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Selfcontrol is associated with judo, seiryoku zenyo and life.

Selfcontrol is an expression of temperance, one of the cardinal virtues (see also: menu 'virtue')

We can divide selfcontrol into three aspects:

• Control of your bodily needs

• Control of your emotions

• Control of your strength

1. Controlling your bodily needs

Jigoro Kano hated waste enormously. Both waste of energy and other resources. At various points in his works he warns of the dangers of excess and luxury. That made him criticizing common opinions, even in his own time.

Selfcontrol is not so popular in our country. If everyone lives to enjoy life and everything is available, you have to do your very best not to take what you can get. Whether it is eating and drinking, or the use of leisure and communication, the standard seems to be: do whatever you like. What seems to be freedom (do what you want) is not real freedom. It makes you a slave to your own desires and what others think. Freedom you'll only obtain through virtuous living. It makes you relaxed, flexible and confident of a higher good. That's also Ju.

A good judoka learns to apply the principle of seiryoku zenyo on all his capabilities. Those who eat too much, will become so heavy that training is difficult and the weight category might be a problem in tournaments. Competition judoka's are all too often so focused on their weight that they already know what fasting is. The correct balance remains difficult to determine. But it is true that you shouldn't consume the energy that you don't need.

However, the virtue of temperance has for Jigoro Kano not only to do with efficiency in energy. It is also the higher target:

You must choose methods that allow you to best achieve the aims of judo in your daily life. For example, with regard to the basic requirements of life such as food, clothing, and shelter, and also in your social interaction, you must seriously consider whether or not you are conducting your life so as to make the maximum contribution to society. (...) The basis of happiness in life is not in the pursuit of material gain or temporary pleasure. (Mind over Muscle p.92-93)

 

[In order to serve society] you first must develop good daily habits. These good habits include simplicity and moderation. (...) Therefore, first you must seek to live a simple, modest life, and live within your means so that you do not require a lot of time or money to support yourself. The most important thing is to strive to develop yourself so that you can acquire as much spare energy as possible to expend on society. (Mind over Muscle, p. 130-131) 

Controlling everything brings happiness closer, and is also conducive to good health - essential for judoka's, but for whom not?

It is also especially necessary to take care of one's health practicing judo as physical education. Some who practice judo become overconfident of their health and inevitably fail to look after themselves. We must not be careless about  where we live, our clothing, or our hygiene. We should pay great attention to what we eat and drink. There was a time when people did not deem it a problem to eat and drink to excess, but rather were proud of being an excessive eater or a heavy drinker. That way of thinking still persists and is obviously detrimental to health. If you do not take care in regard to matters of health, there is no benefit in practicing judo. (Mind over Muscle, p. 105)

All judoka's could learn what they can learn of course everywhere: less is more. Yet it requires from everyone, judoka or not, a huge mental conversion not to live from the limitless possibilities, but from principles. And always deliberately ask yourself: is this necessary, or is it excessive?

• With regard to food and drink always the question: does my body need that energy injection necessarily, or am I simply enjoying luxury until I drop, like so many other people do?

• With regard to clothing the question: how much money and waste of energy and production capacity do I spend, if I hang more clothes in the closet than I can ever wear, or I am a slave of fashion?

• With regard to a car the question: how much energy the vehicle consumes, and how much space and equipment I really need, or I am a freak reinforcing my ego with the four wheels of my huge SUV?

• Always the question: do I stand behind my choice, and how is that choice motivated? Did I take in my choice only my own interests into account, or also the responsibility to the world, the equal distribution of goods and energy? Am I independent enough, of running after the tricks of commercials or popular opinions about fashion and trends?

Virtue is a question of learning:

After training, the children might be thirsty and wanting to drink plenty of water. Then the trainer takes caution. If he provides the appropriate incentives, the children will automatically measure and manage themselves. If the students than in come into a similar situation, they will have the habit to be controlled and will not do excesses. (Jigoro Kano, in: Kano Jigoro Taikei 123)

 

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2. Control your emotions

Most people have trouble keeping up with their emotions. We are obviously not talking about positive emotions, such as love, sympathy, or happiness. Such feelings shouldn't be to violent either, because a judoka with too many "butterflies in the belly" is not in balance. But it is particularly about negative emotions. Because emotions can sometimes be so strong that it is not easy to stop them.

Jigoro Kano stressed on several moments that some emotions are extremely harmful to a judoka - and every human being. They cost so much energy that you're no longer able to practice judo. You can be completely kuzushi if you let yourself be carried away by uncontrollable feelings. They lead away from the main action and the purpose of your actions. Seiryoku zenyo lets you understand that controlling your emotions is essential to work effectively with the given talents and energy. Peace and order.

Kano mentions in particular:

a. Anger

Anger is an intense emotion that brings the worst in human beings to life, and the biggest mistakes could arise. Jigoro Kano states:

Becoming angry consumes mental energy. How does anger benefit you or anyone else? The result of anger are invariably a depletion of mental energy being looked down on or disliked by others. (Mind over Muscle, p.85) 

There are judoka's who for example become so angry about decisions made by referees, unsporting behavior of others, and all irregularities on the tatami possible, that they keep upset for days. Of course, a judoka must fight for respecting the law and justice. But what is the sense of anger? Will you become a better judoka by that? Moreover, it is very often energy waste to the point of b).

But also in everyday life anger is a destructive emotion. Traffic is the best example. If other drivers on the road commit violations hampering you, how do you react? Does it make sense using the claxon? Is an obscene gesture like a raised middle finger a solution? Flashing with the lights? Why? We know that we accept the risks for ourselves and others, and why do we do it?

In the same way people react if they feel they are treated unfairly by service providers. Aggression and intimidation of others is nowadays very common. It's so terrible that even ambulance-guards can no longer do their jobs properly. But how much energy will an angry man waste? How does it feel to have your blood boiling in your veins? What's it like to see your afternoon, your party, your journey, your vacation to be spoiled by your own anger and negative feelings? Do you feel better by letting your feelings run free, or would you be a lot more relaxed when you would raise your shoulders and continue to do some good? 

b. Discontent

At several places stresses Jigoro Kano that complaining and dissatisfaction are deeply at odds with the principles of seiryoku zenyo. He disliked it very much and it was apparently even in his time though frequent. The negative is destructive. Negative energy does not exist, and can only be regarded as wasting, removing, destroying positive energy. It's meaningless and unnatural.

Disappointment. In this connection I wish to explain to you how the principle of maximum efficiency helps us in promoting moral conduct. A man is sometimes very excitable and prone to anger for trivial reasons. But when one comes to consider that "to be excited" is an unnecessary expenditure of energy, giving benefit to nobody but often doing harm to himself and others, it will be seen that the student of Judo must refrain from such conduct. A man is sometimes despondent from disappointment, is gloomy, and has no courage to work. To such a man Judo comes with the advice to find out what is the best thing he can do under the existing circumstances. Paradoxical as it may seem, such a man is, to my mind, in the same position as one whom is at the zenith of success. In either case, there is only one course to follow, that is, what, after due consideration, he deems to be the best course of action at the time. Thus the teaching of Judo may be said to lean a man from the depths of disappointment and lethargy to a state of vigorous activity with a bright hope for the future.

The same reasoning applies to those persons who are discontented. Discontented persons are often in a sulky state of mind and blame other people for what is their own fault and without attending to their own business. The teaching of Judo will make persons understand that such conduct is against the principle of maximum efficiency, and make them realize that by the faithful observance of that principle they will become more cheerful. Thus the teaching of Judo is, in a variety of ways, serviceable to the promotion of moral conduct.  (Jigoro Kano: The Contribution of Judo to Education)

 

Complaining. Let us turn to an annoying yet pervasive habit people all too often display: complaining. What is the point of complaining? It's certainly no fun for those who have to listen to the complaints. The energy used to make unpleasant complaints, can certainly not be considered seiryoku zenyo. Rather, all the energy used to complain or grumble can be expended more usefully. This means ridding yourself of unpleasant feelings and refraining from harboring ill will toward others. In the end this will result in putting one's energy to the best use not only for yourself but also for the betterment of society. This principle should be applied every day at all times. (Mind over Muscle p. 80)

We can all learn from these judo principles. There is a lot of anger and people are damaged by what other people say. There is an awful lot of complaints, and people are no longer willing to accept something as belonging to the risks of life. Complaining about injustice is often get their 'right' at high tone about trivial things. Judo can learn to keep the correct balance. When the judoka's should also stop crying about each setback ...

As someone who lives orderly and disciplined finds his way in life and makes the best use of his energy, Jigoro Kano dares to say: "He always has a calm spirit, joy in life and is full of initiative." That is the opposite of uncontrolled emotional outbursts.  

After two years of training I could observe changes in my body, and after three years, I was clearly stronger. But I also experienced a mental refreshment. As a young man I was passionate and short-tempered. Now I became more patient and my temperament was slowly calmed down. (Jigoro Kano, 1915, in: KJT 3, 121-122)

 

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3. Controlling strength

The proper use of physical strength is obviously an essential point in applying seiryoku zenyo. Who applies more power than necessary, is not doing a good job. Excessive use of force is against the principle of ju. Strength is not a goal in itself: "The judo practitioners of today do not make enough effort to achieve the goals of judo and have overemphasized becoming strong or winning in competition, which are merely means rather than ends" (Jigoro Kano, Mind over Muscle, p. 100) In particular, the modern competition judo can learn from this, because there is currently too little done with the noble principles of maximum efficiency with minimum effort. Muscles seem to be more important than technique. Up to excess.

What is the right proportion? Jigoro Kano states in his teachings about education:

In Randori we teach the pupil always to act on the fundamental principle of Judo, no matter how physically inferior his opponent may seem to him and even if he can by sheer strength easily overcome the other. If he acts against this principle the opponent will never be convinced of his defeat, whatever brutal strength may have been used on him. It is hardly necessary to call your attention to the fact that the way to convince your opponent in an argument is not to push this or that advantage over him, be it from power, from knowledge or from wealth, but to persuade him in accordance with the inviolable rules of logic. This lesson that persuasion, not coercion, is efficacious, which is so valuable in actual life, we may learn from Randori.

Again we teach the learner, when he has recourse to any trick in overcoming his opponent, to employ only as much of his force as is absolutely required for the purpose in question, cautioning him against either an over or under exertion of force. There are not a few cases in which people fail in what they undertake simply because they go too far, not knowing where to stop, and vice versa.

To take still another instance, in Randori, we teach the learner, when he faces an opponent who is madly excited, to score a victory over him, not by directly resisting him with might and main, but by playing him till the very fury and power of the latter expends itself.  (From: The Contribution of Education to Judo)

Jigoro Kano calls this form of self-discipline: tomaru tokoro o shire: know when to stop ...

It requires, however, a lot of self-knowledge and strategic insight to make the appropriate considerations in specific situations.

The everyday application that Jigoro Kano exemplifies, is selfcontrol in conversation. He makes that clear on several occasions. It is obvious that in a conversation it's useless to attempt reaching another with screaming or intimidation, or force him to say 'yes'. Shouting and curses are in a dialogue always counterproductive. You will not convince by letting yourself go. Logical arguments do. Police officers learn for this reason how they should approach quarrels and intimidating behavior: remain calm and de-escalating. Never shout, never intervene with weapons, but always staying very calmly and controlled, saying what is necessary, without agitation.

Of course, in this context we recognize also the professor in Jigoro Kano, who knows that you should use logical arguments to convince students and to teach them something.

The basis for selfcontrol in dealings with fellow people is: respect for the other as a person. The control of desires, emotions or power always involves the interests of another. What under  'respect' in the menu jita kyoei is said, should therefore be taken into account in relation to the virtue of selfcontrol.

Temperance is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods. It ensures the will's mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honorable. the temperate person directs the sensitive appetites toward what is good and maintains a healthy discretion

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