What if we lived in an ideal world where everybody who could benefit from learning BJJ actually did learn it? We had a chance to talk to Rickson last December, and it turns out he has been thinking long and hard about this. Enjoy the final part of his answer about the concept of BJJ as a "conquering art" below. In case you missed it, part 2 is here.
"My idea of conquering arts is to introduce people to their own necessities without making them have to compete to achieve that. So they will practice, they will understand the maneuvers, they will start to believe in themselves, because it's a practice—he has to know how to lift the weight, to deflect the energy or to escape. So the practice is not only an intelligent practice, but effective. But in order for him to do that, he doesn't have to fight. So the conquering arts will make you an expert in understanding the jiu-jitsu, but they're not gonna entitle you to get even a blue belt, because the blue belt is for people who fight another blue-belt, who compete to get a purple belt. So the belt system goes for competition aspects.
"But the conceptual jiu-jitsu, the conquering art, comes from just a practice to enlighten you in your sensorial being. You're gonna develop your senses; you're gonna develop a better sense of timing, a better sense of vision, sensitivity, breathing, angles, leverage, maneuvers; and that will enhance yourself in a very deep layer, without asking you to become a fighter. And as you go into this process, you're gonna start to discover things about you; you're gonna be surprised how strong, how empowered you are without having to fight; and that will give you, definitely, a much better chance to seek for happiness and everything else you have in mind."
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