Why do you do Jiu Jitsu, or any martial art for that matter?
Is it for fun? The community? The physical exercise? Or is it for something more? How about this provocative question — do you do it to feel more powerful?
If you said yes to any of these questions, that’s great because martial arts provides all of these things. If you gravitated towards the last question, this article might be for you.
One’s relationship with power is unique and special to every one of us. However, it should always be addressed and understood by the individual to remain in balance. Power represents the force and degree to which we can control situations — within ourselves, others, or even circumstances and external forces. How much we can come to terms with our power will determine whether we can fully self-actualize, or if we remain a victim of circumstance.
Aside from that, it’s a great metric for feeling happier in life. Let’s explore some ways Jiu Jitsu can make you feel more powerful.
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The Power of Jiu Jitsu
The number one reason why Jiu Jitsu stands as an expression of empowerment comes down to the fact that you truly start to believe, if crap hit the fan in the form of a fight, you actually have a chance not only to survive, but to possibly control a guy bigger and stronger than you.
This is monumental and can’t be overstated. Before technology and modern civilization, we were brutes who lived and died by a more ancient code — the ability or inability to kick someone’s ass. If you were good in this department, your power status immediately rose higher than those who could not.
Nowadays, even with modern-day civility and laws, people still respect a person who can kick ass. That person commands an unspoken reverence and fear that is essentially powerful. This power may seem invisible, but nonetheless present and powerful. It affects the way we interact in society. Inherent in our DNA, it even defines some of our roles in society.
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Try this experiment: The moment you enter a room, make a conscious effort to distinguish the power the people have in the room and rate each person. Who would you put at the number one spot? Assess who you’d you put at the number two spot and so on. Ask yourself, what you are basing that number on? In other words, what is the sense of power based off of? Is it physicality? The ability to fight? The perception of the ability to fight? Power or perceived power of influence?
If your key determiner of power is confidence, then Jiu Jitsu makes a great multiplier of this factor. Jiu Jitsu’s strength lies in its ability to replicate 100 percent or near 100 percent intensity (minus certain things like slams and strikes). As the amount of sparring sessions increases, so does one’s skill, and most likely one’s confidence. This confidence extends to everything from the classroom to physical altercations and even daily life.
Unlike other martial arts that stay in the theoretical with no live sparrying, Jiu Jitsu allows for nearly full “liveness” of fighting. Through countless rolls and randoris (BJJ sparring sessions) with others, you constantly verify the effectiveness of your skills, and a natural, respected hierarchy develops.
Power and responsibility
At the end of the day, the most important question surrounding power and strength comes down to: what do you do with it?
Do you use it for your own machiavelli desires, doing whatever you want like a tyrant, crushing your foes and acting on whatever impulse comes up? Or does you keep it in control, only using it as absolutely necessary for the betterment of yourself and others?
This becomes the distinguishing mark of a good martial artist and a bad one. A famous psychologist once said, “A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has that under voluntary control.” What do you think?
