The Three Japanese Stages of Mastery (Shu-Ha-Ri)
A life without a mastery practice is a life half-lived. Here’s how the Japanese concept of Shu-Ha-Ri can reshape the way you create, build, and live.
Most people know me for videos about music.
But truthfully, there’s something much deeper that defines who I am.
I hold a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, itself an art born from Japanese Judo and Jujutsu.
Close to 15 years of training. Over 4 years at black belt.
Thousands of hours on the mats. Thousands more to come.
BJJ has taught me everything about life:
Discipline. Patience. Flow.
How to show up on the days you’d rather not.
How to navigate plateaus and breakthroughs.
How to find peace inside pressure.
And above all else, it’s taught me this:
A life without a mastery practice is a life half-lived.
This idea became the first pillar of my 3M Framework: Mastery, Mindbody, and Manifestation.
Today, I want to share something from the Japanese martial arts tradition that has shaped how I understand not just Jiu-Jitsu, but all mastery — business, content, creativity, everything.
(Look out for the other two ‘Ms’ soon.)
Shu-Ha-Ri: The Three Stages of Mastery
In the Japanese tradition, mastery unfolds through three stages:
守 Shu (Protect / Obey) – Follow the form. Learn the fundamentals.
破 Ha (Break / Detach) – Understand the principles. Find your own way.
離 Ri (Leave / Transcend) – Go beyond the form. Create anew.
Stage One: Shu — Obey
Most people never move past Shu.
They follow rules, mimic examples, binge endless YouTube tutorials, but never truly embody what they learn.
So they hit a ceiling.
They follow frameworks without realising those frameworks were created by people in the later stages, people who no longer need them.
Or worse, they follow frameworks that were never tested in the first place.
In martial arts terms: they’re memorising moves, not principles.
The Shu stage should focus on truths that hold up under resistance.
You don’t learn to fight by talking about fighting.
You have to feel real pressure, and in that pressure, learn who you are.
In content creation, this means publishing your work instead of endlessly planning.
In business, it means selling, failing, learning, and showing up again.
That’s how fundamentals become embodied.
And embodiment is where everything changes.
Stage Two: Ha — Detach
Few people ever reach this stage.
They get stuck in their heads, looping, analysing, second-guessing.
They confuse overthinking with progress.
They try to solve creative problems with logic, a left-brain cage match that goes nowhere.
Because the left brain wants exact answers, but has no way to find them.
So how do we escape that?
We move into Ha.
We learn to detach.
This is where we tune into flow, trusting our body, our instincts, our lived experience.
We stop chasing control and start channelling.
This is where creativity truly lives.
Your right brain connects to feeling, flow, and frequency. It’s what drives your left brain to act.
So we must trust it, even when it feels unfamiliar or “fake.”
Ha is the practice of deep self-trust.
It’s embodied action.
Think back to a time you were in full flow, playing an instrument, rolling in jiu-jitsu, or creating content that just clicked.
You weren’t thinking.
You were being.
When we’re stuck in our heads, we’re clunky, rigid, anxious.
We’re in a fear state, the exact opposite of creativity.
Our frequency is off.
But when we surrender to flow, everything aligns.
Stage Three: Ri — Transcend
If Ha is embodiment, Ri is transcendence.
This is where true mastery lives.
In Ri, you no longer imitate your teachers. You honour them by creating something new.
Watch Messi in full flow.
Listen to a world-class pianist.
Observe a great orator.
You can feel when someone is in Ri.
They’re not thinking. They’re not trying.
They’re expressing truth through their craft.
And yet, even here, the circle closes.
Because in Ri, you return to the beginner’s mind.
Everything old becomes new again.
Every foundation is revisited with deeper understanding.
This is the essence of Kaizen: continuous improvement and infinite curiosity.
A life’s work.
Next: I’ll be exploring the second M, Mindbody, and how your nervous system either blocks or fuels your flow.
Until then, keep showing up.
— Jon
PS: Join The Path
If you’re exploring mastery in your own life — as a creator, entrepreneur, or artist — I’d love to have you inside The Path, my free community for people walking this journey together.
It’s where I share insights, host live discussions, and help you stay aligned while you grow.