Staying calm and relaxed is a key tenant of martial arts. The “Jiu” in Jiu-Jitsu (Jujutsu) literally means gentle, soft, supple and yielding. One can not hope to be soft and yielding unless they are relaxed and calm. Hence, relaxation and keeping a calm mind are a key tenant of many martial arts. At Full Potential Martial Arts we help students develop a deep sense of calm. This is helpful in the face of physical adversity, as in a self-defense situation. It is also helpful in other areas of life: at work, and at home.
In the video below, master Kyuzo Mifune is facing his most senior students. They are all very skilled martial artists. Watch carefully, and you will see how he stays calm and supple in the face of fierce Jiu-Jitsu (Judo) grappling attacks. The attackers are as able to throw him as one is able to throw a balloon filled with air! This is what we strive for!
Having a calm mind, or “no-mind” (called Mushin in Japanese) is useful not just in the grappling aspects of Jiu-Jitsu, but also in striking aspects of martial arts such as in Karate. For example, when faced with a strong advancing opponent, a skilled karate practitioner will blend and flow around the attack. Of course, as we start learning and training in a new martial art like BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) or karate, it is natural to be a bit uptight, as we are cognizant of our motions, successes and errors. As we continue to train, in a short time we internalize the physical movements of the martial art. Then, we can gain tremendous improvement by starting to focus on mind and mental state.
Ready to try? Give a free martial arts class in San Diego a try, and feel for yourself the benefits of calm and relaxation. We can all strive to be as good as the old masters.
Very interesting article and video. It gives me a context on Brazilian jiu jitsu. I see a lot of people use a lot of muscle to fight in BJJ, and your writing gives me a context about other approaches. Thanks again!
The last post hit the nail on the head. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a much more difficult art to learn and takes alot more hard work and conviction. I have studied traditional Genbukan Taijutsu for 5 years and have used techniques effectively in real life situations. The real problem is that for the most part you are learning effective moves but permanently in a overly safe and controlled environment. The reason I love BJJ so much is that as well as being a full contact martial art is that its a bit of a game and all the participants are on the same training page and want to go hard.
Very interesting background on Brazilian jujitsu. Thanks!
Definitely enjoyed reading the article and the philosophy of Martial Arts behind it, makes total sense when you seriously think about it.
As mentioned in the article:
“As we continue to train, in a short time we internalize the physical movements of the martial art. Then, we can gain tremendous improvement by starting to focus on mind and mental state.”
I also like how the article shows that the mind is a major factor in Martial Arts training, without it; we can’t attain higher levels of experience and fluidity.
Thanks for sharing the wisdom!
Very nice article on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! Thanks!