We’re susceptible to worshiping false idols in this game.
It’s natural.
We worship the false idol of skill. We see someone who has developed their Jiu Jitsu to its peak. Their game is sharp and elegant. To watch them roll is like viewing some moving masterpiece in a gallery.
We do not see and do not worship their abusive relationship, their shady business dealings, or their pathological lying.
We worship the false idol of intellect. We train with someone who has amassed an encyclopedic knowledge of the art. We come to them for answers and they graciously deliver.
We do not worship the hole in their life that they attempt to fill with knowledge, their struggling career, their lack of confidence.
Or, we worship their personality. They have a magnetism that pulls at everyone in the room. They speak, we listen, and we do as they say.
We do not worship the cult of their personality. Do we?
Jiu Jitsu can give us skill, a body of knowledge, and round out our personalities. It can also improve our character. But character is also shaped in the meta-game, the one we so often neglect at the expense of our small game.
But character can also become a false idol. We admire someone for who they are and what they value. They choose the right path. They do as they say. They walk the talk.
We do not worship their superiority complex, their false humility, or the gaping holes in their game. We do not worship the shadow that their character conceals.
What are we worshiping in Jiu Jitsu? And perhaps more importantly, what are we not worshiping?
Category: Inner Work
Tag: Awareness
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