The Diary Of A Monk — Jujutsu And Going With The Flow

The non-sequential, and intentional simple life of a complex person

In my early days of study, I was taught to integrate tools for expanding my physical abilities as well as my critical thinking, emotional clarity, spiritual wisdom, and healing skills.

Generally speaking, I have been exploring and applying martial arts, and holistically-oriented body-mind practices for almost half a century.

Here is an introduction to my monk-like life.

Back in the late 1970s, people tended to specialize in one aspect of Holism. They may have spoken of Body, Mind, and Spirit, but in practice, they often tended to focus on one area.

• Aerobics,
• Yoga,
• Meditation,
• NLP,
• Positive Psychology,
• Human Potential,
• Creativity,
• Metaphysics (Chakra’s Qi and such),
• Martial Arts,

· …or Spirituality.

Occasionally one area or subject might spill over into the next. In recent years my early training in Jujutsu, Taekwondo, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Aikido have all had a unique effect on my development and teaching.

These lessons have usually been applied for the desired outcome of PEEPPASA — Being more Practical, Effective, Efficient, Productive, Precise, Accurate, and Self-aware.

I even wrote a bestselling book about healing touch, bodywork, somatics, massage, and more……

Here is a short Introduction to this thread of essays.

In this essay, I want to discuss my early training in Jujutsu

When I entered my teen years, my mother sought a way for me to defend myself. I had been bullied a bit in school. I was provocative and somewhat anti-social so I often deserved the bullying. Still, I can’t say it was pleasant.

My mother had been bringing me daily to the local YM/YWHA (Young Men’s and Young Woman’s Hebrew Association) to keep me busy and generally out of trouble. It worked.

One of the programs she signed me up for was a Wednesday Evening Jujutsu class. Jujutsu, also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) as well as a family of Japanese martial arts and that may be applied defensively or offensively to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponents.

Jujutsu arose from the Japanese warrior class around the 17th century. It was designed to supplement the swordsmanship of a warrior during combat. A subset of techniques from certain styles of jujutsu were used to develop many modern martial arts and combat sports, such as judo, aikido, sambo, ARB, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts. The history of this martial art form is uncertain during this time because teachers kept everything secret and then might change the stories of their technique to suit their own needs.

“Jū” can be translated as “soft, gentle, flexible, supple, pliable, or yielding”, and “jutsu” is often translated as “art or technique”. Thus “Jujutsu” t has the meaning of “yielding-art”, as its core philosophy is to manipulate the opponent’s force against themself rather than confronting it with one’s own force.

I never got that far. Throughout most of my life, my generally short attention span has guided me to pick up techniques, methods, and life hacks, here and there, applying them as needed.

What I took away from my six months of jujutsu training was how to fall and roll. I loved it.

During classes in receiving throws or joint locking techniques i.e., falling safely and knowing how to “blend” to neutralize a technique’s effect, I learned ways to release myself from an adversary’s grasp, changing or shifting my position to evade or neutralize an attack.

I applied these techniques both physically, which was seldom required but also mentally and emotionally which often was required in my life as a professional strategist, Noble Fixer, and trouble-shooter.

Now in my seventh decade of life, those Jujutsu lessons I took over 5 decades ago have taught me how to “roll with the punches” in my life.

One more thing. A few months ago, on a cold winter day, I slipped as I was walking down a flight of stairs in a city subway. If you are familiar with these types of stairs there are 20 to 30 concrete-metal steps to each flight.

I slipped fast and went down hard.

As I fell head-first an amazing thing happened. From some well in my cellular memory, I automatically tucked my head, as I had learned in that class, so many years ago. I rolled down the steps and when I came to the bottom I used the momentum so that I popped up and landed on my feet, without as much as a bruise.

I felt like an illusionist or a stage magician. It was my Cirque de Soliel moment. The people who had seen this unfold, stood there in shock, One guy with a sly smile, said, “You been hanging out with Jackie Chan?”

I smiled and answered, “I taught Jackie everything he knows”. Then I slowly walked away, shocked by the event I had just been part of.

©Lewis Harrison, all rights reserved.

Here are a few of my stories in a similar vein @LewisCoaches:

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I am Lewis Harrison, an award-winning author of over twenty books on personal growth and strategic thinking. For over a decade I was the producer and host of the show “What’s Up” on NPR-affiliated WIOX FM in New York.

Now, aside from writing on Medium, and connecting personally with my readers, I teach seminars and speak on personal development, and life strategies throughout the world, and at the Mystic’s Academy.

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