Why BJJ? - Know Thyself
(Published May 17, 2022)
“You do not truly know someone until you fight them.” - Seraph, The Matrix Reloaded
In the second matrix film, Neo seeks out the Oracle for more guidance. When Neo arrives at the address where the Oracle is supposed to be, he encounters the Oracle’s guardian, Seraph, who proceeds to fight him.
When the fight’s all said and done, Seraph tells Neo that he had to be sure that Neo really was The One.
Neo smiles and tells him that he could have just asked.
But Seraph replied, “You do not truly know someone until you fight them.”
This is my favorite quote of the whole movie! It hints at something that we all understand on at least a subconscious level. It frames all the action of the movie in a more profound way.
With each fight, the characters get to know each other on a deeper level. This of course leads to the climax in the third film where Neo has finally fought Smith enough to figure out that the way to finally defeat him is to yield to him.
In my experience there’s a good deal of truth in all this. When I was in the Navy, some of my best friendships started out with heated, professional arguments. Some of my best friends in high school and college were people I competed against in one form or another. And my wife… well… we fight all the time.
I feel like if someone cares enough about something to fight over it, it means they have principles. They’re willing to stand up for something. And that’s admirable. When you fight with someone you really find out what their left and right rudder limits are. You learn where they stand, what they’ll put up with, and where they draw the line.
Sometimes people will say they draw the line at a certain point. But when push comes to shove, you find out they didn’t really mean it. It was all talk. And talk is cheap.
You never know where someone really stands until they’re willing to fight you on it.
You also learn a lot about yourself when you fight. You learn just how far you can be pushed. You learn how well (or poorly) your’re equipped to push back. You learn afterward whether or not it was worth it.
Fighting really is a journey of self discovery. I think that’s probably why the Shaolin Monks and their predecessors got into Kung Fu.
I think Hollywood gets this backwards. They’d lead you to believe that by meditating on a pebble for 10,000 hours and achieving inner peace, you then gain supernatural powers that turn you into a formidable fighter.
There are some Traditional Martial Arts Schools out there that would have you believe the same.
But in my experience, it just doesn’t work that way. They have the cause and effect backwards. You don’t get better at fighting by achieving inner peace. You achieve inner peace through fighting.
By fighting, you get to know yourself. You learn to be comfortable with yourself. You learn that problems can be overcome through hard work, dedication, and sound strategies. And you learn that most of your problems really aren't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu offers the safest, most realistic way to simulate a real fight, and gain all of those benefits. After a good training session, the worries and problems of the day don’t seem quite as bad. They’re replaced by a calm sense of accomplishment. And you can’t beat the friends you’ll make along the way.
Of course you could try starting arguments with all of your friends and co-workers as a way to gain inner peace through fighting, but I guarantee you it’s not the same.
- Mike