The Grand Master principle – How to be a Perpetual Student In Cyber Resiliency

The last in the series of Jiu-jitsu principles from Rener Gracie, that I will discuss is the Grandmaster Principle. 

“The grandmaster principle is about your need to continuously evolve your Jiu-jitsu and to always look for improvements and adaptions to make you a better fighter. It teaches that Jiu-jitsu is not set in stone, but a living practice (1),” Ronin Athletics Team. 

Female Grandmaster - Image Generated by AI.

Imagine having a consistent sparring partner. If you practice together and you practice exactly the same way each time, there is no opportunity for you to improve your overall performance. You may become exceptionally skilled at a specific motion or move; however, you may also develop several Achilles heels. 

I am especially drawn to the grandmaster notion because I have made it one of my life’s goals to learn new things, challenge myself, meet new people and figure things out. I’m constantly looking at where gaps exist and how I can start growing in those areas. This is not always easy to do as the avenues for learning may be limited or not always available.

Take for instance, when I first started out in my cybersecurity career, it was difficult to get assistance from higher level senior folks. It just felt like there was a language barrier. I had no idea what they were talking about, and they also had no clue what I was talking about. I would try to do the same things they were doing, but they didn't recognize my actions. Many would respond by chastising me for not knowing the processes or concepts they were referring to, or they would question my abilities. 

The leaders that helped me to fulfill my learning goal in the cyber world were the ones that instead of simply criticizing offered to show me step by step what they were looking for. This made a huge difference in my career. I took these leaders’ examples to heart and as I continually come into mentorship and leadership positions, I am able to take a step back and remember that the person I’m mentoring is capable of learning just as I was. 

Female Grandmaster in Cybersecurity - Generated by AI

You have to keep in mind that this new person, yes, may have less experience than you do, but that does not mean that they're not capable of learning. They haven’t come across this situation before, so, they don’t have any understanding or recollection of it. Patience is required as the cyber world is constantly changing and evolving at break-neck speeds. Due to this, you can’t know everything.

Regardless of whether one is a coach, instructor, sponsor or professor, if they come into a training session with the expectation that everyone knows everything, it's going to be a very difficult time.  Important concepts such as foundational pieces of a go on the pyramid will not be covered in  jiu jitsu. Can the students go to outside sources and learn these foundational principles? Sure. But it's not going to contain the language, the culture, the community that your academy brings. 

The same thing applies for working in a team. If I'm in a team and we're all speaking different languages and don't understand how to explain the gaps that team members are having, we're going to think of them as incompetent. What should happen is for the team to sit together and focus on the reason each member was hired – their strengths. One member’s strengths are X, Y, Z, and they depend on another team member to do W, Q, and X. 

It comes down to ego. And I see this all the time in the tech and cyber industry. There is an inability to get past the fact that if someone is not knowledgeable or technical in the same space, they are to be discredited instead of seeing the strengths they bring as assets and complimentary to their own strengths. 

Female instructor demonstrating Martial Arts - Generated by AI.

The leaders that understand the humanity behind learning, different structures and how people preserve data or where their strengths and weaknesses are build more resiliency in cybersecurity. This is because they are there to help others, they are able to develop diverse teams and a level of camaraderie that encourages growth. It’s like with  jiu jitsu. You can’t do jitsu alone, right? The smaller your gym space, the less people you have to throw with, the less chances you get to really understand and train with different body types, sizes, and experience levels. 

 jiu jitsu is not a static sport. Neither is cybersecurity. Yes, there are foundational principles, but each of those principles is meant to be a starting point for further exploration and growth. In essence, one needs to embrace the confidence of a cybersecurity "black belt" while maintaining the humility of a "white belt,” or as more commonly said, “become a student of life.”

In conclusion, to become a perpetual student in cyber resiliency, one must:

1. Acknowledge and accept that the cyber world is not static. It is very fast paced; therefore, one should always look for opportunities to learn and grow in order to keep pace with it.

2. Understand that one cannot know everything; therefore, one should look for and see strengths in others, especially when working as a team. They can help to bring innovative solutions.

3. Recognize that being a student requires utmost humility as one has to admit to not knowing something; therefore, one must check their ego and help others who are further behind along the learning path. Remember, as a lifelong student, you are further behind someone else in your learning journey and will want the same level of patience granted to you. 

As we move into the next aspects of the cyber world, I hope that the  jiu jitsu tenets we have covered over the last few months have helped you to create a strong foundation to build from. Refer back to them as often as you can, knowing that there is always something new to learn even in something you already know.