Daily blog #54

Are you sure?

In Jiu Jitsu, there are very few things that can be said with absolute certainty. Meaning that there are rules in Martial Arts such as keeping your hands up in a fight as opposed to below your waist. This would make sense even to the untrained individual and it would in most cases be true, however there are exceptions to the rule and a seasoned practitioner will understand that and maintain a level of open mindedness. Something we CAN say with absolute certainty is that when exchanging punches and kicks with another fighter you will not start floating into the air. It’s an over the top analogy yet you often meet those with such strong opinions on topics when is a clear that they may be wrong. In his bestseller, Hard Times Create Strong Men, Stefan Aarnio quotes “the science of today is the laughingstock of tomorrow”, while science certainly contributes greatly to the world we live in, there are endless instances of when they have been flat out wrong and the “heretic” who was rebuked(in some cases placed under house arrest and hunted by the community) turned out to be right. A classic example is Galileo who believed that earth orbited the sun rather than the other way around. The trap to avoid is that of confirmation bias where one cherry picks evidence to fit their pre-conceived ideas about reality. We know that it is impossible to completely avoid bias, as our ideas are a reflection of our beliefs, but we can do our best to remove complete certainty while knowing that many experts who are informed also can’t be too sure of what the data is telling them as the truth is constantly changing. At the same time, we should respect the freedom of others to choose and understand their experiences have likely led to their choices. While we may think we are armed with all “the facts” research can come with its own set of flaws, so it’s best to keep an open mind, respect others and be kind. Whether you consider yourself a practitioner or not such is the Martial Artist way and I CAN say with complete and utter confidence we could all use a little bit of it nowadays.