Flow with the go: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as embodied spirituality

By Mick Pope

Mick Pope is Professor of Environmental Mission at Missional University, and a member of

the Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy. He has a first degree black belt in
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

polymath@optusnet.com.au

Abstract
Martial arts are understood to promote violence at best, and syncretism for Christians at
worst. However, my 30 years of martial arts experience have shown that two major
components in martial arts training are flow, and cooperation. Flow is the mental state in
which a person is fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus while performing an activity.
In martial arts practice, this can be achieved in the dialectic of both competing and
cooperating with a training partner. This paper examines how this practice of 'flowing with
the go' can be understood as a form of spiritual practice by studying the combat sport of
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Keywords
Spiritual practices, theology and sport, embodied spirituality, flow, martial arts,
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Martial pilgrimage
Growing up with little spiritual direction and no strong male role model, I was influenced by
martial arts cinema and began training in Judo and Karate at age 16. Drawn initially by the
desire for physical prowess, I soon began a journey of spiritual discovery, embracing at a
superficial level aspect of Zen Buddhism. At 18, I came to faith in Christ, and over the past
three decades have tried to synthesise my martial arts training with my faith. The past 16
years have been focused largely on the grappling art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or BJJ.

The roots of BJJ go

back at least 1,200 years to the unarmed battlefield arts of the Samurai, (Daito Ryu Aiki
Jujutsu North America). Jigoro Kano founded Judo from these battlefield arts, designed for
human and social development as well as self-defence (Kodokan Judo Institute). Judo
reached Brazil in 1917 when Mitsuyo Maeda began teaching the now famous Gracie family
(GracieMag). BJJ is largely a ground fighting art, although it typically includes throws from
Judo and wrestling. Some schools teach self-defence, but BJJ is mainly practiced as a combat
sport where the aim is to bring the fight to the ground, control the opponent’s movements,
and apply a submission hold. Submissions are techniques that can render a training partner
unconscious via the restriction of blood flow to the brain, or the manipulation of joints that
could result in serious and permanent injury. However, ‘tapping out’ signals that such a move
could have occurred, but was not applied to its full extent.

This focus on violence might seem at odds with the goal of an embodied Christian
spirituality, but this paradox also lies at the heart of various eastern traditions. The remainder
of this paper examines a Christian hermeneutic for BJJ as an embodied spirituality by
examining embracing our physicality to seek the experience of flow in a community shaped
by the gospel.
Seeking blessing through embracing our physicality
The classic Hebrew Bible story providing a potential hermeneutic for understanding the
grappling arts as embodied spirituality is the encounter of Jacob with God in the wilderness
(Gen 32:22-32). Jacob is returning to his people, particularly to face his brother whose
blessing he stole. In returning to his ancestral home, Jacob is seeking reconciliation with his
family and God. His encounter with God in anthropic form is a literal, physical wrestling, and
because it is with God, also represents a spiritual struggle. The result is a holistic blessing.
Jacob is given the new name Israel, one who has striven with God. He is reconciled with his
brother and takes his place in the line of patriarchs, giving his name to a nation whose role
was to bring blessing to the world (Gen 12:1-3).

This provides us with a hermeneutic for the grappling arts, embracing our own physicality as
the realm of divine blessing, and consciously and deliberately engaging in the grappling arts
as a liminal space for that blessing. The expectation is that the blessings obtained are not
limited to the performance space just as Jacob’s blessing was not only to be experienced in
Peniel (Gen 32:30). Likewise, given the finitude of the human body, this blessing can come at
a cost (Gen 32:32).

Paul also endorses physical exercise as a thing to admire, but also as a metaphor or
hermeneutic for obtaining ultimate blessing (1 Cor 9:24-27). Paul was not as ascetic, but
understood the value of self-discipline, focus, self-control, and single mindedness. Grappling
to win tournaments is not a bad thing, perceived as a vision of how one obtains the ultimate
prize. It is also worth noting that given Greco Roman sports were engaged in the nude
(Mandell 1984:79), and nudity was shameful in Hebrew culture (Gen 3:9-10; Gen 9:20-27)
how Paul sees that ideas are co-optable from sports even if some of the cultural embodiment
are not. This provides further hermeneutical tools in seeing BJJ as embodied spirituality; we
are free to filter out unacceptable cultural elements to get to the core holistic, embodied
spirituality.

Physical exercise is an expression of human spirituality because human spirituality is

unavoidably tied to physical embodiment. Human beings are created in the image of God, in
a body. We are adam from the adamah or humans from the hummus (Gen 2:7; Zevit
2013:80). The first task of humans was the care of this hummus and the production of food,
hardly a job without physical striving. As Ziony Zevit (2013:220-221) has pointed out, the
curse of the land was not a pronouncement of hard work after an initial life of ease, but a
change in understanding of the nature of that toil, an existential one. Likewise, physical
exercise can be understood either as a reminder of life in a world full of violence, sickness,
and death, or as a sign of divine blessing. At the 2008 Zadok Conference in Melbourne,
theologian Rik Watts observed that the imago Dei and divine blessing of Gen 1:26-28 points
to the great power of human agency. We ignore this at our own peril, given our potential to
do great violence to the earth and to each other.

The recognition of the human instinct for violence, or at least the capacity to engage in
activity directed towards the control of the other for our safety and self-preservation, is a
recognition of the physical power with which we are endowed and can express as an aspect of
our embodied spirituality in a transformed way. The practice of BJJ is a reminder of that
power for violence but the possibility of controlling it. This forms a dialectic of power
explored, celebrated, and yet controlled and limited under mutually agreed rules of permitted
techniques and the ‘tap out.’
The Primeval history (Gen 1-11) testifies to the consequences of a lack of control. Cain is
presented with an apparently arbitrary test (Gen 4:1-5; Edenburg 2011:159) but fails to keep a
basic social norm; that is of not committing fratricide. The beginnings of civilisation is
marked by Lamech’s pronouncement on vengeance (Gen 4:17-24). The practice of BJJ
provides an opportunity to constantly test the human in a relatively safe environment.
Tapping out limits any cycle of violence, and while friendly competitiveness among training
partners is encouraged, a well-run gym will intervene to avoid cycles of vengeance and
‘keeping score’ by monitoring who rolls with whom.

Another aspect of BJJ and embodied spirituality is the healthy respect one gains for the
physical limits of oneself and others. BJJ allows to practitioner to build the strength and skills
to dislocate or break bones, to sprain or tear muscles and ligaments. It also develops both the
sensitivity to one’s own physical limits and a greater self-control over the bodies of others,
together with a respect for their own wellbeing. BJJ practitioners are regularly seen to
apologies for any unintended strike or blow or technique misapplied or held too wrong.
Practice of the art leads to a greater, not a lesser, sense of guilt over harms done. In this sense,
seeing the other as the image of God not to be harmed (Gen 9:6) is enhanced by learning both
how to and how not to harm them.

While physical limits are respected, normal expectations are regularly transcended. While the
fully able bodied can celebrate its divinely given fruitfulness and ability, so the otherly abled
is also able to engage in BJJ. This includes vision impairment since BJJ is a tactile sport
(Mark Mullen 2017), cerebral palsy, Down syndrome (GracieMag 2015) and quadruple
amputee Kyle Maynard (Kirik Jenness 2016). Regardless of our physical ability, celebration
of the God givenness of the divine and embodied image is attainable.

A final consideration is that of finitude and mortality. In many other martial arts, it is possible
to cease live combat for the performance of other methods of practice, known variously as
forms, kata, or patterns. While in BJJ, one can practice or drill techniques, the main purpose
is live rolling with varying levels of resistance, from what is referred to as flow rolling, to
competition intensity rolling. The relative ability to succeed at the later can decline in age as
flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and reaction time all decline. It is a major check to human
pride and hubris, that while the aim of BJJ is the perfection of technique and the ability to
defeat an opponent, this changes over time. Comparison with others of different ages needs to
be checked. Rener Gracie (pronounced Hener, 2014) has come up with five rules for rolling
over 40, and these include the recognition that age makes a difference.

It has been pointed out by Ziony Zevit (2013:228-231) and James Barr (1992:4), that Genesis
2-3 is a story of the loss of access to the source of immortality. This is reflected also in the
declining ages in the Primeval History (Gen 1-11). Paul interprets ‘the Fall’ and attributes
death in the world to Adam’s transgression. The reality of life is that we age and decline in
ability. This is a reminder of the finitude of our embodiedness and that all of us will face
death. The practice of BJJ forces us to recognise this and change our goals and roles in our
practice. Grappling beyond 40 requires a form of humility that younger grapplers will not
understand.

Flowing with the go - active presence

The phrase ‘flow with the go’ has been ascribed to Rickson Gracie (pronounced Hickson),
son of Grace Jiu Jitsu founded Helio Gracie. One of the most gifted grapplers of his time,
Rickson has a philosophical and spiritual approach to grappling. It has been suggested that
his ‘flow with the go’ is simply a corruption of ‘go with the flow’ from a non-native English
speaker - Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. However, it is possible to see in these
two phrases an important distinction and method for spiritual embodiment.

The BJJ belt system for adults graduates from white, blue, purple, brown, and black. At each
stage, a grappler is expected to be able to execute not simply particular techniques, nor
necessarily to be able to defeat everyone below them in rank (as age and physical size play a
role, together with a spread of abilities), but the maturity of their approach. A while belt is
learning the vocabulary of BJJ and developing individual techniques. Students are not
necessarily expected to string techniques together, rather tactics are largely linear and about
achieving a fixed outcome. This develops throughout the belt system, where the practitioner
progressive explores the large space of possibilities, moving from penalising an opponent for
doing the wrong thing, to penalising them for giving the correct defence. Like the expert
chess player, the black belt can map out multiple scenarios several moves ahead. Higher belts
also move beyond being taught by an instructor to self-directed experiential learning.

At the advanced stage, one is not simply able to go with the flow, but also flow with the go.
Going with the flow can indicate a level of passivity. This is not a Christian virtue if by going
with the flow one understands a kind of fatalistic acceptance of circumstances. The lesson of
Job is not fatalism but the mystery of evil and suffering. The bible points us towards asking
questions about why things are the way they are without easy answers, but not without
challenging questions. However, going with the flow does imply the ability to relax under
pressure, to deal with adversity. Breath control when under strong physical pressure is a
necessary skill to avoid the panic and claustrophobia that can occur. When a choke is being
applied, knowing how to breathe deeply can allow time to think and assess whether an escape
is possible. Likewise, knowing the physical limits of limbs under leverage can mean the
difference between a well-timed escape, damage to the limb, or the need to tap out. The
option to tap out is a sensible one when injury or unconsciousness is likely, and BJJ practice
is a playful environment. However, learning to look for a way out in a difficult environment
and not being too quick to look for an easy way out teaches resilience, mental strength, and
courage.

Such an approach moves from going with the flow to flowing with the go. Wherever the
situation goes, the practitioner has a set of plans, mental scenarios, escapes and counters
planned. They are able to calculate the various counters to a given technique and having a
chain of responses either planned, or instinctual due to thousands of hours of practice. Tom
Wright (2010) notes that virtues are formed over time by ingrained habits. This state of
flowing with the go teaches the disciplines of practice, hard work, and developed habits that
mirror the practice of virtue. Problem solving skills, learning to control emotional responses
and associated physiological responses all flow (pun intended) into other areas of life.

Any consideration of bodily flowing in a physically dynamic environment must include a

discussion of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow state. Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi
(2009:89) define the good life as ‘one that is characterized by complete absorption in what
one does.’ This complete absorption is characterised as a flow state where one engages in
perceived challenges that stretch our existing skills with proximal goals and immediate
feedback. This results in intense concentration in the present moment, the merging of action
and awareness, a loss of self-awareness, a sense of control of one’s actions (or flowing with
the go), a distortion of temporal experience (time passes faster than normal), and an
experience of the task at hand as intrinsically rewarding.

For flow state in BJJ, there needs to be a balance between the level of the challenge and the
grappler’s skill set are matched. As will be discussed below, the level of challenge is not set
across a spectrum of grappling partners, or with a particular training partner, allowing flow to
be established in varying circumstances. For the moment, it is important to observe that
Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi (2009:90) note that flow theory is based on interactionism,
which implies that the focus is not on a person abstracted from context. Rather, it emphasises
‘the dynamic system composed of person and environment, as well as the phenomenology of
person-environment interactions.’ In particular, Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi note that
sports (like BJJ) provide the kind of goals and feedback structures that make flow more
likely.

Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi (2009:91) further comment on the link between the self,
flow, and self-control. Consciousness is, according to them, an evolved system for the
processing and storing of information. The processing of information requires our attention,
something that the flow state facilitates. Our subjective experience during flow state is the
content of consciousness. Further, consciousness gives us control, ‘freeing us from complete
subservience to the dictates of genes and culture by representing them in awareness, thereby
introducing the alternative of rejecting rather than enacting them.’ In this we can see that BJJ
provides an embodied spirituality that teaches self-control and non-violence through the
learning of potentially violent techniques. Learning the limits of our own bodies and those of
others in a simulated combat experience, with the control mechanism of the tap and a basic
understanding of physiology, and the ability to control our emotional responses, all develop
virtues which can be extended to life on and off the mat.

Richard Middleton (2018) argues that the creation accounts of Genesis 1-2 represent a
democratising of the image of God in humans compared to other Ancient Near Eastern
creation stories where the king was the sole representative of the divine. He concludes that
we worship God by being human and ‘doing human stuff’, and this includes the practice of
science, building cities, having governments, and other aspects of the cultural mandate.
Engaging in an activity where we reach flow state is an example par excellence of doing
‘human stuff’ particularly if it can be demonstrated this state cultivates wisdom or virtue.
Practicing BJJ can then be an act of religion, because according to Middleton, religion is life.

A further example of flow in BJJ as embodied spirituality is examined by Hunter and

Csikszentmihalyi (2000), who consider flow in sport as a way of challenging latent Cartesian
dualism. This dualism separates body from soul, which Hunter and Csikszentmihalyi
(2000:6-7) trace back to Plato via Rene Descartes. They identify this latent dualism in ‘overly
technological medical systems’ that view patients as broken machines. There is a spectrum of
opinion on the nature of the relationship between the body and the soul in Christianity (e.g.
Cooper 2000), but the doctrine of the resurrection demands that humans ultimately be
considered as a unity. Many Christians hold a dualistic view of the human which extends to a
dualistic view of the non-human creation. Rapture theology is an example of a dualistic
escapism, as is much language of heaven in Christian hymnody, wherein the goal of the
believer is to transcend the physical (Pope 2018:188-191).

Biblical holism accords well with flow state in sport. Hunter and Csikszentmihalyi (2000:8)
base their understanding of flow on phenomenology, the idea that the body is not a mere
vessel as in Cartesian dualism, but a bridge to worldly experience. In the flow state, human
consciousness is transformed by the physical activity. Flow requires the mental constructs
like goals and mental abilities like concentration, which are informed by, and in turn inform
the body. Hence flow destroys unhealthy and unbiblical dualism and fosters an embodied
spirituality. Hunter and Csikszentmihalyi develop this idea further to argue that sport can lead
to a form of contemplation.

The word contemplation derives from the Latin contemplare which means ‘to observe.’
Observation refers to the act of bringing information into conscious awareness, which is
exactly what occurs during the flow state. Hunter and Csikszentmihalyi (2000:17) identify
Eastern religious practices as embracing this idea more than Western dualistic thinking. For
Christians to see flow states in BJJ as embodied spirituality does not require the adoption of
Eastern religion, merely the recovery of biblical holism from Hellenistic dualism. Note that
Hunter and Csikszentmihalyi (2000:19) argue that flow states in sports like BJJ are different
from static contemplation that may be brought upon by rhythmic and repetitive actions, like
running or swimming. Whereas in the latter, the meditation may lead to the reflection on and
solution of life problems, the former disciplines the self to be able to flow in other areas of
life, and in the moment of flow embody our holistic, spiritual nature.

Fighting with and not just against the other

As a goal, flow state has several implications for BJJ practice and embodied spirituality.
Another phrase along with ‘flow with the go’ is ‘keep it playful.’ This means that while there
are situations for fierce combativeness, particularly in competition preparation, where a
‘killer instinct’ is honed, even then the practice is contextualised. Participants are not fighting
to the death. While that ability may come into play in a real-life self-defence situation, BJJ is
play. As Cronshaw and Parker in this volume note, play is part of what it means to be human.
Indeed, play is demonstrated in many animal species (Bekoff and Byers 1998) and therefore
appears to reflect an aspect of the creator. Keeping it playful means that BJJ practice is an
opportunity to shape human nature in a positive way, that is both for the practitioner in terms
of internally directed virtue development and achieving a calm inner state, but also externally
directed virtue.

BJJ like any other game proceeds under a set of mutually agreed rules. These rules provide
certainty for each combatant. Hence, strikes are prohibited, as are certain submission holds
depending on the context, rank of the practitioners, club ethos, etc. Deliberately malicious
moves such as slamming an opponent to the mat are explicitly prohibited, whereas applying
forearm pressure to the throat or kneeling on an opponent's head are tacitly agreed as ‘bad Jiu
Jitsu’ and policed in an informal manner. Hence, ethics are shaped both via rules (cf. Torah)
but also culturally and affectively (Torah written on the heart, e.g. Ezek 36:26-27).

It is however understood that accidents occur. The phrase ‘we are not playing chess’ is partly
true insofar as a combat sport is more physical, though no less cerebral, than a strategic board
game like chess. While the broader context is one of rules, control, and order, embedded
within this is a degree of chaos. Injuries can occur that are entirely unintended on the part of
either practitioner, but entirely possible given the situation. We learn from Genesis 1 that God
imposes order on the chaos present. Form and function are given to the formlessness of the
tōhû wābōhû, the formlessness and void (Gen 1:2). Capturing contemporary Ancient Near
Eastern combat stories, we are presented with a picture of chaos brought under control. Yet
as Old Testament scholar Gregory Mobley (2010:20) observes, the sea monsters created on
day five represent the ongoing presence of chaos, though under divine control. BJJ teaches us
about the universe in microcosm, that despite divinely imposed order, chaos is still possible.
Wisdom is required to navigate it, particularly when injury results.

One of the interesting dialectics in BJJ is that one cooperates with their partner while at the
same time trying to dominate them. The end goal is to control and submit the other person.
As discussed above, this relies upon agreement on a set of rules that delineates a sense of
order, within which the chaos of combat occurs. Under the agreed rules, out of the
considerable number of possible situations in the grappling encounter, a number of these may
result in one or both people tapping out. Dominance of position may shift from one partner to
another, or may be one sided. How then can there be an embodied spirituality in the exercise
of domination? Or of being overpowered? The broad parameters are set by the context, and a
flow roll where the aim is to attain the flow state in a playful manner is very different from a
competition round, where flow state may be achieved, but by agreement there is a winner and
a loser. Regardless of the mode of rolling, a first principle is ‘leave your ego at the door.’
What does this phrase mean in the context of BJJ and embodied spirituality?

The first aspect of leaving your ego at the door is that entering the gym is the great equaliser.
Regardless of age, gender, social status, or any other identity marker, when one steps on the
mat to train, these things are left behind. Ego is left behind in that all people are treated
equally in dignity, and are respected as grapplers with goals to achieve in their rolling. This
illustrates well Paul’s understanding of the gospel in Galatians 3:28 as being all inclusive.
The combat sport of BJJ may not be centred around the gospel, but a Christian can see this as
an illustration of the irrelevance of social markers as barriers to unity. This can be expressed
practically as Paul seeks to in 1 Corinthians, where social status meant that some went hungry
at the Lord’s Table. BJJ began as an art for the rich until Carlson Gracie began teaching ‘the
lower classes’ (BJJ Heroes). This principle continues today in some Christian gyms, offering
financial support for those unable to afford the fees (Pope, 2015).

Secondly, if BJJ is to be a means of embodying a distinctively Christian spirituality, then it

must be explicitly Christ-like. Philippians 2 enjoins believers to have the sacrificial, self-
emptying humility of Christ. This might at first glance appear to run directly counter the
desire to ‘win’ in BJJ. However, several observations can be made. Firstly, under an agreed
set of rules, the game of BJJ allows for a winner and loser. This requires humility on behalf
of both players or competitors. A healthy functioning ego that allows one to assert one’s will
is nurtured, but with the chance that one will lose. Leaving your ego at the door implies
running the risk of losing and being willing to risk this, by rolling in a way that opens the
practitioner to this risk. One agrees to the possibility of being dominated, and hence also to
the possibility of being dominated. What then is to be gained?

Many people do not undergo adversity for much of their lives, although our shared mortality
means than we all face illness and death. However, living risk averse lives means that we can
entertain the illusion of control. Practicing BJJ exposes the practitioner to physical, mental,
and spiritual adversity in the relatively safe confines of the gym. It requires humility to
expose oneself to this adversity, and humility to survive and thrive under it. The experience
of being physically dominated requires the cultivation of humility, and tapping out is the
ultimate admission of defeat because it signifies recognising that further application of the
technique could have led to unconsciousness, injury, or death. Humility is also developed by
the winning athlete in that they learn control over their emotions. Victory is not simply about
themselves, but self-control over their bodies for the safety of their partner, and the goal of
both exposing their partner to humility building experiences, but also via this the
improvement in their partner’s physical skill set.

None of this development a given or automatic. It is often said that BJJ is a ‘douche bag
filter’ and the practice of being humbled by continual defeat automatically develops
character. This ignores two things. Firstly, some personalities readily go into denial and are
blissfully unaware of their lack of talent, resorting to constantly making excuses. Others
engage in self-pity for their lack of skill, and exhibit a false modesty. Secondly, those who
are gifted can become arrogant because of their success and ambition, seeking to dominate
their training partners and opponents at whatever cost. It is therefore necessary to be
constantly mindful of one’s limitations, respectful of others, and to cast aside the ego. C. S.
Lewis (2015: letter 14) famously noted that regarding others as better than ourselves (Phil
2:3) meant not thinking less of our abilities, but thinking about them less. Hence, the physical
and competitive nature of BJJ models, applies, and develops the Christian virtue of humility
in a genuine fashion under testing circumstances.

This principle of humility naturally leads to the idea of service of others. The better grappler
will not always seek to dominate. Apart from the opportunity to play and try new techniques,
knowing that they can recover if necessary, the more accomplished grappler can do one of
three things. Firstly, for their own development, they can put themselves in vulnerable
positions to develop their escapes or weaker parts of their game. Humility is required insofar
as there is greater risk of being tapped out when not using their A-game. Secondly, they may
engage in tacit teaching with the less experienced grappler by allowing them chance to use
the techniques they know, demonstrating the value and validity of the techniques that have
been taught, and the even the positive reinforcement of ‘getting the tap.’ Thirdly, the teaching
can be explicit. The more experienced grappler gives of their valuable time that could be
devoted to developing and testing their own techniques, getting ready for competition, etc, to
help others develop. The less experienced or less capable grappler gains confidence, a sense
of worth, and of belonging. Acts of playful, instructional, and humble grappling are an
invitation into the community of grapplers, which bring us to the final idea of what it means
to fight with and not against your training partner.

There are several martial arts for which solo practice is a key part of the training, in
particular, striking arts which have kata, patterns, or forms. This emphasis on the practice of
forms has been described as ‘moving zen’ (Nicols 2010). Embodied spirituality in this way is
an individual pursuit. In contrast, while BJJ has some exercises that can be performed solo,
the major focus is the practice and testing of techniques in live rolling with. Even more so
than traditional stand up arts, BJJ is necessarily a community practice.

Such a contrast between an individual and community pursuit mirrors the difference between
reclusive anchorites and monastic communities. The sermon on the mount clearly assumes
that Christianity is about community, not a solo pursuit. This implies then that one’s
embodied spiritual development is shaped by the community. For example, a club that is
focussed solely on competition may become one that promotes a Darwinian natural selection
ethic. Students who can’t handle the intensity of training drop off. In the early days of BJJ in
this country, gyms were dominated by physically imposing males, making the adoption of the
art by women and people of smaller build more difficult. In many gyms, the culture is no
longer shaped by social Darwinism, but a more altruistic approach. As I have discussed
elsewhere (Pope 2015), a gym culture can be set implicitly by gospel culture.
Being implicit is important as an explicit appeal to the gospel can be exclusive of those of
other religious faiths or none. However, a culture shaped implicitly by the gospel will allow
individuals to explore their own embodied spirituality in a manner that is appropriate to them.
Missiologically, this is an example of incarnational mission in that those who shape the
culture do so out a holistic concern for themselves and others. That is, one does not engage in
BJJ as a Christian to ‘share the gospel’ but instead, in pursuing an embodied spirituality that
is shaped by the gospel, this same embodied spirituality is modelled and offered to others.

Conclusion
Martial arts practice is viewed with suspicion by many Christians for a variety of reasons,
from fear of syncretism with eastern mysticism to a concern over violence. BJJ has no
explicitly religious ethic, instead being shaped by the desire to produce a street effective self-
defence system. Modern sport BJJ focuses less on this but still supports the idea of
overcoming an opponent. The emphasis on leverage and efficiency of technique can lead to
the least violent solution to violent confrontation and lends itself better to non-violence than
striking arts.

In terms of an embodied spirituality, the tactile nature of a grappling art teaches a sensitivity
and awareness of our own embodiment and that of others. The mastery of potentially harmful
techniques teaches limits and self-control, making us aware of how powerful we are as the
image of God. BJJ is an art that can teach humility towards others and towards God in
recognition of our own created nature. It is necessarily a community-based activity. In
partnership, a state of ‘flowing with the go’ can be reached as a celebration of our
embodiment in an almost perichoretic dance between practitioners and the immanent triune
God.

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