Fr. Ted on Jiu-Jitsu as Christian spiritual practice and protection of others

The author describes a conversation with Fr. Ted about the place of martial arts in Christian life. They argue that Christians are called not only to love their neighbor but also to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. Training in Jiu-Jitsu, they say, teaches humility, discipline, courage, and self-sacrifice.

The primary purpose of such training is spiritual: to conquer the self and the ego. A secondary purpose is to be able to protect oneself and others against those who would do evil, even while loving those aggressors and feeling no malice, anger, or hate toward them. This duty to protect is not limited to any particular vocation; it applies to priests, lay people, police officers, soldiers, and ordinary people on the street.

True strength, the discussion concludes, is not about dominating others but about having the courage to protect those in need, the humility to restrain oneself, and the willingness to put oneself at risk for the sake of others. The Christian struggle, therefore, is not only spiritual; love also calls for concrete action. The full conversation has been published on YouTube.