Mile Markers in the Gentle Art
There is no single way or path in jiu jitsu. The art itself is much broader than that. Many will say that life is like jiu jitsu, or jiu jitsu is like life. Either way, the informed study of one will enhance the other. Lessons learned on the mat translate to tactics and techniques in real life. This is true training.
As a white belt, you step on the mat and it seems that everything is a battle, everything is a threat. There is no discrimination between good or bad positions, dangerous techniques, or levels of intensity. It’s stop or go, with no gradations of speed, in an all out battle for survival. There’s very little feeling of what the other person is doing. It’s all about you, and measuring how far you’ve gotten. At this point, the student’s ruler is in inches, and they do not yet know that the journey is in miles.
As the belt darkens, the need for immediate feedback on progress diminishes. The satisfaction of reaching the 2.2 mile marker after the 2.1 marker is not enough to write home about, so the student learns to enjoy the journey and bonds with those on the road beside them. The aggressive sprint has turned into a steady stride. Obstacles in the road can be sidestepped, hopped, and ducked under. You realize that challenges from other runners, while occasionally fun, can break your stride and slow you down.
It’s your race, your journey. You make friends that encourage, support, and keep you on pace. Mutual welfare and benefit, to honor the maxim of Jigaro Kano, is the goal. Jiu Jitsu an individual journey, with guidance and inspiration from others, but no one can carry you over the finish line. You must make it on your own power.
For some jiu jitsu is war and nothing less than martial. For others it is a competition, a sport. But it’s also a dynamic form of yoga, a moving meditation, and a method of social bonding. Jiu jitsu is not one thing to the exclusion of everything else. It is an art that is flexible enough to afford the inclusion of everything else. It is a physical language, a method of self defense, and a proven road to personal empowerment. It has righted the ship of many a lost soul, including the person writing these words.
I always enjoy reading your reflections, Roy. It’s good to get perspective from someone who’s long past my milemarker. It’s so easy to become impatient with myself, wanting to be more, do more, right now. Patience. Pacing. Enjoying the journey. It’s a good reminder.
Emily from Bend, OR
on Sunday, March 13, 2011
...Powerful words. If your not already working on a Jiu Jitsu book you should start.
Alan Shade from Southaven, MS
on Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wow. Outstanding reflection on our art as usual; I don’t think I have read a more succinct, true description than that. Thanks for posting this.
TJ from Not in Bend :(
on Monday, March 14, 2011
Amazing…this is truly what makes RDA as great as it is. Like Emily said, our Sensei is markers and markers beyond us all,
but he has embraced each step along his path. Never forgetting where he came from allows him to always know where
you are. Everytime I speak with Roy its like he knows what I’m going to say before I say it. Always encouraging and
supportive, never judgemental. You know you can always trust in his words and direction. In turn, you never fear what
you may encounter on your journey, you walk the path with confidence.
Bernie from Bend
on Monday, March 14, 2011
Hi, Mr. Dean, can i translate this article to spanish for our blog?
Hector Meillon from Mexicali, Baja, Mexico
on Wednesday, March 16, 2011