“The Prodigal Blogger” #259
It seems like forever ago when I chose to step away from this page due to family/life crises that befell me in April of 2021. Unbeknownst to me, these challenges would catapult me further in life and work than I could ever imagine. Fast forward to now, I am eager to jump back into the blog space accompanied by greater clarity and intention, or so I make up.
Who can know that the most turbulent of circumstances are but a necessary catalyst to move you in the right direction. At the beginning of my hiatus, I was stressed, heartbroken and afraid of the unknown. Little did I know, these changes that had affected me and others in my circle would be responsible for the tremendous impact of our Jiu Jitsu academy in the community, not to mention our most successful financial years to date.
My point in this is not hubristic in nature but an effort to acknowledge the almost poetic beauty found in every struggle. My observation is that such perspective can only be achieved through adversity. After all, if Viktor Frankl could will his mind to survival in the internment camps in the freezing winter, we should all be able to handle some difficulty. Such tests of character might even be necessary to reveal one’s greatness. I find this to be evident in Viktor’s work “Man’s Search for Meaning”. A book I highly recommend if it’s not already in your collection.
When I started this channel my goal was to complete 100 days straight of blog posts, per the influence of Seth Godin, with no clear direction but the challenge alone. Since then, it has not only become something to organize my wandering thoughts but also a means of giving back for all that this life has given and taught me. My hope is that my past experiences and what I make of them will provide you with enrichment, albeit small, by means of information, inspiration or even entertainment.
I settled on the name “The Jiu Jitsu Way” not just in an attempt to sound cool but with the goal of imparting the physical, intellectual, emotional and moral lessons achieved through a life of studying, training and disciplining the mind and body. The root of Jiu Jitsu is, after all, turning any situation into a positive for oneself by use of technique, leverage and timing. It is my feeling that such a concept can and should be applied into one’s daily life and mindset.
While it is easy to look at the superficial nature of Jiu-Jitsu rife with beasts attempting to rip eachothers limbs off and strangle each other, underneath is a true personal conquest of intelligence, will, grit and many other human necessities for survival. At its core, fighting is in our DNA, we learn to compete for attention even before we could walk. As we evolve and mature, greater understanding of the principles that make a good martial artist (discipline, focus, open mindedness, compassion, etc) are necessary not only for survival but for leading a rich and fulfilling life.