Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that can be traced back many years. Fundamentally it’s a system of self defence. You see it in the UFC with every takedown, choke, and arm break.

You’re also a good person. You don’t intend on kicking people upside the head. There’s never been a need to break an arm so far, so why care about learning self defence now?

Self Defence Superpowers

When you learn self defence, you practice how to act in the interests of wellbeing. You build situational awareness, and the ability to adapt in order to protect your life, and the lives of those around you. You will understand how to nullify aggression with avoidance, control, & submission.

These skills go far beyond becoming a good fighter.

The best part of self defence skills is knowing that you have them. You don’t intend for harm, but you also never know when it’ll come your way. With jiu jitsu, you’re no longer a sitting duck in those situations, however rare they may be.

Jiu jitsu is like a superpower sitting in your back pocket. People can’t see it, but they sense that it is there. This is why it usually never has to come out. It acknowledges dangers, notices fears, and guides you to mindful action.

Possessing this superpower brings about greater confidence. The ability to do what you think is right, without hesitation, or fear of retaliation – this is freedom. It doesn’t mean you can be rude, you’re just well equipped to deal with whatever may go awry.

Suddenly you’re not as shy with strangers, you’re more social with your colleagues at work, and you don’t feel the need to control everything around you in fear of not being able to manage.

Learn How to Learn

You’ve acquired this superpower by learning leverage. You learn progressively that size, weight, and strength is of less importance than you thought. No matter what your physical shortcomings are, you explore mechanics and you learn how to turn your weaknesses into strengths, and your strengths into advantage. It doesn’t matter if you’re in shape or overweight. It doesn’t matter if you’re happy or if you’re depressed.

Jiu jitsu will adapt to the situation at hand, and find the path of least resistance. It then infiltrates into every other part of your life. Slowly you start to do jiu jitsu with problems at work, when you’re driving home, and in every other part of your life.

You take the powers learned inside of the dojo and you apply them to life outside the dojo. You’re learning about yourself in this process. And as you learn about your own habits the superpower reveals itself in awareness; of yourself and how you interact with everything around you.

Now that you’re aware, there is no going back to not being aware. This is it. Life is changed forever.

Know Thyself

This is because to study jiu jitsu is to explore the intricacies of human movement. Being a human is lots of work. We move every moment, and we juggle physical, mental, and emotional stressors every second of our days.

As you seek to control others, first you have to know how to control yourself.

Jiu jitsu is like your mirror. It brings things to light. Some say to leave your ego at the door. This doesn’t work. There’s no running away and coming back from yourself. Bring your ego, and bring every other bit of you along to Higher Jiu Jitsu. It’s all worthy.

Check in, listen to the many parts of yourself. Be curious. What’s working well for you and what isn’t? Which of your ways are effective and which are superfluous?

Don’t try to change things straight away. You’ve been doing, and thinking, and feeling in this way for many years now. The process requires patience more than pressure.

You have to take it slow.

This is Higher Jiu Jitsu

Amongst all the self defence techniques, the struggles, and the submissions the superpower we know as jiu jitsu weaves it’s way in and around your life and soon leaves you a mere shell of your former self.

The newer version is no better, or worse. Just different.

Calculated. Refined. And above all, potent. Ready to move in any direction, without hesitation or preparation. You can roll forwards and backwards. You flow from side to side. You can pivot. Shimmy. Then you can stop, turn around and go the other way if you wanted to.

You’re not held back by prior habits, or emotions or fears. You’re free to do whatever you like. You determine the path and the course of action.

This is how you go Higher. This is jiu jitsu.