Traditional Jujitsu in a Modern World

What it Means to be Honest

With the way that society is changing, it is easy to fall into being dishonest. For many, it is a somewhat acceptable behavior. But the reality of the situation is that living dishonestly is not just a bad behavior, it is damaging to one’s self as well as those around the person.

So, how can you recognize the issue and do something about it?

Begin by looking at yourself. Are you holding true to your ideals, or do you allow others to persuade you to do something that you know is not right? Are you one to cheat or allow those around you to cheat at school work or duties at work? Do you seek to tell the truth and take responsibility for your actions, or do you make excuses for yourself?

Lying to yourself or others, cheating or allowing others to cheat and creating exceptions for yourself or others, produce damaging effects on your mental and social health. By being dishonest, you not only allow the behavior that resulted in the “need” to be dishonest to remain, you will also skew your perception of justice, which as a martial artist, is a vital element to living the martial way.

If you are striving to reach your black belt, but must continually make excuses for yourself, your are not only failing to take responsibility for your actions by rationalizing your poor conduct, you are setting yourself up for failure in the long run. You may become more likely to fall off the path of your chosen martial path to simply live a life of mediocrity and disappointments. 

It takes courage to live life as a black belt in any martial art because much is expected of you. You will have to live your live as an example to those who are behind you so that they have a positive role model to emulate.

If you find that you are the kind of person who is regularly dishonest, seek to be honest about one thing. Be sure to concretely identify that thing and unyieldingly adhere to your resolve to be honest about it. For example, if you are regularly late to work or appointments, do not allow yourself to make an excuse. Tell your boss that you overslept, and that you are sorry and are willing to make up the time on your shift. With this kind of approach, chances are you will be sure to go to bed early and set your alarm clock.

Continually do this until you have eliminated your patterns of dishonesty. By doing this, you will find that things in your life will start to improve and you will have little to nothing to be dishonest about.

What it means to train in Jujitsu

Introduction

It was August of 2008. The fall semester at the University of Saint Thomas had just started, and the freshmen were just starting to settle in and find their places on campus. Going off to college is a time usually thought of as when young adults leave their homes and out into the world, either boldly or reluctantly, and get their first taste of really living independently. I was one of the Fall of 2008 freshmen, and I definitely fell into the category of “reluctant to go out into the real world.” Knowing my position as a very socially awkward person, I concluded that I would need to change my tendencies in order to make it in the real world. I made the decision that this change would not be as simple as a one time visit to a student counselor, but would be something I would have to work hard at for a long period of time. I looked into and signed right up for the UST martial arts program, reckoning that learning some form of martial arts would help me in my ability to deal with other people. The martial arts club introduced me to a wonderful school that I never would have found on my own: TNT Jujitsu. This school has gone above and beyond my expectations, and has definitely done wonders in helping me overcome my social problems.

TNT Jujitsu: what is taught

TNT Jujitsu is located in Northwest Houston, on the corner of West Gulf Bank and North Houston Rosalyn, and it has been open for over ten years. It is a dojo, which is the Japanese word for “school,” that specializes in teaching Japanese Jujitsu. Jujitsu, literally translated into English, means something like “gentle art” or “science of softness.” This term refers to the fact that jujitsu is a fighting art that does not rely on strength in muscle, toughness, or size, but on studied techniques that come from inner energy that does not wane with old age befalling the practitioner’s body. The art of jujitsu also offers diversity; it is not just limited to either throws, strikes, or ground techniques, it incorporates all of those and more, so one has the options of choice over what type of technique best suits certain situations. TNT is very adamant about holding to this idea of reliance on position and movement as opposed to muscle.

TNT Jujitsu emphasizes using technique and proper position, and not body strength. Because of this, everyone can train equally; women can do the exact same techniques as men, shorter individuals can work with larger people. The real benefit here is that all the techniques work perfectly well in real life situations in which self-defense is called for. It is important to note that the focus of this particular art is not on competition, thus limiting the variation of techniques to follow a set of competition rules, and neither is it fight choreography, as would be taught to actors in action movies for the sake of looking impressive. The jujitsu taught at TNT is the same as what was used by the Samurai warriors in ancient Japan for warfare.

Not only does the school offer classes for people in the college-age range, but classes for children as young as four years old are offered. In the adult class, in which I and the UST martial arts club participates, there is no limit on age; if you are fit enough to walk and lift your arms, you can learn and execute jujitsu techniques.

These techniques have the potential to be very powerful, and this is why TNT Jujutsu also teaches another dimension of this art: inner peace. Meditation is a big part of the jujitsu training and is held as very important for every student. This meditation is not any sort of prayer or worship, however. It is instead a way of clearing one’s mind of worries and distractions, and relaxing one’s body muscles, so as to maximize awareness and effectiveness. As most people know, when people are mad or stressed, they tend to make unwise decisions. Meditation helps to rid you of this stress, and helps you form the habit of avoiding anger, so that your judgment is not clouded during a time when focusing on doing a jujitsu technique could be vital.

What creates a school: Teachers

The head instructor at TNT Jujitsu is Sensei (teacher) Torey Overstreet. He has been trained in jujitsu from a very young age, and has also trained in karate, judo, and other arts. Overstreet has an eighth-degree black belt in jujitsu, and has been awarded with the title of “shihan.” This title means more than simply a teacher, but a teacher of teachers. A program in which people who have just started training can be taught directly be someone of such a rank is not common in the world of martial arts. Overstreet has traveled to Japan to train in the country of origin of jujitsu on several occasions. In his own way, Overstreet wants to keep the Japanese culture and tradition of martial arts alive in TNT. He noted that the main difference between training in Japan as opposed to America was not in the quality of training necessarily, but the fact that there are very good teachers almost everywhere you go in Japan[1].

TNT Jujitsu also offers the teaching of assistant instructor Nguyen Griggs, also known as Sensei Tom. He is a University of Saint Thomas graduate, and he headed the UST martial arts program before it transitioned to training in TNT’s adult class. Griggs has a third-degree black belt, and is always willing to offer a helping hand.

University of Saint Thomas Martial Arts Program

As mentioned before, my first introduction to TNT Jujitsu came about though the University of Saint Thomas Martial Arts Club. As it stands now, the martial arts club meets up and trains along with the TNT adult class. But such was not always the case. Past club president John Reece recounts the experience of the time when the club trained at the UST campus gym, in a program taught by Nguyen Griggs: “Training used to take place in the dance room in Jerabeck, which had a number of draw backs. It was not uncommon that we would be short on mat space and have to take turns practicing techniques. …Also, because it was a shared space, there was also the chance of having class interrupted by gym goers.”[2]

As time went on, Griggs found himself unable to continue teaching the on-campus classes. “…the jujitsu classes were instructed by Sensei Tom, who was a student of Kioshi Torey at TNT Jujitsu. …I had been to TNT Jujitsu on many occasions and I was familiar with everyone there.” says Reece. “It seemed obvious at that point that the next step for [Martial Arts Club] would be to move classes over to TNT Jujitsu.”[3]

Reece is very glad for the new training setting for the Martial Arts Club, which now had plenty of room to work, better cushioned mats, several other people to work with, and direct instruction from an eighth degree black belt, Sensei Overstreet.[4]

As it stands now, the Martial Arts Club offers the learning of courage, honor, and discipline for University of Saint Thomas students. It still trains a TNT Jujitsu, has more members than ever. I started in this club my freshman year of college, and have now become the president of it. It means a lot to me, and I hope that it will grow even bigger and better, so that other UST students can learn the same valuable lessons that both John Reece and I have learned.

Children in Jujitsu

One other very important aspect of TNT Jujitsu is the classes it offers for younger children. Americans long for a better future, and the key to obtaining that is by raising better kids, who will inherit and shape the future. When asked what the goal of the children’s program at TNT Jujitsu is, Torey Overstreet said: “It teaches children discipline and confidence. They become something better than they would be without martial arts. …Better youth lead to better teenagers, and [so on into] adulthood.”[5]

A true understanding of jujitsu will lead to attributes and traits that many of today’s young people are lacking, like respect, and discipline. If we want a better future, we can not just sit by idly and expect someone else to make everything better; we have to take initiative, and instruct our generation’s children in the basic foundational principles required for a better world to live in, with better people.

Conclusion

On average, most Americans do not practice martial arts—or if they did, it was only for a short while, a long time ago. They would typically say that they would not have the time to reach the black belt level, and had to move on with other aspects of life. But when one studies a genuine martial art devoutly, one loses the desire to obtain a black belt as just a trophy or sign of accomplishment, and instead one studies the art for the sake of inner self improvement. Instead of adding to ego, this type of training is humbling; it teaches the weak to become strong, and the strong to become self-controlled.[6] If more people in this country took martial arts, there would be an increase in respect and compassion, because even though there would be a potentially extreme amount of power placed in the hands of many, if those that have that power were instructed well, they would know to respect it, and not abuse it.[7] This is the importance of having a good martial arts school, like TNT Jujitsu. I definitely feel that it has helped me get over the reluctances and awkwardness I felt when beginning college, and help me become a better person.

Works cited

Interview with Torey Overstreet, on March 5^th 2011

Email correspondence with John Reece, on March 6^th 2011

[1] In an interview with Torey Overstreet conducted on March 5^th, 2011.

[2] From an email interview correspondence with John Reese

[3] From the same

[4] From the same

[5] From March 5^th interview

[6] From March 5^th interview

[7] From same interview

Jujitsu compared to Judo

“Judo” written in Kanji.

Central to Kano’s vision for Judo were the principles of seiryoku zen’yō (精力善用^?, maximum efficiency, minimum effort) and jita kyōei (自他共栄^?, mutual welfare and benefit). He illustrated the application of seiryoku zen’yō with the concept of jū yoku gō o seisu (柔よく剛を制す^?, gentleness controls hardness):

“ In short, resisting a more powerful opponent will result in your defeat, whilst adjusting to and evading your opponent’s attack will cause him to lose his balance, his power will be reduced, and you will defeat him. This can apply whatever the relative values of power, thus making it possible for weaker opponents to beat significantly stronger ones. This is the theory of ju yoku go o seisu.^[15] ”

Kano realised that seiryoku zen’yō, initially conceived as a Jujutsu concept, had a wider philosophical application. Coupled with the Confucianist-influenced jita kyōei, the wider application shaped the development of Judo from a martial art (武術 bujutsu^?) to a martial way (武道 budō^?). Kano rejected techniques that did not conform to these principles and emphasised the importance of efficiency in the execution of techniques. He was convinced that practice of Jujutsu while conforming to these ideals was a route to self-improvement and the betterment of society in general.^[16] He was, however, acutely conscious of the Japanese public’s negative perception of Jujutsu:

“ At the time a few bujitsu (martial arts) experts still existed but bujitsu was almost abandoned by the nation at large. Even if I wanted to teach jujitsu most people had now stopped thinking about it. So I thought it better to teach under a different name principally because my objectives were much wider than jujitsu.^[17] ”

Kano believed that “Jūjutsu” was insufficient to describe his art: although Jutsu (術^?) means “art” or “means”, it implies a method consisting of a collection of physical techniques. Accordingly, he changed the second character to dō (道^?), meaning way, road or path, which implies a more philosophical context than jutsu and has a common origin with the Chinese concept of tao. Thus Kano renamed it Judo (柔道 Jūdō^?).^[18]

Exercise: The New Energy Drink

It is old news that consumers have noticed large numbers of energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages have been flooded into the market over recent years, many of which feature several servings in one container that feature massive quantities of ingredients such as taurine, guarana, and large quantities of b-vitamins just to name a few. However, despite all of the “energy” that is available in these beverages, none of them really seem to eliminate feelings of fatigue. For many, these products are a quick “pick-me-up” to help them through the day, however the use of these drinks points to a more concerning issue: lack of physical stamina and fitness.

Luckily, this issue is remedied with only a moderate change to one’s life style. There are articles throughout the medical field that praise the benefits of regular daily exercise. Keeping one’s heart rate elevated through some form of cardio based exercise for as little as twenty minutes is enough to have positive physical (and mental) benefits for the individual. These benefits can include increased stamina, weight loss, stress reduction, better sleep, and healthier mental attitude just to name a few.

Making the Adjustment:

If you are like every other person in this world, you are very busy and your time is at a premium. So, how will you fit a 30 minute activity into your schedule? If you work during the day, as most people do, fit in your exercise as a part of your morning routine (which may need to be adjusted). To demonstrate this, I will use my dad’s morning routine to show you how an extra thirty minutes can be fit into his schedule.

My dad is a doctor and is probably one of the busiest people that I know. He wakes up every morning at 4:30am and leaves the house by 6am to be in surgery by 7. As you can begin to see, he is very busy. So, how can he fit in 30 minutes to jog in the morning? To begin, he can maximize how he uses his time by preparing certain things the night before (pre-selecting cloths, packing everything he needs for work, laying out his exercise clothing so that it is easy to find, etc.). Next, he can eliminate things that can be done at other times such as drinking two cups of coffee and watching the news for 45 minutes. Chances are that after a jog, he will want water instead of coffee, and he can get his news on the radio during his commute to work. Suddenly, there is much more time in my dad’s busy life.

Now that there is room in his schedule, when his clock goes off at 4:30am, he can spend 5 minutes dressing, 20 minutes jogging, and another 5 minutes to get changed and pick up his morning routine where he left off (shower, eat, dress for the day and leave). If my dad can do it, you can too. It is just a matter of commitment.

They say that creating a new habit takes 2-3 weeks. So hang in there and don’t give up!

Stress: Kick the Habit

Managing our work, home, social, and personal lives can be quite challenging. Many times we find ourselves wishing for more hours in a day to get those last few things done while admiring those who have the ability to do several things at once. Sometimes seemingly impossible expectations are set for us for our performance at work or school, the stress of which can spill over into our home lives. Eventually, everything boils down to the point that we realize that we (the individual and the nation as a whole) are stressed.

Stress Distractors:
Many times, people will try to distract themselves from whatever is causing them stress. These distractions are typically more passive in their results and generally do not help the person feel any better in their daily life. Such distractions could include things like watching the television, playing video games, reading, or other such activities. While they do not answer the problem of the individual’s stressor, there is a benefit provided to the person by temporarily alleviating stress. Who hasn’t enjoyed unwinding after work by watching a favorite television show?


Stress Outlets:
 A more active means of alleviating stress is done by performing an activity with the intention of deliberately getting rid of stress. Some people choose to do things such as running, playing an instrument, or engaging in some sort of hobby. The biggest difference between an outlet and a distraction is that the outlet gives the individual a chance to focus the mind entirely on another thing. For those who play an instrument, think of a time when you were playing your music piece and you reached that state of mind where you were flowing effortlessly through the music, allowing yourself to become one with the music (so to speak). In the Japanese martial arts, this state of mind is called “mushin” or “mind of no mind”.

Stress Eliminators:
 While these stress distractors and outlets can be very beneficial in their own right, they do not actually eliminate those factors that cause stress for a person. To eliminate stress from your life, it will take much more effort than just running a few miles in the morning. It will require a change of one’s mindset. To illustrate this, I will use the example of the angry driver.

We have all seen the driver on the road who becomes enraged at the drop of a hat, or in this case, being cut off in traffic. In order for the driver to get rid of the stress of driving and, in turn, get rid of his rage, he will need to actively learn to “let go” of these feelings. By doing so, he will soon realize that being cut off by another driver is not as big of a deal as he once thought. He will realize that he can simply press his break pedal and continue about his business. By “letting go”, he will also find that his relationship with his family will be much more pleasant now that he is returning home from work in a pleasant mood. There is much to be gained in letting go.

Why Tweet?

In recent years, the world has begun to buzz with readily available social media. In many ways it can be seen as highly disruptive technology that is changing the way people communicate, socialize and do business. It is becoming more the case that those who are not “friending” “tweeting”  or “linking in” are missing out on opportunities and useful information that can impact the way that we relate to the world.

In order to stay on top of this trend, I recently created a Twitter account for my dojo so that I could stay on top of useful industry news, provide easily accessible information to our students, as well as other information that would help us stay current. A few weeks went by and I noticed something very curious, none of our students were following the dojo’s twitter account. It was at that moment that I remembered a conversation that I had with a classmate of mine earlier in the semester. We were talking about social media when he came on to the topic of Twitter and explained to me that not only does he not know what it is or what it is used for, he doesn’t want to know. How can this be? Twitter is all the rage!

As it turns out, free online social media services aren’t entirely free to the user. There are hidden costs that are not paid in money. For the user, there is an invested amount of time and energy into their social media network of choice. Think back to the days when MySpace was all the rage. If you asked someone to be your Facebook friend, chances are that they would look at you as though you were crazy. After all the time that was spent on customizing the look and lay out of their profile, why would they want to switch? What it boils down to is that the user needs to find enough value in the other service (in this case Twitter) that they will not mind the time and energy cost of learning how to use it.

So, Why Tweet?
Twitter is a very useful tool in that it provides a stream of easily digestible information to the user. As a martial arts school, we can follow industry trends and get a feel for what is going on in the martial arts industry. It also allows a highly effective means of reaching your target audience (in our case, our target audience is our students).  Because tweets are limited to 140 characters or less, any cellular phone that can receive a text message can have access to Twitter. If a severe storm rolls in, I can let everyone following us know that classes will be canceled before they get in their cars.

Is it difficult?
Twitter is fairly straight forward. After reading through the “how to’s” of the site, a user can begin building their network of friends, businesses, and other information providers to maximize their social media experience.