10 January 2010
Helio Gracie, the father of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
"Thanks to jiu-jitsu, to the confidence that it instilled in me, I believe in myself so much, that I think it would be unfair for me to even raise my voice to someone. [...] Jiu jitsu changed me morally and emotionally [...]. Because what you see sometimes is an individual that considers himself courageous, fighting and beating people up, while for me, every person that fights all the time is a coward, he's afraid, he is insecure, that's why he fights, because a man at peace, confident, with or without jiu-jitsu, with or without the strength, when he's confident in himself morally, he dominates the adversary with his moral strength, not with physical power, physical power is a compliment for when a person is not morally evolved."
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13 comments:
not sure about the "dominating the adversary with moral strength part", since that seems to me to miss the point of "moral strength" (which, in my mind, should free one from such base notions as the need to dominate).
still, a pretty awesome quote.
How come you never post any quotes about the cuddlieness of teddy-bears or the power of unicorns? Did Gracie ever fight a unicorn?
Word Ver.: shish
We're animals, and domination is necessary when playing social games, making it neither base nor enlightened, it just is.
And I've experienced many occasions (receiver and deliverer) where the imposition of will is made with morality (for good or bad), or the righteousness of one's person.
whoever wishes to become great among you, let him be the servant of all, for i tell you that truly the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. i didn't make that up, but it's a good quote.
what i referred to in my above quote was not domination as a necessary social product, but the *will* or *need* to dominate, which, to me, suggests that very cowardice or fear that gracie critiques.
we've also built a rational and social construct that is markedly different from the rest of the animal world, so i don't see an immediate tie-in to animals as serving for justification or rationalization for every human behaviour.
or...
The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
--Atisha
This is very interesting to me. I was just talking about it the other day, about how most philosophies that I see could fall into one of two groups.
A. Assert your will/Let your struggle be known/The indifference of good is evil/Lead, using your strengths for guidance and support (Like the dominion of a parent).
B.Be passive/Fight your own will, and no one else's/Do not dominate/Turn the other cheek/Absorb negativity and try to transform it.
I was considering that column A was obsolete, but then thought of a whole pile of situations where it seems absolutely necessary {some were typical moral dilemma scenarios}
From what I can tell, there is no way to blanket statement your life without running into problems. Sometimes choose from column A, sometimes choose from column B. I think What the Gracie quote is saying is that he IS the cuddliness of a teddy bear, and uses that gentleness to negotiate most of the aspects of his life, able to do so, with the confidence that his column A game is ready if need be (like if a unicorn attacks him and his family in the park, he could put it in a rear naked choke).
No shit, word verify"
gonging
(the sound I hear at the end of every comment I write)
With having to raise a couple of kids I wonder about this on a daily basis. How does one teach honesty, kindness, responsibility and fairness? With moral strength or fortitude?
I don't want to poo poo on the whole martial arts crowd, especially the MoanDog, but I'm not sure about it as a moral guide as a whole. It's like it's training for the animals, trying to control the wildness through focus and discipline. I like physical activity and I like moral strength too, but I don't see it essential to have the two so closely linked together. I think that I'm re-interpreting this a little too much, but it sure is fun sharing thoughts, isn't it?
My ideal is to provide my kidlets with lots of information and emotional feedback through respect...to start.like I can put this shit into words...it's all an incredible challenge...if only I was Bruce Lee!
"we've also built a rational and social construct that is markedly different from the rest of the animal world"
I'm not sure how rational, or how social. In fact, I think our social constructs are nothing more than a highly complex set of rules that are still very animalistic.
As to not seeing an immediate tie-in, you're in it, regardless of whether you want to see it or not, and that applies to all behaviour.
I don't believe in anything totalising, so there are always exceptions, but never escapes, heheh, now that's jiu-jitsu for you.
Yet I do understand your point of view as a sage one.
So bring on the unicorns!
I believe all lessons are physical and moral.
If you're highly immoral, you generally die (b/c no one wants to help you, b/c people want to hurt you, b/c people want to kill you).
If you're highly unphysical, you generally die (b/c of heart attacks, b/c of diabetes, etc).
I'm into historical materialism, and I believe in is/be, meaning all things are material and mind, in whatever combination.
And btw, discipline is generally brought to bare by physical and moral feats of strength, imo.
Why fear death? I don’t need anything, I don’t have anything, I don’t want anything. I think it’s silly for somebody to be scared of dying. One should be afraid of being born. I have already told my children when I die I want a party, with no alcohol, no hell raising [general laughter]. But I want a party with music, food… I don’t know if you guys believe in reincarnation, but we all go and come back until the day we no longer have to return. My brother [Carlos Gracie, already deceased] used to say the fellow only stops returning to Earth when he mingles with the Whole. Even when you’re thinking just a little bit wrongly, you come back to continue evolving. Hell, my friends, is right here on Earth.
fair enough, mr. helio, master of the great fighting forms.
as per the "turn the other cheek" thing david mentioned, i like that quote a lot.
before it got mangled in English, what jesus actually said was that if someone "bitch slaps" you, i.e. backhanded (in his culture, it was the way you would hit a child or a slave, and was therefore within your legal right), then you turn and look them in the eyeballs to see if they have the cojones to punch you in the face, man to man style. (which was not only illegal amongst social equals, but also, of course, was a good way to get one's ass kicked).
so rather than the wimpy pacifist usage it's taken on, it actually meant, as david said, to walk softly but make sure you have your "A game" on just in case. instead of saying "be a wuss", or saying "hit them back", jc was saying you challenge them in a direct, yet non-agressive way.
Challenge who in a direct yet non aggressive way?
If this quote is 'confusing' you or you see some flaw in it, then you don't train brazilian jiu jitsu, and you will not understand true confidence until you have mastered it.
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