On Adaptation

“You will adapt to Jiu-Jitsu, and Jiu-Jitsu will adapt to you.”

- Unknown

I have heard this quote spoken in gyms and academies across the country, but I have been unable to find the source. It is so prevalent that I think it must be from the first generation of Jiu-Jiteiros. Or it was stolen from another art. The beauty of this thought is that it can apply to nearly any activity.

There is a physiological adaptation to everything that we do. The human body has been designed by something -- whether it is evolution, God, or something else is irrelevant to this discussion -- to be a compensation machine. When you sit at your desk and type away at your computer, your body is learning ways to do it better. When you stand at a prep table and dice vegetables, your body is learning to do it better. When you play video games for hours at a time, you body is learning to do it better. Your body will round your spine to rely on solid, bony structures instead of pliable muscle. Or your body will adjust to standing eight hours a day, and your knife hand will become faster. Or your body will learn where all the buttons are so you’re not constantly looking at the controller.

What are the physiological changes that occur when you grapple? You will begin to lose body fat. You will begin to develop lean muscle mass. Your heart and your lungs will become physically larger. Your resting heart rate will decrease. Your bones will increase in density. You will become more flexible. But the mental and emotional adaptations that you will undergo are even greater. Confidence will be built in knowing that you are capable of physically subduing another human being. Mental strength will be developed through determination to drill and compete. Compassion will be established in helping others learn. And self-acceptance will be found in creating a style for yourself.

In his famous interview with Pierre Barton, Bruce Lee said that “all types of knowledge ultimately mean self knowledge.” Taken a step further, all types of expression ultimately are self expression. In Jiu-Jitsu, as in other sports, a style or game is developed based on one’s strengths and weaknesses. One’s style is typically composed of moves that resonate with the individual. It could be something discovered by accident: the first move that worked when sparring; or deliberately chosen to solve a problem: dealing with a taller or stronger opponent.

Regardless of how it comes about, the moment when your style becomes a reflection of you is beautiful and reaffirming. We are all different. Humans come in all sorts of different sizes, shapes, and lever lengths. Because of these differences we have a tendency to place value or pass judgment on ourselves and others based on size or shape. I have found grappling and Jiu-Jitsu to be a panacea for this sort of thinking.

Everybody and every body type has the potential to be great at Jiu-Jitsu. I am tall, lanky, and underweight for my height. But I can get ankle and knee picks from just about anywhere. I have hit Triangles on men more than twice my bodyweight. My skinny arms can fit into nearly any crevice, and have Rear Naked Choked everybody at my gym except for Professor. It sounds silly to say out loud, but Jiu-Jitsu has taught me how to express myself, love myself and love my body. And for that reason I will always love Jiu-Jitsu.