsu class at Great River institute, located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Study with Scott Walter, Sensei..
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I had employed a practice that I’ve only recently been taught: positioning my awareness slightly on the positive or leaving side of my heartbeat. I had no idea of its meaning, yet the instant I turned to this practice a realization immediately emerged.
To be clear, I'm not declaring an understanding here. Rather, I'm simply sharing realizations that instantly emerged when I began practicing something I didn't understand.
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Part of my martial arts journey involved learning to become more relaxed. Problem was, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t relaxed. Understandably, this particular ‘inner journey’ took time for honesty to creep in. It wasn’t that I was being dishonest, but rather that my definition of honesty and self-awareness had to expand. Frankly, it was a process that took me years to unfold.
What’s interesting is the way in which Jiu Jitsu helped me unwrap all this.
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The Seven Fundamental Principles for Standing in the Face of the Truth represent a relationship between the balance and harmony of standing in the face of the truth. There are many, many forms of truth that can matter in countless ways. In understanding the Seven Fundamental Principles better, it’s important to be mindful of what they are addressing.
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When an aggressor grabs our wrist, our tendency is to use resistance as our course of action. Perhaps we attempt to jerk our hand away, or maybe we suddenly start pushing, twisting or even shouting. We tend to react one of two ways: fighting it or giving in to it. Similarly, we employ the same practices when encountering difficulties in our everyday life circumstances. In Jiu Jitsu we train to not meet force with force. Instead, we practice to ‘become one with’.
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Recent Jiu Jitsu classes have been delving into the mechanics of what occurs when resistance emerges. But more importantly, we have been learning that there are glimpses of awareness that can take place, but typically only if we have ‘the eyes to see’.
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The Principles of Ki were developed by Koichi Tohei (head Aikido sensei, and founder of The Ki Society). What Tohei refers to as “Relaxed Strength” is what Jiu Jitsu calls supple — it’s a state between hard and soft, between rigid and flaccid. Tohei maintains that the four sub-principles contained within the Principles of Ki are something everyone can practice, regardless of age, gender or physical condition.
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The attacks made on us by the rich and powerful are highly orchestrated, powerful, diverse and are occurring on many fronts. We need responses that work in pretty much any situation versus responses that are individually customized for specific or one-off attacks.
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Everything we’ve created exists because of our minds.
As we study Jiu Jitsu, we begin to realize that the fight or encounter is often won or lost depending on the state of our intention. The focus of our mind, combined with our ability to be supple and relaxed, is what determines the outcomes.
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Martial arts often focus on an elusive concept characterized by the term 'center'. Students are introduced to this concept early in their training. In that context, instructors may emphasize various essential self-defense concepts such as, "Move the body as a unit, not as isolated parts." Over time, these vague concepts slowly crystalize into a series of realizations. When we examine our approach to our start-ups within the context of martial arts principles, we can see similarities emerging out of our own, unique 'everyday life dojos'.
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Can the inner mystery be quantified, defined or identified? Mystics have long believed that it could. But what about artists?
Art has long been associated with our spiritual nature, or what we might call the inner creative pulse. Often considered an expression of the deeper self, artists sometimes refer to this mysterious energy as the ‘inner muse’. But what is it? And how do we more consciously connect to it?
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Often, when we are attacked in life, we either meet the attack with a forceful response, or we cringe and cower. It’s an all or nothing approach. And in many cases, people only know one or the other of these polar opposite responses.
There are times when flight or flight responses are effective, but there is an entire world of other responses, found in the middle, which are often overlooked.
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The mind has many thoughts, and it’s rarely empty. Yet, when it’s able to pause, it can glimpse the emptiness. And a mere glimpse can change you forever.
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“I practiced the method of maintaining one point, one center, when there is commotion around you.” — from a student of Aikido
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We often think of self defense martial arts as fighting arts and skills. But my Sensei often stated, “The biggest thing you have to defend against is your self.”
This advice is also true when it comes to stilling our mind. We typically associate a mind full of active and moving thoughts as a productive and healthy mind. But is it?
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What would be different about the way we approach life if we were meditating — in some form or another — pretty much all the time, or at least at any time we chose? And not in some dull-eyed space cadet way. Rather, in a completely normalized, functional manner.
Martial arts helped illuminate the path to get me there, and I eventually learned how to meditate in everyday life. I can actually describe how to do it, although not in this short essay. It’s a skill I practice everyday.
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I was in my brand new Jiu Jitsu gi (uniform) for the first time. I was 39 years old, needing something but not really sure what that ‘something’ was. I had all kinds of insecurity, but I couldn’t admit it. And all this tension built up in my shoulders and neck.
When I looked in the mirror I didn’t see any signs of tension. I saw a swimmer’s tapered physique. That wedge look made sense to me: I swam a lot. So this is how I looked when I hesitantly walked into my first Jiu Jitsu class in 1990… fit and ready. At least that’s what I thought.
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The attack is coming. It could be a co-worker, a customer, a partner, a patient, someone in line at the cash register, or even a family member. Sometimes it catches us by surprise, other times we can see it coming. It’s rarely physical.
How do we deal with both the expected and the surprise attacks?
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In the 1950s the French underestimated the opposing armed forces in Vietnam. This occurred shortly before America jumped in and repeated many of the same mistakes. France’s errors began with underestimating the enemy general, Võ Nguyên Giáp. And in underestimating just one guy they ended up being badly beaten.
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We need strong self defense: for physical attacks, work or social assaults, and for full-on, all-out, relentless, taking-no-prisoners “destroying the 99%” attacks.
Sun Tzu said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.” - from The Art of War,
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