Comfort in Darkness: The Invisible Power of Jiu Jitsu – Rickson Gracie's Masterwork on Jiu Jitsu as a Philosophy for Living and Facing Every Challenge

Description

A masterwork about the art of combat and the invisible powers within us all from Rickson Gracie, the world’s greatest Jiu Jitsu fighter and New York Times bestselling author of Breathe A mythic figure in fighting and a legendary member of the “first family of martial arts,” Rickson Gracie is considered the godfather of what we recognize today as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Although Rickson’s three decades of total dominance in Jiu Jitsu is astounding, even more astounding is the path to spiritual growth found in the serenity and depth of his approach to combat. For Rickson, Jiu Jitsu is a metaphor for life. Some consider Jiu Jitsu a martial art, others consider it a sport, but to Gracie, it is a profound life philosophy he uses to face and evaluate life’s challenges and maintain happiness and mental balance. Gracie wrote Comfort in Darkness after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a terminal sentence which he views as the final fight of his life, one he knows he will eventually lose. In this deeply moving memoir, Gracie delivers his defining life statement about his spiritual and technical practice. For the first time, Gracie reveals his time-tested theories and techniques of invisible Jiu Jitsu, a combat system and life philosophy he developed over the course of his life. Anyone can use the principles of invisible Jiu Jitsu to awaken their dormant inherent power and apply it to their everyday lives. An indispensable tool for any fighter or seeker, Comfort in Darkness is a timeless book of strategy about aligning the mind, body, and spirit. How does the world’s greatest fighter face a battle he knows he can’t win? Martial Arts Philosophy: Learn how the principles of Jiu Jitsu―leverage, timing, and patience―can be applied to every challenge, on and off the mat. Invisible Jiu Jitsu: For the first time, Gracie reveals the time-tested theories and techniques of his unique system for awakening your inherent power. Overcoming Adversity: A raw and honest account of Gracie’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease, reframing a terminal diagnosis as the ultimate test of the warrior’s spirit. Mind, Body, and Spirit: Discover a timeless strategy for aligning your physical, mental, and spiritual selves to find balance, serenity, and comfort in darkness. Review: Great Read! - Excellent book that goes much deeper than expected discussing the early history of GJJ, BJJ, MMA and the UFC, plus Rickson’s philosophies about life and martial arts. Review: Great balance of story, philosophy, and martial arts spirituality as told by a master. - I am about halfway thru and have found this book to be challenging yet welcoming, direct yet subtle. While there is narrative, it is only used to illustrate Rickson Gracie’s journey of becoming not only a master combatant, but also a warrior in the everyday battles of life, the never-ending war to master oneself. If you want narrative and details, please read his great book Breathe: A Life In Flow (the audible version is excellent). This book is part spiritual/philosophical treatise, part story of a warrior’s journey, part training manual to train and develop Jiu Jitsu warriors from all walks and places in life. I am happy to have preordered and received this today. Once I finish, I plan on updating my review with more insights. So far, I have enjoyed it and feel like this is exactly what I need in this stressful, imbalanced point in my life. Rickson Gracie provides a much needed perspective and a challenge for me and all those who read to never give up and to always keep fighting. Thank you.