I was privileged to have the opportunity for an advanced reading of Mr. Gurjot Singh’s latest work, “The Bardos of Jujizu.” The work includes a thorough autobiographical history or the authors’ background in military and martial arts, leading the reader through his journey of discipline and development that has culminated in the present method. This method includes not only the most often encountered physical training regimens and fight strategies common to all martial practices, but also the important integration of energetic and holistic life disciplines that are far less common in most martial practices. The inclusion of these elements sets this work apart. Theories are fine, but without real world experience to back them up, theories amount to untested hypotheses at best, and empty rhetoric at worst. With constant competition in realistic venues against similarly trained opponents, practitioners will receive accurate (and sometimes painful) feedback as to the legitimacy of their training and the usefulness of their method.
Fully realizing the importance of realistic testing and feedback, Mr. Singh and his students continue to test their development in various martial sport venues. The results speak for themselves. Basing his method primarily on Yoga, Taijiquan and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mr. Singh is uniquely qualified to present a method that is comprehensive in its approach to training from the martial, energetic and self-cultivation aspects as one integrated practice. Whether the practitioner is looking for ideas on martial arts training, health building methods or the infusion of energetic disciplines into all of the above, the reader will find them in this honest and thorough work.
-Professor & Sifu Tim Cartmell, Founder of Shen Wu Kung Fu & Owner at Ace BJJ, Chinese Mandarin Linguist at Taiwan Normal University & CSULB 8th Degree Blackbelt San Soo Kung Fu, BJJ Blackbelt under Nelson Montiero, 2003 & 2004 IBJJF Pan American Champion
As a practitioner, lover, and fanatic of BJJ, I am honored to contribute briefly to this excellent treatise. Very few of you may know me from my work developing the Buggie Choke, a bizarre system for controlling and submitting your opponent from mostly unexpected positions. Most often, the set up and finish are completed while underneath your opponent, seemingly disadvantaged, where patience and calm are vital. For the past 9 years, I have served as an acute psychiatric registered nurse working with all ages in locked in-patient units and chemical dependency recovery. I opened new hospitals, trained all nursing staff on and off the unit, and taught hundreds of people as a certified crisis prevention intervention instructor. In CPI the 4 focuses are the Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security of all of the people in our charge, patients, coworkers, etc. I honed this down to 3 principles to hold to like oxygen and carve into your soul. Respect everyone. Protect everyone with your life. And Love everyone. Love as in the way Mr. Rogers defined it: actively striving to accept each person exactly the way they are right here and now.
The countless times I have had to use Jiu jets to control someone being violent in and out of work, let alone hundreds of tournament matches has helped me be able to stay calm when things get physical. I know that when my adrenaline is high, every one of my teammates and coaches might be screaming the same perfect correct instruction like “pull his head!” and I still wouldn’t see the opportunity. Being able to stay calm, respectful, and compassionate while being violently attacked has unbelievably game changing powers in de-escalation of crisis. People can feel if you’re mad at them or if you’re afraid of them, when you have to hold them for safety after they attack someone and they are still fighting. And they can feel if you respect them. When things get intense and physical for those right in close it is easy to see/feel the emotion in others, especially as it might have been elevated in many intense situations.
What if you just decided to really respect and care about the person like they are family and like you would risk your life protecting them through the whole thing, repeatedly, without hesitating? Decide that your patients and coworkers (family and friends) deserve your best so you must respect everyone, protect everyone with your life, and Love(strive to accept) everyone. Anyone ever seen a gym where all the white belts flow roll? A gym where not one white belt spaz rolls; where everyone flow rolls. Where they are calm with mindful controlled breathing and movement. That’s what I see in Professor Singh’s Temple Underground every day on Facebook live. The more I practiced the methods within, the more I understood. He is a genius to teach these approaches and techniques from the start of a martial arts journey, which for many if not most is a spiritual journey of one form or another.
Considering peak-performance mind state for a fight, competition, or even for long term training sustainability, it is easy to see many benefits of a clear and calm mind or flow state. Increased efficiency, power, awareness of opportunities and new threats, ability to think clearly, ability to communicate, judgment, emotional self-control, focus, creativity, presence, peace, and joy. Decreased tunnel vision, less wasted energy, and fewer injuries, no fear.
I’ll close by celebrating his son and champion, Dante Singh. In a stunning display of skill which epitomizes everything this book is about, he teaches us through demonstration the power of humility and compassion. In a FUJI tournament against weights from 130 to 165 lbs he won 12 matches in 2 hours (10 by submission, 6 gold medals) demonstrating flow state through the whole thing. Not all of his competitors were near his skill level. Yet he handled them all with respect and gentile comportment. This was not reciprocated in all of his matches. It was awesome to view. He is a real warrior and champ! May the Professor make more like him. With my thanks and humblest encouragement, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
-Austin Hardt Registered Nurse SIJJF World Champion Eduardo Fraga Purple Belt Creator of the Buggy Choke