Russell Brand has posted a video about his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu philosophies and the impact they’ve had on his overall well-being.
He puts into words what many of us in the community already feel as he describes the symbolism of promotions, “That purple belt, it’s weird, isn’t it? Because it’s just a piece of fabric. But what are symbols? Whether it’s in the Cub Scout movement, or the military, or wherever, you have these symbols that are accolades. Where does the meaning come from? The meaning usually comes from: it’s hard to acquire it. “
He also explains that he feels imposter syndrome after being promoted, “This is one thing I think as a newly inaugurated purple belt, I don’t feel like I’m as good as the people who were purple belts when I was a white belt. I remember thinking those people were like Jedi from another dimension. But perhaps, I pray at least that it’s like you don’t see our own hair grow, you’re not aware of your own changes and growth in the same way as you are of other people’s.”
Brand continues about the realization of his own mortality and how that’s humbled him, “In the past, I’ve been one of those people who make a lot of noise because of fear. What I’ve learned from jiu-jitsu is how to handle my body. I’ve learned humility. I’ve learned that there are a lot of people that really really know what they’re doing, and you’d be foolish to enter into a confrontation situation without really knowing what you’re dealing with.”
After his promotion, he called his good friend Ryron Gracie to share the news, and Ryron had some words of advice for the newly promoted purple belt, “When I called him to say I’ve got this purple belt, he said, ‘The thing I would say at purple belt is: slow down. Now is the time to really slow down in your jiu-jitsu and appreciate it and feel it.’”
Brand continues with a metaphor about adapting after you lose a position that you’ve worked hard to achieve, “If your opponent immediately stands up when you’re [in spider-guard], much of the utility of that particular guard is no longer relevant. You have to adjust and do a different guard that involves the hips… The minute that the person has stood up, you have to accept it. ‘Oh, we’re not in spider-guard anymore. That’s over.’
But because some of these [techniques] are so hard to learn.. when the opponent just moves and that opportunity is now suddenly vanquished, personally I feel like, “Aw, you should still be in spider guard! I’ve worked really hard to get in spider-guard, would you mind sitting down again?” No. That’s gone. Think about how that applies to life.”
He continues, “All the time, particularly as a parent, my children are changing, my reality is changing, all the time. If i don’t adjust, if I’m like, “oh, no! I’ve prepared for my life to be this way.” Well, life isn’t this way anymore. It’s continually adjusting. Because what is happening in our culture now is our inability to adapt and adjust to changing technological environments or social conditions. We have to learn to adjust and adapt. Human beings are so good at adjusting and adapting, but my problem is- this goes straight into my political beliefs- is that we’re adjusting and adapting to ideologies and conditioning that are not beneficial to the majority of people.”
As Brand is known for being very spiritually connected, he sprinkled a bit of that into his monologue, “Something like jiu-jitsu means that your spirituality is physical and embodied, not just in your head but in your whole body… It teaches you so many life lessons that you can avoid. We can be extracted in life to a position of comfort where we’re not experiencing reality. For me, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is reality… This for me is part of well being, part of spiritual development. I don’t want to live in a world where I’m extracted from the reality of what life is to have a body, to know you’re gonna die, to know there are opposing and maligned forces out in the world. I want to feel like I’m progressing. I don’t want to live in the pathways that have been laid out for me by a culture of commodity and conformity. I want to be as best as I can be. Free to explore myself, to discover myself, to be useful to other people.”
Ultimately, Brand says he’s here to give his gratitude and encourage others to give it a try, “I suppose the point that I’m making in this video is to express my pride and gratitude. A healthy pride, I hope. Pride in just, sort of continuing to work hard, rather than pride as in, ‘aren’t I a big shot’. And also, to convey to anyone that if a person like me, or with a background I’ve got with drug addiction, mental health issues, can commit to something like this and can learn from it, then I think that anybody can and lots of you should. “
The entire video is very compelling. I recommend giving it a watch or reading the full transcription below.
“That purple belt, it’s weird, isn’t it? Because it’s just a piece of fabric. But what are symbols? Whether it’s in the Cub Scout movement, or the military, or wherever, you have these symbols that are accolades. Where does the meaning come from? The meaning usually comes from: it’s hard to acquire it.
Certainly, the purple belt has meant that I’ve had to change. Curiously enough, and this is one thing I think as a newly inaugurated purple belt, I don’t feel like I’m as good as the people who were purple belts when I was a white belt. I remember thinking those people were like Jedi from another dimension. But perhaps, I pray at least, that it’s like you don’t see your own hair grow, you’re not aware of your own changes and growth in the same way as you are of other people’s.
What this BJJ purple belt means to me is that I’ve changed as a person. I was the kind of person- I’ve done a lot of martial arts actually, like kickboxing at one point, krav maga, boxing, but always at the hobby level. I don’t like getting in the ring with someone. I find it intimidating to be in a combat situation. I’ve had fights when I was younger, and I’ve been in confrontation situations as an adult. In the past, I’ve been one of those people who make a lot of noise because of fear.
What I’ve learned from jiu-jitsu is how to handle my body. I’ve learned humility. I’ve learned that there are a lot of people that really really know what they’re doing, and you’d be foolish to enter into a confrontation situation without really knowing what you’re dealing with. In fact, let me clarify that you shouldn’t enter into those situations at all. You should never be looking to physically dominate or intimidate anybody in any area of your life. As I’ve learned to use my own body differently, I feel more certain of that. I feel more at ease with myself. I don’t feel so edgy and afraid…
I really want to give special mentions though to Ryron and Rener Gracie, who are masterful teachers. Very relaxed, very fluid, very loving, very generous. I’m friends with Ryron in particular, when I called him to say I’ve got this purple belt, he said, ‘The thing I would say at purple belt is: slow down. Now is the time to really slow down in your jiu-jitsu and appreciate it and feel it.’
What I like about jiu-jitsu… For example, today, when I was with my teacher, I was working on my spider-guard… and if your opponent immediately stands up when you’re [in spider-guard], much of the utility of that particular guard is no longer relevant. You have to adjust and do a different guard that involves the hips. Now, sorry to be esoteric there for a moment, because the philosophical point that I’m trying to make is this: the minute that the person has stood up, you have to accept it. ‘Oh, we’re not in spider-guard anymore. That’s over.’ But because some of these [techniques] are so hard to learn.. when the opponent just moves and that opportunity is now suddenly vanquished, personally I feel like, “Aw, you should still be in spider guard! I’ve worked really hard to get in spider-guard, would you mind sitting down again?” No. That’s gone. Think about how that applies to life.
All the time, particularly as a parent, my children are changing, my reality is changing, all the time. If i don’t adjust, if I’m like, “oh, no! I’ve prepared for my life to be this way.” Well, life isn’t this way anymore. It’s continually adjusting. Because what is happening in our culture now is our inability to adapt and adjust to changing technological environments or social conditions. We have to learn to adjust and adapt. Human beings are so good at adjusting and adapting, but my problem is- this goes straight into my political beliefs- is that we’re adjusting and adapting to ideologies and conditioning that are not beneficial to the majority of people.
Something like jiu-jitsu means that your spirituality is physical and embodied, not just in your head but in your whole body, and feeling stuff like, ‘Oh my God, this is what it’s like to feel crushed, this is what it’s like to feel powerful, this is what it’s like to have to teach another person or be patient with another person, this is what it’s like to feel dominated by another person.’
It teaches you so many life lessons that you can avoid. We can be extracted in life to a position of comfort where we’re not experiencing reality. For me, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is reality.
What I feel like from doing this sport, from doing this martial art, is that I’ve changed myself. As a person with a lot of mental health issues(particularly in the past), addiction issues(particularly in the past), how do you change? How do you become a person who isn’t addicted to drugs anymore? That isn’t dominated by certain values and tendencies? You have to do things differently. And to do things differently, you really need belief and faith.
What I feel I have, is I’ve become a different person. I’m a changed person. Even if it’s not about, like I’m gonna go through life as a vigilante, grabbing potential jewel thieves and wrestling them to the floor. It’s more like, I walk differently, I feel differently, my mental health is different. I’ve proven to myself that if I commit myself to something, I can change. For me, it’s sort of just one step. I’m still a beginner, the same way as I consider myself a beginner in recovery with 8 and half years one day at a time clean and sober from drugs and alcohol.
This for me is part of well-being, part of spiritual development. I don’t want to live in a world where I’m extracted from the reality of what life is to have a body, to know you’re gonna die, to know there are opposing and maligned forces out in the world. I want to feel like I’m progressing.
I don’t want to live in the pathways that have been laid out for me by a culture of commodity and conformity. I want to be as best as I can be. Free to explore myself, to discover myself, to be useful to other people…
As soon as I start thinking about myself and my ego, which I do pretty regularly, disappointment happens, failure happens. So for me, I’m still just thinking about, ‘Okay, just keep going forward. Just try to improve my jiu-jitsu. Be aware of the areas where I need to improve: fighting bigger, heavier people, how to get out of guard when someone is super heavy and it’s grueling, working on stand-up.’ I suppose the point that I’m making in this video is to express my pride and gratitude. A healthy pride, I hope. Pride in just, sort of continuing to work hard, rather than pride as in, ‘aren’t I a big shot’. And also, to convey to anyone that if a person like me, or with a background I’ve got with drug addiction, mental health issues, can commit to something like this and can learn from it, then I think that anybody can and lots of you should. “
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