Historically, there are many forms of personal development training, but none as longstanding and proven as the martial arts. Although designed to endure real combat situation, most martial arts training is about developing a warrior’s mindset. In other words, it’s mostly mental training; the physical training is a by-product.
One of the most notorious combat arts, Jujitsu, has built a reputation as being one of the most devastating martial arts to ever exist despite its oxymoronic principle of ju (suppleness, flexibility, yielding, gentleness or softness). How in the world can gentle, yielding or soft be associated to one of history’s most deadly forms of martial arts?
Being soft and gentle doesn’t reflect the physicalness involved with martial arts training; it reflects the mental qualities of a warrior’s beingness. Ju is a quality of mind that allows for evolution.
A warrior’s objective is to embody the principle of ju for the purpose of battle. As a warrior, exemplifying ju means that you are flexible in your thinking and capable of quickly changing and adapting to whatever battle conditions get thrown at you as a matter of real life and death.
As a student of personal development, you are simply working to create the best possible outcome for the purpose of improving the quality of your life and maximizing your potential under non-combat circumstances.
Obviously today, not all of your so-called “battle” conditions (obstacles) are life threatening, so you ability to bend and flex is simply a matter of life optimization (aka: personal development). You are simply working to create the most effective life possible.
In theory, life is supposed to be magical and obstacle-free; however, the reality is, there will always be challenges that you will have to face during your lifetime. For this reason, you must train yourself to become as flexible (ju) as possible in order to adapt and evolve.
Evolution is not only a physical process, but a mental process as well. In order to evolve your mind you must become supple and pliable in your ways of thinking, which is a deeper reflection of how you change and adapt your belief systems for your own benefit.
There is no better example of ju than the ability to adapt a new belief system and then refocus your attention and energy into a new creation (goal). Since beliefs create reality, changing your belief system will completely transforms your life by creating new experiences.
Life is, metaphorically, your battlefield. In order for you to get through it safely, you have to become a mental warrior. As such, you will implement the principle of ju more effectively, creating the life you want, which, after all, is the real purpose of personal development.
If you really want to cultivate your ability to change and adapt, then consider getting into a well-rounded personal development program that is structured around martial arts principles. If you find such a program, remember to ask about adaptation training. After all, adapting is this very principle that has allowed martial arts like Jujitsu to flourish for thousands of years.
Brady Cameron is a personal development coach and martial arts master. For more information about how you can improve your life with personal development and this is also about personal development.
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