Ritual, Ceremony, and Culture in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Every Jiu-jitsu academy is different, and of course, every instructor is entitled to do as they best see fit for their students.  This month, I wanted to talk a little bit about why we do things the way that we do at our academy, and the reasons for some of the way that our classes are structured.

The practice of martial arts has a rich history of respect & discipline.  A lot of this can be attributed to the culture in which they developed.  While fighting arts have been developed all over the world since the beginning of recorded history, they really were most highly developed, organized, and perpetuated by the Japanese, and it is here where Jiu-jitsu has its origins as well.  The Japanese culture and the martial arts culture are inseparable.  Since the Feudal era in Japan, the warrior class, known as Samurai, developed a moral and ethical code, known as Bushido, which determined the right course of action, not only in battle, but in everyday life.  Even back then, it was recognized that possessing deadly fighting skills came with a responsibility to live in a righteous manner.  This warrior code lives on today, through our Jiu-jitsu philosophy, represented in part by our 7-5-3 code.
As the Feudal era in Japan came to an end, the culture and philosophy in which these martial arts originated remained very much in tact, and is still very pervasive in Japanese society.  It is a culture of order, structure, cleanliness, politeness, and respect.

As Jiu-jitsu made its way from Japan to Brazil, the culture of the art changed.  Brazilian society is very different than that of Japan.  The Brazilian culture, in large part, does not have the "formality" that Japanese society does.  Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, developed, in large part through "toughman" contests at carnivals, through fights on the streets and beaches of Brazil, and no holds barred challenge matches in the academies.  This led to the infamous "Gracie Challenge" in which the family publicly called out anyone who was willing to accept a challenge match to test their metal against a family members or student of the Gracie clan.  This was the predecessor of what would become the UFC.  While this was crucial for the development of the art in its current form, it also came with some negative side effects.

The culture in many Jiu-jitsu academies became very "loose", with very little ritual or formality, and in many cases a complete lack of any structure.  In many academies both in Brazil and in the United States, this is still very much the case.  Again, this was a byproduct, in large part, of the culture in which the art developed.  In Brazil, Jiu-jitsu started to earn a bad reputation, and many Jiu-jitsu students were looked at as "thugs".  This became a part of the reason for the movement to rename Jiu-jitsu to Judo, with "Do" in Japanese, meaning "Way" signifying the practice as more of a philosophy and way of life, than simply a practice of fighting techniques.  It was considered to be more dignified and refined.

At our academy, we have established certain rules, format, & structure specifically designed to keep the martial arts culture of discipline, respect, and order, as a part of our Jiu-jitsu training.  We all wear the same uniform, classes run on time, with a set schedule and curriculum, we bow when entering/leaving the mat area and at the beginning and end of class.  During technique instruction, students stand "on the line" at the edge of the mat.  This level of formality is in place for several reasons.  It makes sure that everyone can get the most out of the technical instruction, and provides the proper mindset for training.  Training Jiu-jitsu is, and should always be, fun!  It is fine for us to joke and laugh and have a good time while training.  However, it is also something that should be taken very seriously.  Remember, we are training techniques with our partners which can be very dangerous, if applied recklessly.  I like to think of it like going to the shooting range.  Going to the range with your friends can be a very fun activity.  However, the first thing that you learn when going to the range is that there are rules and protocols that need to be followed, to ensure everyone's safety. Horseplay, carelessness, and inattention in that environment can have disastrous results.  The same is true of the mat.

I don't believe in ritual for its own sake.  There is a reason for the way that we do things in our academy.  Bowing on/off the mat, lining up and maintaining proper posture and attention during technique instruction also helps us all to focus on what we are there to do.  There are so many distractions in our everyday lives.  Jiu-jitsu training is an opportunity to get away from all of that stuff, even just for a short time.  Maintaining proper posture and attention helps to set the proper tone and mindset for training, to really focus on the details of what is being shown, and 100% focus on Jiu-jitsu.  Never forget, we are training potentially deadly techniques.  We are trusting our training partners to take care of us.  Maintaining a culture on the mat of discipline, order, respect, and humility helps to ensure that we approach our training with a serious mindset. The techniques of Jiu-jitsu, if taught apart from its philosophy and focus on character development and self-improvement, can lead to creating dangerous people, who are more likely to use the techniques of Jiu-jitsu in an inappropriate manner.  We want to not only develop ourselves as skilled fighters, but, even more importantly, as better people!  These mat protocols also serve as a filter to ensure that we are attracting the right type of people into our program, who are going to be good representatives of our team, as well as Jiu-jitsu as a whole.

The culture of any academy is key in determining the type of clientele that it attracts, and the focus of the program.  Jiu-jitsu has rightfully developed a reputation as one of the most effective and efficient fighting and self defense systems ever developed.  However, at its core, it is much more than just fighting.  To get the maximum benefit from training, we should strive to see how we can apply the principles of Jiu-jitsu to our everyday lives both on and off the mat.  Jiu-jitsu ultimately is about self-improvement.  The culture of our academy is set from the top down, and everyone of our students is a major part in maintaining and developing that culture, so that everyone who walks onto our mat feels welcome, and has the opportunity to gain the maximum benefit from their Jiu-jitsu training, in every aspect of their life!