History

Name and System History

 “Eat bitter, taste sweet” –Chinese proverb

“Ask not for a lighter burden, but for stronger shoulders” –Jewish proverb

Translated from Japanese:

Kujuu: adversity, bitterness.

Jutsu: technique, method, art.

The name KujuuJutsu is the Japanese translation of a set of philosophical memes based on the concept of using adversity to grow in spirit and character. In many dogmatic philosophies around the world the body itself is considered a vessel, but the application of lessons learned though it are considered to be  of deeper value beyond the simple basic physical. The building and forming of one’s own character through the application of effort against resistance is a basic tale of life…you resist gravity as a baby to lift your head, to eventually begin to crawl, then stand, then walk…to learn things through trial and error until something becomes a part of your thought process, part of your understanding of the world around you…adversity and bitterness are facets common to all of humanity on some level, and there is nothing quite like overcoming an obstacle you have seriously struggled against, is there? Eat bitterness and even regret, and use them as fuel to propel you forward, to push your limits, to simply attempt daily to become even more than you already are…and be grateful for the gift of life, and through it, the opportunity to learn more about yourself and what you are becoming as time rolls on.

Admit it…

Food “tastes better” when you are hungry. Lying down after concluding a very hard day is amazing. Laughing unstoppably, even when “inappropriate” feels so awesome. Embracing someone you miss so much is the stuff of poetry. Scratching an itch that you have neglected feels so satisfying. The first breath you take after passing a test…the way you feel after your muscles burn from a hard workout…the bitterness of knowing there are things you cannot overcome, and the sweetness of attempting to lessen their number through dedicated effort, careful avoidance, or hopeful attrition.

Taste something very bitter on your tongue, and notice the next un-bitter thing you immediately eat can reveal a hidden sweetness, or a level of taste you may not have otherwise perceived…also your appreciation of things truly sweet goes through the roof, doesn’t it?

Now come to the Institute, and try doing that with your whole body and spirit!

It’s a reward you give yourself after a long day of work, to unleash your primal self…to shake off the moss of sitting at a desk for hours, or attending to the daily grind…to do with your body not only what it was made to do, but to see it do things you may not have thought you were even capable of before. Think of it as investment in yourself…boosting your health, confidence, ability and appreciation…watch the lessons you learn about yourself bleed over into other areas of your life…and to literally adopt a beautiful new perspective on life as you know it…can you imagine that?

Get to the Institute!

OSU!