Finding the Middle Way

martial arts principles in everyday life

Often, when we are attacked in life, we either meet the attack with a forceful response, or we cringe and cower. It’s an all or nothing approach. And in many cases, people only know one or the other of these polar opposite responses.

There are times when flight or flight responses are effective, but there is an entire world of other responses, found in the middle, which are often overlooked. As intellectually obvious as this may seem, there are certain circumstances when we behave as though our planet is only made up of the north and south pole, ignoring the vast body of earth that lies between.

Jiu Jitsu is known to be a defensive martial art, an Art of Self Defense. While defense is the basis of Jiu Jitsu, it can also attack. But one of the great values of Jiu Jitsu is its ability to modulate, to exercise itself in the world of in-between. It’s a world we might call the magnificient playground between the north and south poles.

When we drive our cars, our foot modulates on the gas pedal. If we deployed an all-or-nothing approach when driving a car, we’d likely quickly crash. But that’s not how we drive cars. The point being that it’s not as though we are unaware of the world of the ‘middle’. It’s more like we don’t take the time to consider finding the middle or aiming toward a more balanced approach in other areas of life.

In dualistic circumstances, our worldview shifts between black and white, we tend to see adversaries as right or wrong, and we relegate other’s opinions as either on or off track.

“Light switches only go on or off,” we state with the conviction of certain truth. But when we do that we conveniently overlook the modulating world of the dimmer switch.

These kinds of reactions also occur in the martial arts because sometimes martial artists only know one response: to meet force with force. It’s an all or nothing approach, very familiar to all of us because it can just as easily happen in arguments and disagreements. We get irritated, our faces get flushed and our responses become defensive. Any of these reactions tend to amplify that two-pole, fight or flight tendency.

Jiu Jitsu can certainly attack. But it also has an ability to modulate, to meet an attack with a 0–100% response, or anywhere in between, and it can do that with control. This is the esoteric world of Middle Earth.

This is the esoteric world of Middle Earth.

The ‘middle’ is one of those words that, in this context, has been hijacked. In a hijacked sense, the middle can be seen as analogous to ‘compromise’, or perhaps interpreted to mean 50% conservative/50% liberal. It may even be viewed as the notion of only putting out a halfhearted effort.

But these watered-down versions of ‘middle’ are mere shadows when compared to a more robust and holistic approach. In this context, a more centered approach can be seen as similar to balancing effortlessly on a bicycle versus the wobbly and unstable characteristics of leaning too far to the left or too far to the right. But if we can stay balanced or centered, we can enjoy the most energy-efficient transportation in the world.

The implication here is plain: there’s a more efficient way to plan, live, work and deal with challenges. Being centered is nuanced.

I’ve always felt that the best insights into the so-called deeper mysteries of martial arts -or any spiritual path for that matter- is when we can reveal their hidden meanings through practical examples.

To be clear, there are some things that require a great deal of study, practice and perseverance. Yet, even along a path that requires a significant commitment of time, there are trail-markers that can be deployed along the way which put our pursuits into ever better context as we proceed down the trail.

One of the problems in conveying the deeper understanding of ‘the way of the martial arts’ is that it takes time. Parables and stories help us because they can often provide an immediate ‘aha’ kind of insight. But if we wish to convey more profound realizations over the long term, parables and stories are not enough on their own. What emerges are principles.

The founder of Judo

Jigoro Kano was a Jiu Jitsu master. After years of Jiu Jitsu experience, in 1882 he founded the Art of Judo.

“Judo is not merely a martial art but rather the basic principle of human behavior. When that basic principle is applied to defense against attack or applied as physical education in randori at the dojo, these are applications of that principle in judo, but are only one aspect of judo — it is wrong to assume judo ends in the dojo.”

“Judo is not what many people believe it to be; that is to say, judo is more than a fighting art practiced at the dojo. The basic meaning of judo is quite different, and is universal and profound.”

Mind Over Muscle: Writings from the Founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano

Seiryoko Katsuyo

Kano provided many insights into living, which may have begun during his Jiu Jitsu studies when he had realized that the best way to overcome an attacker began with breaking the attacker’s balance.

Later, he apparently determined that the best way to teach the essential principles of Judo was to distill its essential concepts into decipherable principles. He developed, for example, a single principle called Seiryoko Katsuyo for students to commit to memory and practice. Kano himself described Seiryoko Katsuyo as, “Putting your energy to work most effectively.”

The basic notion could be summed up as, “Why waste your energy on things that don’t work all that well? Get to the point.”

The online dojo Judo Info expands on the principle, by showing that it is a way to focus and energize every aspect of our lives:

What is the Application of Seiryoku Zenyo:

To Be a Person of Value
As a human being, one must set his/her goal in life and discipline his/her naturally endowed abilities. Moreover, since people “are not something that can exist apart from society” and since the fortune of today is a result of the past, everyone should develop his/her given abilities. If one contributes to society, the personality traits-even if there is a difference in achievements-can develop.

Determination-Judgement-Effort
To become a person of value one should make it a purpose to believe in one’s best, one should judge the steps to achieve this purpose, and once this has been done one should gather all his/her strength and work hard.

Seiryoku Zen yo–Application
The momentum of determination, judgment, and effort comes from one’s own strength. All the phenomena of the universe function on strength. In comparison of similar living beings those with much seiryoku will have a more magnificent life.

It’s easy enough to understand that the gist of Kano’s teaching when expanded beyond the dojo and into the multidimensional aspects of being human. Hence his book’s title, Mind Over Muscle.

There is only one path in life

Kano’s teaching included the phase “jinsei no kro wa tada its aru nomi.” This translates to: there is only one path in life, of which he said, “Conducting oneself in accord with this principle on a daily basis is vitally important.”

Though human beings may reach the pinnacle of success, there is only one path down which to proceed. That is to say, because complacency gives rise to the causes of failure you must always consider things carefully until you find the most appropriate course of action and proceed that way. Even when you fail, there is only one path down which to proceed. Even if once you fail and lose heart, if you regain your courage and find your way along the highest path, circumstances will gradually improve. Because they find their own paths, those who practice judo and who follow the principle of seiryoko zenyo always have a calm spirit, enjoy life, and are enterprising. The most advanced human mental life can only be achieved when people thoroughly absorb this principle.- Kano