Does Jiu Jitsu Have a Moral Code?

[trianglegrrl]

i think it's important to be accurate and to avoid mythologizing any particular era or person beyond neil degrasse tyson.

all hail neil!

 

[HEAVY GRAPPLER]

Carlos Gracie had "12 commandments" for a Jiu Jitsu practitioner to live their life by:

1. To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
2. Speak to every one of happiness, health and prosperity.
3. Give all your friends the feeling that they are valuable.
4. Always look at events from a positive point of view, and turn positivity into a reality in life.
5. Think always in the best, work solely for the best and expect always the best.
6. Always be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
7. Forget about past mistakes and concentrate your energies on the victories ahead.
8. Always keep your fellow men joyful and have a pleasant attitude to all that address you.
9. Spend all the time you need in perfecting yourself, but leave no time to criticize the others.
10. Become too big to feel unrest, too noble to feel anger, too strong to feel fear and too happy to tumble in adversity.
11. Always have a positive opinion about yourself and tell it to the world, not through words of vanity but through benevolence.
12. Have the strong belief that the world is beside you if you keep true to what is best within you.

Good ideas - but not necessarily from Carlos.
The first bit is basically the Optimist Creed, used by Optimist International:

"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.
To be enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, to strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

It would be cool if Carlos was a member of the Optimists and just sort of adopted this for GJJ use.

I like this topic and will try to put together some thoughts for later today.

 

[ichimonji]

I would think that it does. Every place I have trained had some ethical rule set.

Hell the last place I trained I was asked to leave for asking out a student.

I think all gyms should run themselves by some code. However I do not think it should be cultish at all.

 

[triangle killer]

Edit: pic didn't work but its from adccs facebook page and says "we are in the joint destruction and suffication business"

 

[Gawd]

The moral code in TLI may be something like "get her drunk and rape her" but i'm looking forward to devnull's input.

 

[elbigsam]

I definetly try to set a good moral compass for the kids program at our gym. As their instructor, I don't spend a lot of time talking about morals, but I try to lead by example. I try to keep them from being cruel to each other, make them feel like they are a team.

I like to practice jiu jitsu as a martial art, more than just a sport. I think it enritches my life more than just playing hoops. I always come back to the ol spiderman analogy. Great power, great responsibility.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

I definetly try to set a good moral compass for the kids program at our gym. As their instructor, I don't spend a lot of time talking about morals, but I try to lead by example. I try to keep them from being cruel to each other, make them feel like they are a team.

I like to practice jiu jitsu as a martial art, more than just a sport. I think it enritches my life more than just playing hoops. I always come back to the ol spiderman analogy. Great power, great responsibility.

Sounds good...

 

[Ryan Wagner**]

I will read the full OP later, but whether it does or not I am not interested in adhering to it. I train to develop an aspect of my skill set, not for any philosophical reasons. So far I've been fine developing my own standards of morality; I don't care for moral codes imposed by others.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

I will read the full OP later, but whether it does or not I am not interested in adhering to it. I train to develop an aspect of my skill set, not for any philosophical reasons. So far I've been fine developing my own standards of morality; I don't care for moral codes imposed by others.

Luckily, you have developed your own moral code. Some don't have one and need guidance. I don't want morality imposed on me either. Training keeps some people out of prison.

 

[kintana]

I personally think BJJ does have a moral code. One of my instructor suggests if your using strength it isn't jiu jitsu. If your not calm under pressure it isn't jiu jitsu.

Jiu Jitsu will continue to evolve and to each person it will mean a different set of moral ethics and codes.

Jiu Jitsu to me is about adaptability, staying calm under pressure and being humble.

 

[tenniswhiz]

I honestly didn't believe that there were so many meatheads in BJJ until about a week ago. kinda sad that so many are doing it wrong.

Ask around about who the meatheads were in Brazil, 20-30 years ago, beating people up on the beach, the street, and walking disrespectfully into any karate academies to beat up the instructor/students.